The San Francisco call., 1897-11-21
COLLAPSE OF A
TEAPOT TEMPEST
Cigar Machines Are Legal
and Owners Cannot Be
Arrested.
In a Test Case Jurors Would
Be Required to Smoke
in Court.
The Order of Yesterday Is Suddenly
Rescinded and the Game Is
Now Wide Open,
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALL.l
tnIN Rrnn.l O, NJ

sos Broadway, Nov. 20.
The little machines in which you drop
nickel and sometimes get something
else but offener do not are eau Ing lois OF
tro ble just at this time. Yesterday il
was thought that chi Lloyd's u!tI-
matum had settled the matter and taa
there would not be nickel-in-the- lot
machine in this city n operation to-day.
tTuis hope was de usion.
4 The proceedings taken this afternoon
in the Mayors office have invested these
Latte puzz. e. eoxes with a great deal OF
dignity, and they have suddenly S n 10
a very high place III local business
circles.
a number OF owners OF the machines
assemb ed in the Mayors otfic- to-day,
where they met the Ch.ef OF Police and
the Prosecuting Attorney. Among the
merchants were: Rouort Boyer. Fred
Campbell, Ell Schernann. l. Fibush,
Alex Hirscnberg, NJ. kuTzei, Al Berco-
v1ch, j. Rosen rerg, &. II. kucks AM 9th
eTs- Mayor Thomas called the little
meeting 10 order, and invited the Chief OF
POiiCe 10 give MS views.
Cnlef LLOYD said that the machine
owners were not living up 10 their agree
ment made a few weeks ago to give each
player a cigar for eaca Il excl. He I'd
many complaints had been made 10 h IN
OF the manner in Wslch the machines
were run, and in reply 10 query Of Mr.
Campbell ne said that IN some cases the
price fOr goods that man may charge Is
regulated by law.
Prose cutting Attorney Melvin said til at
the whole matter Gevo.vei upon the value
OF he gar gwen. If It were a nickel il
was legal, but Il Il were not worth a
nickel The owner would be vlolati ig the
law.
Mr. Campbell explained that the ma
chlne-Owners would guarantee ID give 4
good 5-cent cigar every time the machine
was played, and he said that MS yiew OF
Tie matter was sus, ,ained by legal opin-
ions from the best lawyers in TINS city.
The Prosecuting Attorn gave 1t as
ms opinion mat o give value for money
ir lnls form would not be violation OF
tn State law, and the meeting broke up
with Il speech from Chief Lloyd. in which
he remarked that so long a the dealers
gave scent cigar each time the bell
rang the machines would not bs moiested.
Some OF the dealers are already urophe-
Syjng trouble. They ar9 afraid that some
OF The unscrupuI Gus dealers Will lay IN a
stock OF "stogies, not worth cent
ecc, ana this OF course will take the
I Ter into the courts eventually, Ior the
joy 10 determine the value of the cigar.
complications, Tor the jurors can only
determine the value of cigar by smok-
ing II and If any OF the jurors do not
smoke il igbt be necessary TO get new
lary. Then, again, the point would be
raised As 10 whether twelve ordinary Jury
men are experts as to the quality and
V2lue of cigars.
Consequently before long the matter
will be much tangled up legally as the
Durrant case anu the machine owners can
safely gamble on enjoying the profits OF
their machines for five years at least.
Cnef L.oYd said last night:
Pursuant to the written opinion Of
Pros1 cutting Attorney Melvin, delivered
subsequent to that cf Thursday, Novem-
her -, and in view oi The tact That the
said Prosecuting Attorney is the legally
cons htutad authority 10 advise me as 10
prosecutions or arrests for infractions of
The Penal Code, I viii suggest, like the
old gentleman IN the advertisement, huff
saldI'