The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-03-29
ANTI-GAMBLING Law
A Stringent Act that Closes In on
Gambling-Fine. Penalty and Term
of Imprisonment all Increased by the
Bill.

Under the heading of An Act 10
Amend Section 1043 of the Code u
North Caroline" Senator Aycock has
had made a pa-t of the statute law Of
the state a strong a~nti-gambling act.
As amended by Senate Aycock. section
1043 now reads:
If 4 keeper of an ordinary. or house
of entertainment. or Of a house where
in liquors are retailed shall knowingly
suffer n game. at which money or
property or anything OF value is bet,
whether the same be in stake or not,
10 De played IN by such house, or on
any part Of the premises occupied
Herewith. or shall furnish the persons
50 betting. either on said premises or
elsewhere" with drink or other things
for their comfort or subsistence during
the time or play. he hall De guilty Of a
mIsdemeanor and fined not less h
five hundred" dollars and be imprisop-
ed not less than six months"
me changes made by Senator Ay-
cock are indicated by quotation marks.
He inserted between betting and
with" the words in parenthesis;
changed ten dollars TO five hun
dred" dollars. and the term Of impris-
oLment from n more than thirty
days" to mot less than six months"
But this is not all. The Aycock bill
adds to the section the following:
Any person who shall be convicted
under this section shall upon such con-
viction forfeit his license to do any Of
the business mentioned in said section,
and shall be forever debarred from do
ing any of the said business in this
state, and the court shall embody in It's
judgment. hat such person has for
feited his said license and nc board Of
county commissioners. board of town
commissioners or board of aldermen
h hereafter have power or authority
to grant to such convicted person or his
agent a license TO do any of the bust
ness mentioned herein"
And here is another addition which
makes detection of such acts possible:
1t shall be the duty Of every police
officer of the cities. towns n villages
Of this state to make diligent inquiry,
and to exercise constant watchfulness
TO discover whether any of the Of
lenses enumerated in said section are
being committed. and to report one
a week under oath to the mayor or 9th
er chief officer of his city, town or VIII
lage whether such ~offenses are being
committed. and all the facts within his
knowledge, or of which he has infor-
nation relating thereto. n if any such
police officer shall know or have infOr-
NA1~N SAS Su$A 49, - "
ing committed. and shall fail or neglect
to report the same to such mayor or
chief of officer. together with all the in
formation known to him. as to the per-
son or persons committing the same,
the time and place of the commission
n the names of the witnesses there
to he shall be guilty of a miSdemeanor,
, and upon conviction shall be fined or
imprisoned. or both, in the discretion of
the court and shall forfeit his office.
And it shall be the duty of the mayor
or such chief officer to require the
said report herein provided for. and 20
require that the same shall be verified
by the oath of said policeman. and if il
appears upon such reports that any
of the a offenses have been COM
mitted. it shall be the duty of such
mayor or chief officer to issue his war
rant for the arrest of the offenders
Any such mayor or chief officer of any
of the said cities. towns or villages WIZ
shall fail or neglect to require the re-
ports herein mentioned. or shall fail OF
neglect to require of such police officer
{ To verify the same upon oath, or WhC
shall refuse Or neglect upon its ap.
pearing from such reports that there
is probable cause to believe that any
5 of the said offenses have been commit
. ed to issue his warrant for the arrest
: of the offender. shall be guilty of =
: misdemeanor."
The chance of the detection and con
Viction of offenders is still further in
creased by the following:
l That any person committing any 81
the fen mentioned in the said sec
> ton shall be liable to a penalty of five
hundred dollars $4,000 to be recovered
by suit in the county in which sucf
offense or otfenses may ave been com
mitted, one-half thereof to the use OF
the person bringing said suit, and one
half to the school fund of the county.
This act was ratified on Friday
March 18th. and is now the law. Its
provisions are plain and clear, and I'm
der it much gambling can be suppress
ed-News and observer.