The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-03-19
GOVERNOR APPROVES NEW
GAMBLING LAW.
SLOT MACHINES INCLUDED
Law Limits Punishment to Money
Fine-Gamblers Feeling
Jubilant.

AANA6AA6 AN q VI Uuo HUI E0SS1OI
prohibitive Of gambling in Montana
and it is now a law of the state, as
became effective Immediately upo
the executive g approval. The COVE,
! nor received only one protest agains
? the law.
Senate bill No. "a, as the substitut
bill was called, repeats the famou
Chandler anti-gambling law by max
ing the punishment for running Ger
tain games less severe. The Chand
Ter law made gambling a felony, pun
ishable by imprisonment. The new Law
limits the punishment to a none,
fine. A heavy fine is imposed upol
certain games denominated as sure
thing.
Fines received through o viction
in the police court go to the CITY
while those imposed through arrests
by the sheriff or deputies 20 to tn,
county.
The gambling fraternity in Billing
have had their numbers augmented
during the past week by gamblers from
other cities, who seem to be of thu
opinion that there will be gambling il
this city. The gamblers are feeling
jubilant over the new law.
The new law places the death sea,
upon the nickel-ln-the-slot machines
III cigar stores or any place of business
where drinks are sold.
The law in full, as approved by the
governor, is as follows:
"Secton 1: Every person who
deals, plays, carries on, opens or causes
to be opened, or who conducts or
causes to be conduced, either as owner
or employee, any game of monte
lansquenet, rouge ct noir, rondon, tan,
fan-tan, percentage, stud horse poker,
craps, seven and a half, twenty-one,
or any banking or percentage game,
for money, checks, credits, or any rep
resenative OF value, or for any prop
erty or thing whatever, any peep
oscope or nickle-in-the-slot machine.
exposing to view lewd. indecent or
obscene pictures is punishable by a fine
OF not less than $500 nor more than
$1,000 and every person convicted of
a violation of this section must be i'm
p%risoned until such fine and costs are
paid.
"Section 2. Every person who
carries on, opens or causes to be
opened, or who conducts or causes to
be conducted any game OF faro, rou-
lette, draw poker, stud horse poker,
or what is commonly called round-the-
table poker, OF solo, or any game of
chance played with cards, dice, or
Qnv Hovioo rphofornr Nv srLo $3.50.
conducts any nickel-in- the-slot ma
chine or other similar machine, or per.
mits the same to be run or conducted
other than the games commonly known
as sure-thing games, for money,
checks, credits, or any representative
OF value, or for any property or thing
whatever, II any person owning or
in charge of any saloon, beer hall, bar
room, cigar store or other place of bus
mess or any place where drinks are
sold or served who permits any of the
games mentioned in this section to he
played in or about such saloon. beer
hall, bar room, cigar store or other
place Of business, or place where
drinks are sold or served, is punishable
y a fine of not less than 500, nor
more than $1,000, and every person
convicted of a violation Of section two
OF this act must be imprisoned until
such fine and costs are paid. M
"Section 8. Every person who, by
the game of 'three-card' monte, So
called, Or any other game, device,
slight-of-hand, p1etensions of fortune
telling, trick OF other means whatever,
by use of cards or other instr uments
or implements, r. while betting on
sides or hands of any such game or
play, f~raudulently obtains from
another person, money or property of
any description, shall be deemed gull
ty of larceny, and must be punished
as in case of larceny of property of
like value.
"section 4. Every preson duly
as a witness for the prose-
cution on any proceedings had under
the provisions of this act, who neg
lects or refuses to attend as required,
is guilty of a misdemeanor.
"Section 5. Any person, otherwise
competent as witness, is not disquali.
fed from testifying as such concerning
the ofense of gambling, on the ground
chat such testimony may criminate
but no prosecution may after
wards be had against him for any
offense to which he testifes. I
"Section 6. Every sheriff, consta-
or police officer, shall have au- {
and it shall be his duty upon
'eceipt Of information that any house, I
DOM, tent, OF apartment is being con- !
lucted as a house, room or apartment |
or any of the games mentioned in
his act, to break open any door or
opening into any such house, room, +
ent or apartment, with or without a 9
warrant Of arrest for the purpose of
Wrestling such offenders of this act. t