“J. H. D., who conducts the place, came in yesterday afternoon while the betting was at its height, and, bedecked in diamonds, walked leisurely behind the bar and, picking up a Racing Form, turned to the ‘boys’ and asked how ‘things were going.’ He was told the winners in the races which had been reported during his absence and seemed pleased with what was told him.
“The saloon is known as ‘D.’s O. P. C.,’ and has been conducted at this place for the past five or six years. The license for the place is in the name of Mrs. J. H. D. It is said that D. was formerly in the saloon business here, but sold out and went to New York, where he put on a vaudeville show and sunk several thousand dollars trying to make it pay. He finally failed, it is said, and came back to Chicago and reopened his saloon.
“At the Chicago avenue police station nothing was known apparently of the gambling at the D. saloon on the races. Capt. R. said that he told a couple of his men some time ago to watch the place, but he said they had reported nothing irregular. The captain seemed surprised when he heard of how affairs were, and Inspector H. was apparently very indignant at the thought that anything of the sort was going on in his district. He at once gave the captain orders to send a couple of men to the place and if anything was found to be going on there to stop it.”
The result of the visit of the Inspector’s officers is thus stated in the Tribune of May 28th ult. Its headline is suggestive, in view of the particulars given in the Daily News of the occurrences by its reporter.
“A report that a poolroom was being conducted in the saloon of J. H. D., E. and N. C. Streets, was investigated yesterday by Detectives B. and R., who visited the place at 3 p. m., and reported no gambling existed there. It was said that during Friday afternoon bets on the races were accepted in the saloon and that men as well as women frequented the place.”
The newspapers contribute evidences of the absence of crime in Chicago, and of police operations as follows, viz.:
From the Daily News May 27th ult.
“Officers from the Attrill street police station are scouring the west side in an effort to apprehend burglars who created havoc in the vicinity of Humboldt Park boulevard and Western avenue during the early morning hours of yesterday. Among the residences visited by the night prowlers were those of: (Here follows a list of eleven burglaries.)
“In addition burglaries at the following places in the immediate neighborhood have been committed within the last few days: (Here follows a list of four burglaries.)