The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-04-02

1t is a common experience that auVaH-
| tage is taken of the general resort for
purposes of social recreation to houses
of public entertainment, to set up in them
| some species of gambling. mechanical or
| otherwise. The so-called slot machines
| used for gambling purposes are generally
| placed in licensed houses, the proprietor,
| of course, sharing in the profits. The
| police authorities and the Prosecutor of
the Pleas have been diligent to suppress
this evil as far as practicable, and many
of such machines have been seized and
| taken out. But the indictments have not
followed to any considerable extent. This
is doubtless due to lack of legal evidence
of what is nevertheless moral certainty
that these machines have been in habitual
use. The mere fact of having such a ma
chine in ones possession is not indictable,
| but the permitting of its use for gambling
purposes constitutes the proprietor of the
place where it is used for such purpose
guilty of the offense of keeping a disor-
derly house. If such evidence be present
ed to you the Court relies upon your
promptly finding an indictment, for in no
other way can this pernicious method OF
gambling be suppressed. The proprietor
| of the public house from whose posses
q
else is taken is not likely to refuse to
permit another to be left with him if
he personally runs no risk of punishment.
The best public sentiment of our time
is strongly set against all forms of gam
bling. majority of the citizens of our
State, through their representatives in
the Legislature. have declared against it
by stringent statutes and by the adop-
AZ of ont
bidding the repeal of those statutes. 1t
is our sworn and bounden duty to exc
cute the law. The most common FERNS
of gambling in large cities are the pur-
chase of lottery tickets and the betting
on horse races. So universal is the pub
lie disapproval of lotteries that the af-
fording of the means for indulging in
them is carried on with much secrecy.
The evil, however, continues to exist and
extends over the whole country. Most
of us would be astonished to know the
amount of money that is wasted in the
buying of what is called in our statutes
sslottery- policy by people of slender
means whose families thereby suffer to
| the great enrichment of a few law-break-
ers. Our statute makes it penal offense
| to be engaged, directly or indirectly, in
furnishing opportunity to purchase
ticket or a share in ticket in a lottery
| here or elsewhere, or to play policy, as
! it is called.
| The most common forms of betting upon
horse races is afforded by what is known
as the selling of pools, and it is essential
| to this illegal practice that there should
| be place where the bettors go to make
their bets and receive their possible win
| nin0S To fhAsa nOol rooms information
concerning races all over the country is
transmitted by telegraph. 1t is quite
usual to keep the pool room in
| connection with a licensed liquor saloon
or public house, as thereby suspicion
is in a measure diverted from the nature
of the business that is carried on. The
| buying or selling, habitually or otherwise,
of what is commonly known as pool,
or any interest or share therein, or the
making or taking of what is commonly
known as shook" upon a horse race, is
punishable as a misdemeanor, and so is
| the keeping of a place to which persons
may resort for bookmaking or pool sell
| ing or betting upon the event of any
horse race or any race or contest, either
within or without this State, or for gam
bling in any form, and the permitting of
such practices by the proprietor of a
| licensed liquor saloon or public house of
entertainment will constitute the proprie-
| tor thereof guilty of the offense of keep
ing disorderly house, although he may
have no interest whatever in the pool
| selling. bookmaking or other gambling
there carried on.
I am influenced to speak so much Al
length upon these subjects because of a
! do hu