The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-02-24
REMOVING THE MACHINES
Police Served Notices Last Night
Upon All Those Who Had the
Devices in Their Places.

1.-THE gambling machines must go,
because the mayor says So" was the
slogan raised by the local police au-
thorities last evening. and before 10
o'clock every proprietor Of a hotel, sa-
loon, barber shop, cigar store, or any
other establishment in which any sort
of gambling contrivance was kept was
notified that the machines must be
Immediately removed and must be
taken out of the place before morn
ing.
The order was issued in the after
noon by Mayor Moir, who, after a
long period of consideration and debate
with himself as to the advisability OF
bringing a stop to one Of the worst
forms Of gambling and one of the most
generally INDUCED in in the city, de-
cided to make a summary example OF
the slot machines.
OF late these have been played to
an enormous extent in the city, and
it was becoming so that the state of
affairs was unbearable. Chief Of Po-
lice Frank Robling was instructed to
give immediate notice to all parties
having a slot machine on their prem
ises and due notice was accordingly
served last evening.
Chief Robling instructed the police
lieutenants in the various outside dis
tricts, such as North Scranton, the
South Side and West Side. to serve
notice on all parties maintaining
gambling machines in their territory
and covered the central city himself
He was assisted in this by City De-
tective John Moir. Lieutenant John
Davis and Mounted Officer Joseph
Bloch.
Every establishment in the city
known to possess a machine was in.
vaded by one of these four officers, OF
| by the patrolmen on the beat, who
We're instructed to attend to the nott'
! flying. In the central city everything
passed quietly, less objection and re.
| monstrance being made than was ex
| pected. In all the places on the ave-
nues in which there We're machines tht
1 latter We're Immediately SHIFTED
around and like the picture in tn,
song, STOOD with their faces to tn,
| wall"
| Nearly every Lackawanna avenue
hotel had one or more machine of {
| gambling nature on the premises, anC
| in nearly all instances efforts We're i'm
! mediately made to send them away.
| In several Of the larger places. sucl
as the Scranton house, very, very lit
tie regret was apparent at the remova
Of the machines.
Lieutenant Spellman had charge O
the North Scranton district and in
structed the patrolmen on the variou
beats to attend to the notifying of tn
people in whose establishments wer
the machines. This was done, every
thing being carried out quietly an
without any trouble.
In West Scranton Lieutenant Will
Jams was in charge Of the work, an
the West Side patrolmen carried ou
their end in good style, the proprietor
of the places in which machines wer
kept being all notified. When Patrol
man McColligan served notice in tn
Fifteenth ward, Constable Lance, c
Alderman Moses court, had warrant
issued and confiscated four machines
which he took from Colan's hotel, a
the corner of Hampton street an
Main avenue: Rowman's hotel. at tn
corner of Eynon street and Main ave
nue.; Davis hotel and Prices hotel, o
South Main avenue.
The machines were taken to Alder
man Moses office and there store
| away.