Don't Make Fun of The Texas Rangers

In writing about the early days of gambling in Galveston I condensed the stories perhaps too much. Let me clarify. A national columnist visited Galveston and charmed a local character who told him how the Rangers invaded the game room at the Balinese Room and were caught empty handed. This story made newspapers coast to coast and embarrased the Texas Rangers who were a Texas tradition. Now the governor told the head of the Rangers to do something about it. They enlisted a Ranger who was not widely known. I remember his name as Clint Peoples. He was sent to Galveston along with a sexy looking female companion and registered at a downtown hotel saying he was a Texas oilman from Dallas. After his arrival had been publicized he asked for a guest card at the B-Room. Now the front gate had a security code which meant that they searched you for firearms and other things. That is where the woman came in. She had a large purse but was not searched. His gun was in her purse. They proceeded to the game room where he wagered a modest sum. Right on time by pre-arrangement the Rangers arrived at the front gate with a warrant. The buzzer went off in the game room. Then Ranger Peoples retrieved his six shooter from the woman's purse. Before they could dispose of the gambling paraphernalia he placed all of them under arrest and the other Rangers arrived shortly afterwood and handcuffed the suspects and took them to the jail. The moral of this story is do not bad mouth the Texas Rangers. This was the beginning of the end for the B-Room.