The Portland daily press., 1894-02-10
GAMBLING MADE EASY
By the Automatic Poker Player and
the Blind Broker.
THE POLICE, HOWEVER, HAVE
TAKEN A HAND In THE GAME.

War Being waged Nickel-in-the-slot
Machines When Used for Gambling
Purposes in Boston-How the Youth of
the Hub Could Play Poker by Dropping
a Nickel or Cent-Other Fascinating
Diversions With Cigars for Prizes
When You Won.
Boston, February 9.-Superintendent of
Police Eldridge is waging war against the
nickel and pennyin- -the-slo5 machines
that have been so freely distributed in
the city during the past year. He has
given his captains orders to see that all
of the gambling machines be suppressed.
The Superintendent says he does not in
tend to cause the removal of machines
where a person is given his moneys
worth, for instance, getting cigar or
stick of candy for the amount dropped
into the machine, but that his orders are
solely against the lottery machines,
where chances of getting anything have
to be taken by the customer. There are
many machines at present in the city
Uudb dIS iiOiii'Ss
and it is these that he is especially
desirous of abolishing for the good of the
younger generation of the city. At a
recent conference with all OF the
captains, the matter was discussed, and
as result his subordinates were in
structed to cause the removal of all such
gambling machines. Thus far the police
have met with but few refusals to SUBJ
NIT to the request
The machines in question are of
varied character, embracing all forms OF
light gambling, from Tipping the coin
to drawing poker hands. In nearly all
cases the prizes offered are cigars, but
sometimes bets are allowed on the out
side.
There are seven varieties manufactured
by one concern, and the writer has man
aged to obtain one of the circulars of the
company, whic b contains, besides cuts OF
the machine, the inducements which are
offered to the purchaser. The circular is
headed "To Gift Scheme Houses and
Agents." In the introduction it states
that the machines are very profitable to
handle. Farther on in the circular is
the startling information that some
agents can make over $4,000 a year by
handling them.
"The Head or Tail" machine is played
as in the ordinary game of Tipping the
L
other variety of this fascinating contri-
vance. In this case the player in ORDER
to win must have the nickel fall to the
right of triangular slot. IT it falls to
the left ne loses.
There are two kinds of dice shaking
machines, both of which are said to be
the rage in New York. Next on the list
the machine that the now noted Everett
court case referred TO-
The last. and probably the most fasci
mating, and by far the best paying
machine on the list is the Automatic
Poker Player" The circular states that
the receipts from this machine are
enormous. Even the dealers who have
had them in their stores agree on this
point. BY dropping a penny in the slot
and pressing knob, five cylindrical
pieces of tin having arranged on
them the various suits OF cards, are
caused to revolve. If when they stop
poker hand above certain value be
shown, the player wins; otherwise he
loses. The prizes in this case. as before
prize obtainable is that of twenty-five
cigars. The other prizes vary fro m ten
cigars down.
One dealer states that his card
machine used to take in from So to ST
per day and that his winnings amounted
each day to anywhere from 81. 50 to 81 20.
On some days he said that the machines
used to lose over 100 cigars, but ne always
found. that the loss would be made up
on the following day. In regard to this
machine, the circular states that it will
take in ten cents for every five cent cigar
given out
Superintendent Elridge is determined
to continue the campaign against the
machines. and is satisfied that the re-
recent decision against the machines in
Everett gives him the power to resort to
the courts if necessary.