, 1873-11-01

foet ono mhKe6 no dl1eronco 30 f1r as Mr. Clark
son Is concerned.
THE GAMBLERS OF CHICAGO.
In 1872, the Legislature OF 11lino!a passed an
act to provcnt and punish gambling. The act
was short, sharp, aud decisive, as follows:
Whoever kcops common gamng.houso, or. IN any
building, booth, yard, garden. by him or his agent
used md occupied, procuTea or permits any persons
to frequent to como togchcr to play for 1noaey. or
other valuable thing at my gamo. or kccps, or suffers
10 be topt any tables oshor apparat, for tho pE
poso Of playing at any game or Bport for money or
othor valuable thing, sha, upon conviction, for tho
1rst ofonae bo nnod not oas than 800. and for Tho
second ofcnso bo nod not less thau $500, md bo I'M
praoned in tho County jail nut lcsa than six months,
and for the third otYcnso shall bo fined not 1e8a than
$780, and be imprisoned in tho Penontiary not less
than .To yeara nor moro thau flvo ycara.
undor this net, tho Grand Jury ono year ago
indicted one a. L. Stevens, who, according to
tho evidence, was found "doaling" ut d
gambling-tablo whore number Of porsons woro
playlng. It waB also proved that o "doalor"
VAS essential TO the gamo. Tho dofonso proved
that 8tevonB WIS not m owner or proprietor of
tho gamblfng-houHo was not Interested In tho
profits, nnd was only hired at s25 weak as u
dealor. The Court hold that tho accusod was, In
contemplation Of tho Law, tho "koopor Of COM
mon gaming table," aud 9tovonH was convicted.
An appeal was taken to tho Supreme Court, aud
heard at the Juno form, 1873. The Bupromo
Court, all tho membora prosont md mono dis
aenting, hnvo affirmed tho Judgment Of tho
Criminal Court Of this county. We print the
Az the act OF 1879 repealed all previous lawa Of
this State on this subject, tho gamblers Of Chi
cago had high hopes that this law was so dofoc-
two that they would have uprostrained license
to carry on their business. They argued, md
wero 80 advised by their lawyers, that to DO q
"kcopor" Of common gamb!ing-houso ro-
| quired that the porson charged should be- the
owner, lasHeo, proprietor, or Interested in tho
profits Of tho business, and that no person hold
ing tho relation Of an omployo or servant
conld be held to bo tie keeper. All That waa
necessary, then, to eyadc tho Inv was to have
tue house operated by other porsons than tho
owner, losHee, proprietor. or interested parties.
It will be seen that tho Supreme Court dis
poses Of this doctrine very aunmarily. 1t do
| careB that tho word "kcepor" does not necos-
sarily imply either ownership or participation in
the profits, and that it was sufficient that the
accused had tho general superintendent aud
charge Of the garning-house, and OF tho gaming
carried on, to mako HIM responsible as tho
keeper.
The Court, in illustrating the low applicable
| 10 10 ;1,i1f+ lin
owners or lessees of promises used for houses
! OF prostitution. The landlord who has knowl-
edge Of the uses to which his property ia kept,
t the Court holds, may well be called the keeper
of acommon bawdy-hcuse." and may be indicted
and punished az such and the lessee may bo
Joined with tho lessor in the Indictment. Next to
| tho gambling -houees, those other houses rentod
at exorbitant rates with knowledge OF the pur-
poRes for which thoy are to bo used, are the
great OWLS Of society, mud furnish to tho Grand
Jury large field for their inquiries. aud for their
action.
But thla decision is directly applicable to the
gambling-houees, md there iB no reason why
thesa establishments may not all bo eHoctually
cloBod by the continuous indictment. conviction,
and punishment OF every man found in any Of
these establishment acting as ownor, proprietor.
1csseo, lossor, dealer, manager, controller, or
regulator Of tile gamos, together with gamblers
and spectators. The police know erory proprie-
tor, every lessee, every partner, aud every deal
or in this city. All that is wanted
now Ia q vigorous exercise Of tho police poWcr
and rigid On forcemont Of tho law by the Crimi-
nal Court, The first business Of every Grand
Jury should bo tho indictment Of every gambling
house proprietor and dealer in Chicago.
The police, Grand Jury, local courts, and su-
premo Court havo done thor duty, aud yot the
gamblers Of Chicago hopo next Tuesday to ro'
ycrse oil this by the election OF City Govern
ment that will give them control Of tho police
forco. THUS thoy propose to elect .
Mayor who will dismisa Wright and Glove.
land Of tho Police Commissioners, and who
will reorganizo the police force by tho romova
Of tho Superintendent and Police Captains ant
sergesnts who lavo made war on the gamblers.
Thoy propose to put tho police forco buck where
It waY boforo Mayor hlodiil applied tho roform-
ing power and, with Sheridan, Klokke, Jak'
Reh1u, and Mike Hickey all restored to power
tho gamblers can bid defiance to tho Logisla
ture, tho Grand Jury aud tho Supreme Court
aud mako Chicago the haven Of prosperity ant
poaco for tic polser-p!ayors and faro-dealers ant
! buuho-dens Of tho country. Lot tho voters o
Chicago sustain the Supreme Court, by securing
to Chicago an unti-gambling City Government
NOTES AND OPINION.
To ill vacancies In tho Illinois Legislature, a
H., olaotfonu noyt WneRfRv thu IN rtin }ca aro :.