Omaha daily bee., 1873-01-21
HOW GAMBLING CAN BE sUP-
PA ESSED.

'i"'Ai''N 'Sih"'''h Wv
gambling and gamblers has induced
us TO look up the present statute on
this subject in order to see what, if
any, remedies apart from the proper
execution of the laws may be neces-
sary to accomplish the result. On
page 622 of the revised statues we
find the following definition of gam
ing, and the duty of officers in this
connection
SEC. 1873. III any person shall by
himself, servant, or agent, for his or
her gain, or profit, keep, have, exerA
else, or maintain a common gambling
house, or place occupied by him or
her, procure or permit any persons to
frequent or come together to play for
money or other valuable things, at
any game, every offender on cOnvic-
ton, shall be fined not exceeding one
hundred dollars or imprisonment six
months.
SEC. 100. Ii any person or persons
shall play for money, or other valuable
things, at any game with cards, dice,
checks, or ut billiards, or with any
other article or instrument, thing or
things whatsoever, which may be
used for the purpose of playing or
betting upon, or winning or losing
money, or any other thing or things,
article or articles of value, or shall
bet on any game others may be play
ing, every person so offending shall
be fined not exceeding n hundred
dollars, nor less than ten dollars.
SEC. 14O. 1t shall be the duty Of all
justices Of the peace, sherifls, coro-
ners, and grand Jurors now in office
or hereafter to be appointed, to take
notice and give information to the
proper authorities of such ~offcnses as
may be committed in their respects
i've counties, contrary to the provis-
ions of this chapter, whenever the
same may, in anywise, come under
their immediate observation. And il
any officer, whose duty it is made to
execute the provisions of this chap
ter, shall neglect to enforce its pro-
visions upon view or complaint, such
officer, upon conviction thereof, shall
be fined in the sum Of one hundred
dollars, and shall, moreover, be sus.
pended from Office for one year.
A careful perusal of these provis.
ions will make the following points
self-evident:
First. The law defines clearly that
the owners of houses and keepers OF
resorts where persons habitually con.
gregate to play for either money OF
other valuable considerations are liza
BILE to fines and imprisonment as
much as those who engage in the lille.
gal games.
Second. The duty of suppressing
such practices does not alone devolve
upon the city police. The Shorthand
his deputies, justices of the peace,
coroners and others, are required, un-
der severe penalties, to prefer charges
against such violators of the law, and
brjfg them to justice.
win order to bring about the proper
kind of reform, not only gamblers,
but those who aid, abet and shelter
them; those who exact high rents
from them, and those who barber them
for the purpose of securing a profita-
BILE liquor traffic should be brought to
justice.
So far us the three card monte men
kindred pick pockets are concerned,
the remedy lies with the railroad com
panies. Let every employee on each
train be commissioned as Deputy
Sheriff, and compel them to arrest
every person that attempts to play on
board of the train, and you will soon
squelch the whole brood. Uutil
such al effort is made, they will con,
tinue to swarm in the neighborhood
of every great railway centre like
Omaha.