El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-01-19
was taken in Richmond, Virginia,
few months ago.

few months ago.
The Judges charge to the jury fol-
lows:
1.-THE court instructs the jury that Q
lottery 10 any scheme whereby one, on
paying money or other valuable thing
from him such resurn in value, or moth
Ing, as some formula of ichance may
determine, and if the jury shall find
from the evidence beyond all reason
able doubt that the accused did, at the
time and place mentioned in the war
rant. set up, promote, or that he was
concerned in the management or draw
ing of lottery, as defined by this In
struction, they should find him guilty.
"The court further 1nstructs the
Jury that, although it may appear from
license from the commonwealth for a
slot machine, such license was not L.
tended to give, and did not give to the
accused, the right to use such SLOT
machine for the purpose of conducting
and carrying on lottery, as defined
by the first instruction.
And if the jury find from the evil
dence, beyond all reasonable doubt,
that the accused did at the time and
and employ such slot machine for the
pu. pose of conducting and carrying on
q lottery, as defined by the fret In
struction, they should find him gull
ty."
The accused was found guilty and
fined, and the slot machines were
made to close down.
The Virginia legislative act under
which it was claimed by the defence
that nickel-in-the-slot machines are
legal was approved February Il, 1898,
and reads az follows:
1. Be it enacted by the general as
sembly of Virginia. That any person
or corporation having on q strest. alley
or other place in city, or on any public
road in any county. or in shops, stores,
hotels, boarding houses, depots. or
public and private rooms or any other
place anywhere In the state OF Virgil
mia slot machine of any description
in which are dropped pennies or ntckels
or coins of other denominations, to
dispose of cigars, cigarettes, chewing
gum or other articles of merchandise,
or musical, weighing or other devices,
that operate on the nickel-in-the-slOt
PHAAOAPAOs 0oOA AOA k0AAs cAAoAA psSJ 80
every such slot machine or musical,
weighing or other devices, as the case
may be, license tax of 81 so per year,
for the use and benefit of the state, to
be collected and accounted for ~ are
other license taxes.
It will be .seen that the movement Is
not directed against those machines
by which upon deDositing . certain
coin the person receives something for
his money, in amount and character
known to him before he invested. 1t
ia only directed againt the lottery
machines, where the chances to lose
are overwhelmingly against the play
er.
The nickel-in-the slot machine ia In
itself q device to rob the poor man. 1t
is comparatively seldom that men who
can afford to lose money play the ma
chine. 1t is robbery of the poor women
and children; it means misery and
want to hundreds; and the proprietors
will freely admit that the profits from
the machines are enormous.
In Memphis the authorities in ODE
dience to popular demand for the
outrage to cease, bsAished the slot
machines from the city, although 1t
meapts4v4oss rU--sife-oisy-~ofap annual
MeAsnpa of thirty thousand dollars.
why can not this community show, not
only q little common decency in this
matter. but also little common bust
ness sense? Every cent that goes into
these mechanical lotteries means a
cent lost from the channels of legiti-
mate industry and trade.
~~-1