The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-09-21
IND|cT|NG THE SPORTS.
The Grand Jury Finds True Bills
Against Twelve Gambling
House Men.
Charged With Violating the Law
by Keeping Their Places
Open Sunday.
One of the Accused Arrested and Released
ON Bond For His Appearance
at Court.

When the news reached upper Main
street yesterday that the grand jury had
found twelve indictments against the pro-
prietors and employees of two of the most
prominent gambling houses in town there
was quite f1utter. The law under which
the indictments are found is found in Sec
ton 157 of the criminal code, and provides
that sit shall be unlawful for any person
to keep open any play house, theatre, dance
house, hurdy -gurdy house. prize ring, race
track, or to keep open any banking game at
cards, on the first day of the week. COM
monty called Sunday, or the Lords day.
Any person, who shall violate the provisions
of this session of this act, shall be deemed
guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon convic-
ton thereof, shall be fined in any sum not
less than one dollar, nor more than one
hundred dollars. or by Imprisonment in the
county Jail not less than one nor more than
thirty days, or by both such fine and i'm
prisonment.''
A half dozen of the leading clergymen
of the city appeared before the grand jury
last Monday and urged the enforcement OF
the law. They made second appeal on
Friday and departed feeling that they would
meet with success. Whenever the question
was brought up in the jury room it caused
considerable discussion among several of
them. One of the jury called attention to
the fact that the law had been dead letter
in the statute books for eight or ten years.
He also said that tho local clergy had never
been able to muster up enough courage to
appear before grand jury until Rev. w.
F. Graft, who was here short time ago and
started the present movement, came along
and stifened their backbones up sufficient
ly. The iuryman also told his fellows that
there was in Helena large and influential
class Of people whose Sunday amusements
we're most dear to them who would be
brought under the same head as the gam
bling houses, hurdy gurdy houses, and
In opposition to this the juryman who
did the most talking in favor Of the, on
forcement of the law, replied that the law
WAS on the statute books. Who putt there
and why it had become a dead letter was
none IF their business. It shopld be either
not within the province of the jury to re-
peal it, Tut they could yeh force it, or at
least test it, by bringing the indictments,
and the evidence was sufficient to warrant
such action. So for the purpose of testing
the law it was decided to find true bills
against the people connected with two of
the gambling houses. The cases will no
doubt be appealed at once to the supreme
court. One man, who had reason to think
that he would be included in the list of in
dictments, is understood to have left the
city.
The members of the grand jury are John
Stedman, foreman, F. S. p. Lindsay,
Charles Lehman, John r. Watson, John
w. Thompson, A. Weisenhorn and Jacob
Loeb. In politics the last two are demo-
Gratis and the Others republicans. While it
is not known how the vote stood on the in
dictments, there is reason to believe there
was at least one against it. Five of the
seven are necessary to find a true bill.
One of the proprietors of the Capitol
gambling house was arrested last night by
deputy sheriff and gave bail for his ap-
pearance. None of the other warrants were
served last night. Up on Main street this
was something of surprise to all, but it
was construed to mean that those interest
ed would be allowed to combine on the
defense of one of the indicted men. An
other idea was that it was to give the gam
bling houses chance to close on Sunday.
''peaceably if they would, forcibly if they
must.'