The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1875-08-06

we desire to call attention to some fur
ther legislation in class interests. We
refer to the action Of the Legislature
with regard to the gambling laws, which
may be briefly stated as follows:
The act. of April %, 1873 a. p. 191),
amendatory to the act for the prevention
of gaming, and sometimes called the
"Keno bill, " made it a misdemeanor for
any person to ''keep or exhibit for gain
any gambling table Except billiard table,
OF faro or keno bank, or any gaming de-
vice or machine of any kind or descrip-
ton under any denomination or name
whatsoever" or to keep or exhibit any
billiard table for the purpose of betting
and gambling, or allow the same to he
used for such purpose" or to "act as
'backer' or 'capper' for any of the above
mentioned games, or either directly or
indirectly induce any other person to
play at or engage in the same"
The penalty affixed for violation of
the act was a fine of not less than fifty
dollars nor more than five hundred dol
lars, and imprisonment in the County
Jail from ten to ninety days. Moreover,
the convicted party was required to find
security for his good behavior as to a
violation of the provisions of this actor
the period of one year in the sum of five
hundred dollars"
The second section authorized the re-
covery, by suit, of money lost in betting
at any of these games from the person
receiving or any person having any in
terest in the same, together with exem-
plary damages of not less than ten dol
lars nor more than five hundred dollars.
The third section made the personal
property of the judgment debtors, and
''real estate permitted or suffered by the
owner knowingly to be used and occu-
pied, in whole or part, for the promotion
or carrying on, in any manner what
ever, of any game of faro, keno or
scheme for gambling as aforesaid, " liable
for the payment of such judgments. 1t
also provided that "a violation by the
lessee of any of the provisions ofthis act
shall, at the option of the lessor, work
forfeiture absolutely of any lease of any
real estate or building situated thereon,
and entities the lessor to take Immediate
possession" There was a clause saving
the rights of minors and wards.
In 1875, March 12 q. p. 50), this act
was amended and repealed The pen
atty was changed to fine or imprisonment
in the County jail, and the requirement
TO find security stricken OlIt, except
mark this exception-''in the event
there should be found in the possession
of any person or persons arrested under
the provisions of this act, any ''combi-
nation box" or cards having upon them
any unusual or secret mark or device by
which one may be distinguished from
another, the person or persons so arrest
ed shall each be fine NOT LEss THAN
$500 AND BE IMPRISONED NOT LEss THAN
NINETY DAYS, and shall moreover find
security for his or their good behavior as
to a violation of the provisions of this
act for the period of one year in the sum
of five hundred dollars" There, then,
is a law of Ohio, TO PREVENT AND PUN
IsH CHEATING Ia GA&BLINGi 1t might
fitly be styled "a Law to preserve the
purity of the faro box" Gambling
house keeders we're opposed TO cheating
at their tables WHAT THEY WANTED
PROHIBITED Is PROHIBITED. What the
public good required to be prevented is
rot materially interfered with.
SRcTIoNs TWO AND THREE OF THE
ORIGINAL ACT ARE REPEALED. Proper
ty leased for the gambling purposes
specified in the act can no longer, there
fore, be held liable for money lost or
fines assessed. And the claim is advanced
that this law, being general in its scope,
applicable to "any gaming device" re-
peals by implication the greater part of
the gaming laws of the State.
About the time of the passage of this
act the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Company lost seven or eight thousand
dollars by an embezzling clerk, at Co
lumb1s. The clerk had lost the money
in one or more of the Columbus gam
bling houses, and measures were at once
set afoot by the company to Eeeover it.
1t was doubtful whether those who
shared in the winnings were responsible
all were liable under law. But the
property was good wherein the gambling
was carried on. When the attorneys
had obtained sufficient evidence to make
a case, they found the laws had been
changed. The civil remedy and the
most effective penal part had been cut
off 1t is not stated that this circum-
stance had anything to do with the
adoption of this great measure of Dem
ocratic reform" The coincidence is
only noted-that is all. Since this act,
gambling generally, and notably at Co
i9spbus, has received a new impetus.
A GAMBLER caught, only has now to
plead guilty before friendly magistrate
and pay ten dollar fine. None care |
for this. Open gambling houses are the
result. Their evil effects, especially |
upon the young men and boys rising into |
manhood, can not be portrayed, If this |
were the place to attempt a portrayal.
Idleness, poverty, crime, ruin, and death |
follow in their wake; and few are the
days in any of our cities without some
striking or tragical illustration G. this
truth. 4
THAT to increaSe or initiate the curren-i
CIV would be n monstrous wrong is evil |