This will be the last “Illegal Of The Day” until after the convention. I hope to see a lot of you there. Don’t forget the “Illegal Seminar Of The Year.” Both Ed Hertel and I will be looking for you.

I had this research done quite some time ago. I don’t have some of the chips in it. Posting this in hopes some of you have them. If so, bring your traders to the convention or email me.

Below you will read about Bedford, IN and its illegal clubs. I was especially after info on The Criterion Club which I could not find any info on. As it turns out, it never existed as a lone entity. I am sure you remember “Illegal Of The Day Illinois 18” and Chicago’s 750 Club, a gambling room within an illegal club. Read on Macbeth, we have two more.

Enough of that:

Indiana:

Enter our “Friend Of The Hobby.”

So far I haven’t been able to find any reference to the Criterion Club, either in the 30’s when Smith ordered or the 40’s when Toole ordered (the address on the Toole order was his residence).

My note: AHA, vindicated! I am not the only person that can’t find anything on the Criterion Club.

The second Smith order, C-C in 1942, was sent to the Wicket Café which was a known gambling location. The order card says 16th St. but it was located on 15th. It was operating as early as 1934 when it was raided for liquor violations. The proprietors in 1934 were Raymond Torphy and Harry Schooley—names which I’ll mention later in connection with other gambling establishments.

Thomas Archibald Smith, who ordered the chips, was born in Carbondale, Illinois in 1882 and for a while before moving to Bedford, lived in Marion, Illinois. Marion is the county seat of “Bloody Williamson County”, which includes Herrin, the place where the Shelton and Birger gangs were active. Smith’s brother-in-law was one of the attorneys who defended miners charged with murder during the Herrin Massacre in 1922.

My note: As we have read in several other “Illegal Of the Day” posts the Shelton and Birger gangs would have contributed to keeping up “Bloody Williamson County’s” reputation.

Smith was the proprietor of the Wicket as early as 1941 and as late as 1946. By 1950 Smith is no longer in Bedford and the Wicket is being run again by the aforementioned Harry Schooley. Harry Roscoe Schooley, born 1902 in Bedford, ran the Wicket until about 1952 and then changed its name to the Green Mill.

In the 40’s Schooley operated a known gambling location called the Grand Grill. He shows-up in the Taylor Kefauver records but I didn’t find him in the chip orders:

However, an employee of the Grand Grill does show-up: Manley E. Toole, the guy on the 1947
Criterion Club order. Toole was an employee of the Grand Grill around the time these chips were ordered (born 1903 in Indiana, he was the son of a prominent minister of the gospel):

Not sure if it is a Harp or T mold.
I need this chip. Cough it up if you have a trader.

I do have a green “RED” hub

RED
E. McCarrell
c/o Grand Recreation
Bedford, Indiana
also E. M. Toole
November 3, 1936-37-38-39

Schooley’s partner at the Wicket in 1934 was Raymond Torphy. Several generations of the Torphy family were involved with the operation of a place in Bedford which for many years was a known gambling location: Torphy’s Tavern. In the 40’s and 50’s one of the Torphy’s who ran the tavern was Joseph M. Torphy, son of David Torphy who ran the place in the 30’s. Joseph had a couple of chip orders:

I have this one. It is a harp mold on the right in this scan. Also have web and Hub mold chips.

LSC Club
1028 16th St-
Robert, David and JoeTorphy, 3 orders in 1936-41-42

My note: Was the LSC Club the gambling room inside Torphy’s Tavern or was it inside The Wicket Café? A case could be made for both. My guess is The Wicket Café. Read on.

I need this chip. Cough it up if you have a trader.

Across the street from Torphey’s was another place with a chip order from the 40’s:

I need the black chip chip. Cough it up if you have a trader.
I have the blue one. I got it from Doris Griffin, her husband dealt BJ there. I talked to her, nice lady.

Bill & Betty’s café changed its name to Lockhart’s sometime in the mid 40’s when Pearl Leo Lockhart, a native Indianan, born 1905, became the proprietor. In the early 40’s Lockhart was one of the proprietors of the Bedford Pool Room, which was located two doors down from the Grand Grill.

Here’s a map showing the locations, all within ear shot of city hall:

My note: Big Surprise! City hall could have heard “7 and Out” many times a day!

1—Wicket / Green Mill
2—Grand Grill
3—Bill & Betty’s / Lockhart’s
4—Torphy’s

Of the structures which housed the four locations, all remain except the Grand Grill:

All the places were raided over a period of several years.

16aug1947 (Lockhart, Torphy, Wicket, Grand Grill):

8may1948 (Torphy, Lockhart, Wicket):

9feb1954 (Grand Grill, Torphy, Lockhart, Green Mill—formerly Wicket):

20dec1949 (not playing bridge this time)

My note: Hard to believe the “boy’s” were destroying evidence while the police were fumbling around breaking down the door.

My note: Finally the main reason I sent for more research. It appears the Criterion Club was the gambling room inside The Wicket Café. I think they called the gambling room by different names over the years, including The LSC Club.

I need this chip. Cough it up if you have a trader.

I have 3 colors, need black and green chips. Cough them up if you have traders.

Nowhere in the articles are the names LSC Club or Criterion Club mentioned. No business license ever issued.