Butts County GaArchives News.....Gambling at Indian Spring August 1901 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Don Bankston http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00024.html#0005864 January 11, 2013, 6:18 pm Jackson Argus August 1901 Gambling at Indian Spring The citizens generally are praising the nerve and grit of Bailiff Ed Wells, who, unassisted, last Sunday afternoon, placed fifteen men under arrest and held them there for several hours. Of course, being alone, what they should do while in the room but stated that they were under his arrest and would remain there dead or alive and the first man to attempt to leave the room would be stopped by his “44”. It was a brave act, especially when it is considered that some of them were professional gamblers who are generally desperate men. ………………………………………………………………………. A prominent farmer of the county said to the Argus on Wednesday: Ed Wells seems to have hit upon the only way to stop gambling at the Spring. I have been on a dozen grand juries and it is really wonderful to see the ignorance of those who have witnessed gambling or whiskey selling. They are afraid (?) to swear anything, after it is all over. About the only way to reach it, is to catch then in the act. ……………………………………………………………………. The Jackson correspondent of the Macon Telegraph says: The citizens of Butts county are very much wrought up over the arrest and conviction of the gamblers at Indian Spring Sunday afternoon. Bosh!! At least a hundred farmers and town people have spoken to the Argus about it and without exception they have expressed gratification that it was done, ad expressed the hope that all sort of vice and crime would be suppressed at the Soring, and everywhere else in the county. The Grand Jury next week should follow up closely and vigorously the good work started by Judge Curry’s court, and break up the gambling, whiskey selling, etc., down about Indian Spring. The Argus believes there has been more drinking, gambling, fighting and other sin and crime going on around Indian Spring the last three months than in the rest of the county for five years past, and it is time the rest of the county was protecting the county’s good name. Hew to the line, Grand Jurors, let the chips fall as they may !! The Atlanta News said Wednesday that the people of Indian Spring were indignant at having their blind tigers and gambling dens pulled. The Argus does not believe this of Indian Spring’s good citizenry. Sheriff J. M. Crawford told the editor Monday morning that the preachers and other good people at the Spring had repeatedly complained to him of the gambling, drinking and other devilment going on at the Wigwam, and around the Spring, and that he had told them he would arrest the whole business if they would appear. ………………………………………………………………………… The idea advanced by someone to the Atlanta News reporter that the arrest of the lawbreakers and Sunday desecrators at Indian Spring was the work of the Jackson Chautauqua, was the emanation of a brain too small to accommodate a real idea. It is a barefaced falsehood. While Jackson must be gratified that her people are placed on the side of law and order, still somewhat of an injustice may be done the Indian Spring Chautauqua people in putting them down as the sympathizers of gamblers and blind tigers. While Jackson has no blind tigers and gambling joints in her hotels, and while her natural interest in the good name of the county, would make her zealous in running down evil doers, it seems the height of idiocy to declare that the arrest of lawbreakers (all of who pleaded guilty) at the Spring was an out come of Jackson’s jealousy towards something that was never big enough to be a rival in any sense of the word. ………………………………………………………………………… Judge Frank Z. Curry request The Argus to say that if those who are criticizing him so freely for breaking up gambling and blind tigers will trot out their man, he will resign his office and make the race on the issue before a white primary. He says he knows he makes many mistakes, but he don’t believe he errs in assuming that the people are against whiskey and gambling. …………………………………………………………………. Indian Spring is becoming a resort for courts The county court of Butts was called thre at 12 o’clock Sunday night of last week, just after a raid by a bailiff and before day Monday morning Jude Curry had imposed fines on a number of gamblers in the same room where the chips had passed. It is said a number of prominent men were in the game, and the names have been withheld. Such shameless conduct should be made public. It seems that Sundays are becoming the carnival dayas at the bigresorts, and if more of them were raided, it would no doubt open the public’s eyes as to how some of their trusted officers are acting. ……………………………………………………………… Of course Brother McCutchen and The Argus gave their names – i.e., as they appeared on the court docket, many of which were assumed names. There were prominent people in the room when raided, but the bailiff who raided the room didn’t know them and had to accept the names given. Otherwise they would have been published in the Argus. ………………………………………………………. Gamblers Caught And Blind Tiger, Too – Bashinski and Some Tin-Horn Macon Sports Last Sunday afternoon, Bailiff Ed Wells detected gambling going on in a room of the Wigwam, and walked in single handed and placed the party (15 in number) under arrest. He sent word to Judge Curry, who as soon as he arrived, deputized some Jackson young gentlemen found on the porches as bailiffs to assist Bailiff Wells in holding the prisoners. The prisoners were detained in the room until 12 p.m., amusing themselves in various ways, and having their suppers sent up to them. Some played cards, but Bailiff Wells was powerless to stop them unless he had searched them and destroyed the cards. He says if you put a dozen negroes in jail they will play cards unless forcibly made to desist, and he did not feel warranted in treating the white men he had under arrest like they were negroes. Solicitor Redman was sent for at earnest, solicitation of the gamblers, who said they would plead guilty if not forced to come to Jackson, and to accommodate them Judge Curry held court under the law after midnight. Fines were assessed to the amount of $1002.00, but T. E. McBride , of Savannah, who was fined $300.00 under the impression that he was a professional gambler, was afterwards placed on a “gentleman’s list,” and fined $36.00, which reduced the total number of fines assessed to 788.00, all of which were collected. The fines imposed were: L. Wooten, 2 cases, running gaming room and gambling, $150 in each case. A. L. Campbell, $100 fine. Robert Harris, $50 fine. Emil Dettler, M. Thrower, F. Flood, Lewis Dinkler, O. J. Dinkler, A. LO. Cohen, T. E. McBride, $86 each. G. W. Baynor, not prs’d, only spectator. B. Kiting, F. Harbey, Ed Hadley and W. Walker, for gaming, and Ike Bashinski, “blind tiger”, were not tried, but cases set for Saturday morning. Judge Curry says he does not know whether he will try Bashinski or not; as animus has been alleged in the case, he may leave Bashinski to the grand jury, and let Judge Reagan get a whack at him. The names given above are the ones given in by the arrested parties, and many of them are no doubt assumed. The list really embraced many prominent business men of this state and surrounding states. A good deal of discussion has been indulged in, in regard to the arrest and the sensational penny-a-liner has been at work, but as the parties pleaded guilty that settles the case as far as discussion goes. That the arrested parties should step up on the high horse of alleged indignation is not to be wondered at. In years of service as police reported on the city dailies, the editor of The Argus never ran across an offender who was not “offended,” “outraged”, at the arrest, no, not one, black or white. It developed, Thursday, that Louis Dinkler, who paid his fine, and those of A. L. Dinkler, A. H. Morris and A. OL. Cohen with a check for $144, had passed a bogus check on the court. Bailiff Wells left yesterday afternoon for Macon, to collect the fines, and to arrest Lewis Dinkler on a warrant issued by Judge Curry for cheating and swindling. Judge Curry said Thursday that the room raided at the Wigwam was a professional gaming room, where the young men of Jackson and the young men who came to the springs were fleeced out of their money; there were several kinds of poker being played; that there were roulette wheels and a game of faro in progress all the time. He said further that he proposed to break up the evil and the next time the men were caught he would not only fine them for playing poker, but would take action with regard to vagrancy, as a professional gambler is nothing but a vagrant. This is a question for the grand jury to look into further, as such tables could not be placed in a house and put in operation without those in charge of the house knowing it. Let the Grand Jury do its duty next week. Jackson Argus – Week of August 16, 1901 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/butts/newspapers/gambling3213nw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 9.5 Kb