The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-13
MUST u0I Ply 0D1 MONEY.


Ihe death knen of money paying nickel
ln-the-sl0s machines Of . class lately quite
common in the saloons Of Seattle WAS
sounded I'm Judge Cams court yesterday
I'm the case OF Dave Blakas Warrington
etrsst saioonkeeper. charged with main
tanning gambling device In hts place. the
court ruled that the machines wers OBJ
vfousiy intended 70 eyade the city ordi-
nance prohibittng gambling. although IL
censed By the city a. devices for the auto
matte sale OF EpOds.
Endor color ~ this virtuous preteuSe. the
court declared. tho machines we're Tag
snntiy offering opportunity for gambling
pure and simple. bake wAs Aned 50 and
costs. the maximum penalty being 800 fine
and not To exceed thirty days tais Inn
prisonmsns. He viii appeal tbs case 10
9hs superior court. Herman iAnset and o.
J. Nelson. saloon msn and partners -
Anasf 4 Nelson. who were arrested at the
same time with Blake. allowed . convfc-
ton 20 be en.ersd against thsmseives also.
ut the conclusion Of Bhke's trial. aud wsre
fined In Itks amount. They also viii APP
peal.
The two sgot machines con0scased by the
police ct the time Of tbs arrest Of Blake.
Lansst and Nelson we're much in evidence
during the trial. They were set up In tina
court room and operated for the better
eiuciAation ~ The prosecution's testimony.
etandsne ave fest above the foor and
painted On gaudy coaoxs they were Vie cen
ter Of attraction during the trial
poifce Oflicer Adams WAS the principal
witness for the city. He explained TO the
court that he had on several occasions
visited Biaks's place while the machine
Wa being operated and had noticed that
It paid out 20 lucky players not only
'sluss" good In trade Al the bar. but
niclkeis also. II was after ascertaining
that nickeis could be played into and paid
out by tha machine. Adams said. that he
decided upon BiAke's arrest.
Although not testified 10. It IN fact
alnD that Hakss arrest Was partially the
result Of = little tour Of inspection City
ATTORNEY D0Brsslsr made few days ago
through the saloons OF tbs Tenderloin dis
trict. during which he personally investi-
gated shs aIot machines in use there.
Blake's de4enss was that hi was not the
owner OF ti1a machine. m tho nrDt place.
and that IN tho sscond place he had never
countsnanoed the playing of niekeis into
che machine. He pointed out that a notice
was posted above the indicator dial stat
ing that the machine was not intended to
30 played with Honey. but only with
''slu9s'' purchased ct the bar. He was
not always able to prevent players from
using nicksls. he said. but did - whenever
possible.
CITY Attorney DsBnler attacked this
defense n,4rciiessiy In his argument and
told the court that In his opinion the
warning notice not TO play money was ~
i ua4tsf Of fact intended 10 inform play
EN- Of sporting pruci!vtties that money
couA b played into and wen on the ma
chimes.
J. a. S,,nnWall. the owner Of the Blake
machinA was placed on the witnsss stand
By tho defrnas Hs admitted that there
was nothing whatever to hinder the free
use NJ nickeis BY players but that the
machine was intended ~ a goods selling
device and WAS an improvement on the
orsiianry machines In that the services OF
an attendant were not required
He SAID that tho machines wefe eminent
" fair. biz. the poll - officers whs tsstf-
lied said that = rlayer had aboW one
chance In TEN Of getting his money back
on such machines.
The court In deciding the cass remarked
that the machine WAS it, own accused
from the fact that nickels wers plainly
20 be seen In the glass covered conduit
leading 10 the paying cup.
Tho prescribed machines have not been
seen ahou, the city until very recently.
Those heretofore In No were % arranged
that a specially grcoved slug had 10 be
used to operate thein An ordinary nickel
would not serve. BtA the slugs used In
tho Riaks and ianset 4 Nelson machines
are smooth and Of the prscise sase and
weight Of Q nickel.