The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1902-04-24
Ticket scalper Pleaded Guilty.
Adolph Blau Learned Something About The
Law on The Subject.-Judge Kelly
Was Lcnient.

The first case Of man being ar
raigned in the criminal courts OF Lacka-
wanna county for ticket scalping was
called before Judge Edwards recently.
The derendant was Adolph Blau, who
is the manager OF the Commercial
Loan company, doing business at No.
3os Lackawanna avenue. The com
planant was NJ. l.. Smith, the district
passenger agent of the Lackawanna
railroad.
BIau pleaded guilty upon the advice
of mis- counsel and was let off with an
extremly lenient sentence. 1t was $a5
and costs.
Cases in this state for ticket scalp
ing have been rare, although there
has been a law against 1t on the statute
books of Pennsylvania since the year
1863. 1t was only recently that the
supreme court of Pennsylvania decid-
ed that that law is good one and that
it is a crime to scalp tickets in Penn
sylvania.
The ID. l.. & w. company some
time ago had reason to complain OF
ticket scalplng in this city and started
out to find where the trouble came
from. They soon found that the tickets
were being scalped by Blau. Mr.. Smith
demonstrated with him and told him
not to sell the tickets of the Lacka-
wanna and also called his attention to
the law of this state regarding 1t.
Blau did stop for time and then
when the New York state court decid-
ed against the railroad companies in
the famous case at Buffalo he thought
that it gave him license to sell, and
started up the scalping business again.
Mr.. Smith told him again and also
called his attention to the fact that the
law in New York state was not the
same as the law in Pennsylvania, and
that the law in this state was straight
out and out against the practice. Blau
wouldn't believe it, and kept on sell
ing until he was arrested.
There is a big difference between
the case that was in New York state
courts and this one tried in the Lacka-
wanna court recently. The suit was
brought there by the companies against
the scalpers to restrain them from sell
ing. The suit there was in equity,not
in the criminal court. The peculiar
part Of the suit there was that it was
decided against the company on the
ground that they did not come into
court with clean hands and when a
man comes into the equity court for
redress of grievances he must come
there without spot or blemlsh. Thus
it appears that while the New York
courts decided against the companies
they did not decide that ticket scalp
ing in New York was legal.
In passing sentence on Blau, Judge
Kelly told him that it was on account
of all the facts IN the case that he was
so lenient. That he felt that Blau had
made mistake in his understanding
! Ol tlc INGW Olk law dui blu bot uh-
derstand the difference between that
and the law in this state. Judge Kelly
stated that the law in Pennsylvania Is
clear and distinct, and that it positive
ly makes ticket scalping crime. Il
is a serious crime, too. The penalty
is fine and imprisonment in the peri
tertiary.
The court impressed the fact upor
Blau that while he was lenient thi
time 1t was not to be understood tina
he would be so lenient with him o
anyone else if they should be brough
} before him again on the same charge
While the D., L. & w. compan,
agreed to have judicial clemency ex
tended TO Blau Mr. Smith stated tina
it was an example to any one else tha
would be found scalping their tickets
, They will prosecute to the full exten
/ of the law In cases that may aris
: hereafter.
Major Warren appeared for tn
, company, and Messrs. Joseph O'Brier
= Geo. S. Horn, Frank Donnelly an
!, John F. Murphy for Blau.