Exhibiting faro.
--About the 9th of February last the
Mayor issued a warrant to search a certain house located on Main street, between 12th and 13th, which was believed to be a gambling establishment, under the proprietorship of
William H. Duke, of this city.
The search was promptly made by
Capt. Pleasants and
Officer John Davis.
The result of the investigation made by the police proved that on their forcing an entrance into the building
Duke and
Turpin fled to an adjoining house, that when they were pursued and captured
Duke stooped down and placed something on the floor, which proved to be a "dealing box;" that in the room from which the two men fled were found a faro table ready spread, with chips, cards, &c., laid out, and that everything indicated that a game was in progress when the raid was made.
Before the
Mayor the following evidence was given yesterday:
‘
Angus Lyon was sworn, but upon being interrogated by the
Mayor as to whether he had ever seen the game of faro exhibited by
Duke in this house, and, if so, when, declined to answer, alleging as a reason that he would thereby implicate himself.
He, however, reconsidered his determination upon being informed by His Honor that unless he answered the question, and that quickly, he would be sent to prison and fined besides; and also upon being assured that no testimony he could give in the case would subject him to prosecution.
Lyon thereon was that the last time be fast.
A man from Charon Satme was then dealing.
He had seen
Duke himself deal about six months ago, but not since.
’
Z. E. Taylor was then sworn, and deposed that, on the 15th of December last, he was in company with some friends, and during the evening a proposition was made to go to a faro bank; but as the gentleman who made the suggestion was under the influence of liquor the others tried to dissuade him from doing so. Finding, however, that he was determined to go, they all went with him. On their way to the bank they met with some one who offered to conduct them to a house, as he was going there himself.--After going through an alley, and up two or three flights of stairs, the stranger knocked, when a slide in the door was pushed back, and, on seeing him, the boy in charge opened it. They were conducted into a room in which was
Duke, standing by the fire, a faro table, and other gambling paraphernalia. --The man who piloted them approached D. and asked him to open a game, which he declined doing unless two would agree to play; whereupon the intoxicated friend, with whom they were first in company, agreed to take a hand, and commenced playing also.
Duke was dealing; but soon after he had made two or three "turns" suspicion was aroused that the man who conducted them to the house and proposed to play was one of that class known in gambling parlance as "stool pigeons," and they then proposed to their friend to stop playing and go with them to a ball in the neighborhood, which he agreed to do.--He (the witness) was positive that
Duke was the man who dealt the game on the night in question.
Upon being asked by the
Mayor if he had any questions to profound to the witness,
Duke asked him it, on the next day after the night he was at his house, he did not send him (D.) word that he wanted five hundred dollars which his friend had lost; and also if he did not receive in reply a message from him (D.) by a certain person to the effect that his friend had not lost any money at his house, but that if he (the witness) was mean enough to do so, and wanted to steal the money from him, he would make him
a present of the five hundred dollars?--All of these questions were emphatically denied by the witness, who said that he could produce respectable persons who would sustain him in everything he had stated.
The
Mayor then sent the accused on to the May term of the Hustings Court for examination on two charges, and admitted him to ball in the sum of $5,000 each.
