The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-09-11

And as the paradise of gamblers.
.Lct It be rcmcm bered that the officers OF the
Agl Society are all law abiding citizens. That
they even 20 farther than many Of our would
be reformcrs. We AVOID corrupting the youth
of the land by such dirty and unnecessary hab
it's as smoking. chewing. drinking liquor, bet
ting on horse racing and games Of chance OF
any description"
Pleads former good conduct and
appeals to the court of public Opin-
ion for clemency.
There is no vice SO simple, but as
sumes
Some mark of virtue on it's out
ward parts"
Nor have they any more sympathy with
such work than Ashton Hall and the self-an-
ointed whom he alleges are kissing him on
The only excuse we will offer for permitting
games of chance on the Fair grounds Is thai
for years eur predecessors allowed them. and
the press in those days had no wall to send up
until the past two years, when personal dis ike
become the ba.s upon which reform il do,
manded.
Hall says the officers of 1889 agreed with him
that there should be no games of chance per-
mittcl in 1890. Either his statemement Is true
or false. II true why did he condone crime In
1859 on the strength of this assurance when he
well knew that the officers Of 1882 had no right
to speak for those of $780,"
Mr.. Hall, having been interviewed,
authorizes the PLAIN DEALEL to say
that he called the attention Of Mr..
Nichols to the gambling on the Fair
grounds in 1889 and insisted that the
society must have it stopped. Mr..
Nichols protested against any inter-
ference with it, asking him to keep
out OF sight of it, alleging that the
society had sold the gamblers the
right to conduct their games on the
Fair ground, that it needed the lmon-
ey they would pay, and il they were
stopped it would break up the Fair.
Mr.. Nichols also assured Mr.. Hall
that il he had anything to do with
the society in the future, gambling
should be excluded. Mr.. Hall says he
did not, at that time. understand the
law, his right or his duty.
:'As well might he agree thar this or that
would be done by the person who would suc-
coed him year hence. The statement that
such promise was made would show that the
sheriff accepted it rs . prctext for n OF obcying
the law, knowing even les Of business than
the officers who would thus presume 70 bind
their successors. But there is no need In fof.
lowing this absurd statement farther.
Now for few plain interrogatories which we
want Mr.. Hall to answer without vcrbiagc or
circumlocution. Did you no4 attend the fair
OF 1888, while acting as sheriff. where chnck-a.
luck, dice and other devices were run without
hindrancc by you or criticism by the presss
You certainly did. and yet the games of this
year were mild by comparison with those Of
1888"
Mr.. Halls says he was at the Fair
in 1883 part of two days, was absent
most of the time with Marshal Tim
Hopkins of Dubuque, saw no gaMbl-
ing or money staked while on the
ground, and no person called his at
tention to any. II Mr.. Nichols knew
OF gambling on the grounds, as q citl-
zen and an officer OF the Society, 1t
was his duty to have 1t stopped. Mr..
Hall thinks, and SO does the public
generally.
The justification Of gambling over
that in the year 1858 is about OF q
piece with the plea OF the girl who
through some accident had baby,
and being reprimanded, burst into
tears, saying she knew she had had
baby but 1t was mighty little one
though.
,sTbe fact that you were present and did per
NIT such u not advanced IS justification for
games in 1890, but TO show 10 the public that It
was not the majesty Of the law but personal
spleen that stimulated you in 1889 and 1890. TO
show your interest in reform had undergone Q
great change from 1888 10 1890 In fact got away
with the dignity that should attach TO your Of
Ace. Did you not state long prior to the kaiF
that YOU were after the Fair managers. and
would make il hot for them If they allowed any
games on the gr0undl" In the presence OF the
same group and at the same tune, did you not
state in speaking of one or more OF ths officers
OF our Fair that they were Id scoundrelss"
Mr.. Hall denies ever having stated
Society. but he did say there should
he no Gambling on the Fair grounds
in 1880. The only way Mr.. Nichols
or any one else could come to such q
Conclusion from what Mr.. Hall said,
Wan on the supposition that the gAn-
hlers and the officers were identical.
Mr.. Hall says he did say, when
asked. that one OF the officers was a
rascal, and he believes 1t yet.
Pope says:
Count all the advantage prosp'r'us
vice attalns,
IT'S but what virtue flies from, and
disdains."
ibid you not goto the Co. Attorney and ask
him to prepare papers against the only game
on the Fair ground. Did he not say, all right.
but II we are going to stop any We must stop
ALP Did he not call your attention to q wheel
game playing for money ACROSS the street from
the Court House gate! And did he not make
out papers covering it and that Oh the Far
ground. Did you not refuse to sign and pros
ecutc the one near the Court House. while anx-
ious 10 stop that on the Fair ground. Did you
not gct warrants for the one on the Fair
grounds, Thursday night, and did you not
speak to several. telling them you were ex-
pecting a id big row and bloodshed. and
asking them 10 be sworn in ~ deputies"
Mr.. Hall says he called on the Go.
Attorney and asked him to prepare
an information for parties who were
gambling on the Fair grounds, and
that he procure proper warrant for
their arrest and prosecution, the
sheriff Offering to be sworn to the in
formation in the case. The County
Attorney made information against
the parties there and others In Cresco.
Hall was prepared to sign the papers
against those hR knew were gambling
but he had seen no gambling where
Mr.. Barker claimed he knew it was
going on, telling Mr.. Barker il he
Knew of gaMbling going on there, It
Was his duty to made this iNfOFlQR-