rts and officers of law, who thoroughly distrust the man.[3]
He, however, has been posing as a virtuous martyr, declaring that the
police and judiciary are all subsidized: that it is impossible for him
to suppress the crimes of gamblers, saloon keepers, and the
proprietors of disorderly houses on account of the officers being in
collusion with the offenders. It is proper to state also that
counter-charges have been freely made in the daily press, and this
gentleman who assumes the role of one peculiarly fitted to unearth and
punish sinners, has been charged with using his office for
blackmailing purposes. Of the truth or falsity of the charges I know
nothing, but the latest revelation relating to Mr. Britton's career
certainly gives color to some of the charges which have been made
against him. It seems that while sincere and innocent persons who
mistakenly support these mischievous organizations by freely giving
hard earned dollars to such persons as the gentleman in question,
vainly hoping that their contribution will aid in exterminating
gambling, Mr. Britton has been recklessly _indulging in gambling
himself_. For a time fortune favored him. He won, and drew the money,
but later, luck deserted him and our pseudo-reformer lost quite
heavily. [4]Being pressed for the amount of his gambling debts,
aggregating $1,085, he gave a check which his creditor, Mr. Robt. G.
Irving, alleges was returned as worthless. He then gave notes, the
first two of which have come due but have not been paid; consequently
his creditor now seeks redress in the courts. Mr. Britton, probably
feeling that his usefulness as a censor of morals will be seriously
impaired by this unfeeling revelation, displays considerable
indignation while admitting his guilt. He says in the column of one of
the New York dailies:--

"_I have one weakness. Even the very strongest minded men will
bet on horses. I do it. I admit it._ But why do they pick on me?
Nobody notices the corruption of officials, but when the Agent
for the Enforcement of Criminal Law bets on horse races and
defaults on his debts, everybody sets up a howl."

[3] In the New York _Morning Advertiser_ of September 10,
Mr. Britton thus denounces the judiciary of the empire
city:--

"The police are down on me, but I am not afraid of 'em. I
can prove that the police force is subsidized to wink at
crime. Nine tenths o