The Butte inter mountain., 1902-06-06
GAMBLING HOUSES
Continued from Page One.)

like fingers was doing business behind the
faro table. AS he noticed the strangers
entrance he kindly invited him to take
chair with the familiar Here's a seat, old
pal"
"Old Pal' declined with thanks and
moved OH down where the little ball was
whrlng on the roulette table. Here an
other invitation was extended, for the play
was light this morning and there were
chairs a-plenty.
Down at the end of the hall stud-poker
game was in progress. At the poker game
too the play was little slow, and as the
visitor approached a young man with
smallpox pits and a winning smile was
feigning heart disease and talking about
losing $I65 before breakfast. Then he
moved over and from force of habit made
rom for another.
Up over the Board of Trade the game
was running merriy along. notwithstand-
ing the fact that one Of the proprietors
was arraigned before Judge Boyle this
morning and allowed out on a $500 cash
bond pending his appearance June i3 to
answer to the charge OF shooting holes in
City Ordinance No. 4o2, Section 2, cover.
ing gambling and PROJECTORS OF gambling
houses.
Games All Running.
One faro game, one roulette game and
one table devoted to the American national
indoor game of the stud variety were doing
a small business. AT the faro game few
chubbers were trying to demonstrate to
their own satisfaction that "double-oH"
was the only combination.
Evidently they were not succeeding
very well, for the dealer was stacking the
chips up in his corner of his rack pretty
regularly and the case-keeper was playing
his stacks Of blues with as much reckless
ness as If he had picked Reina for the
Brooklyn handicap.
AT one end Of the room a new roulette
table was in the course of construction. A
few old sports stood around it and with
criticism born of long experience were
showing the tradesmen just where the
numbers belonged.
In one of the halls, a new contrivance
for opening the door had just been put
in. 1t was series of pulleys and springs
fastened to door catch and so arranged
that when a man up aloft felt satisfied
that the visitor was on the square he
pulled string and the arrival opened the
door with case. If, however glance
through his little hole in the wall failed
to satisfy him concerning the sporting
proclivtics of the stranger, that door
was barred to strangers and there was
never a sign of life.
His highness, the sentinel was so
placed that even those coming out could
not see him. but realized that the catch
on the door moved back at their ap-
proach.
In all the halls there was evidence Of
recent additions to the machinery at the
doorway and. with the exception noted
above. trinng attempt at vigilance that
was Just beginning TO disappear when
the light committee made its famous tour.
Evidence Of Crookedness.
As an evidence that the secret gambling
is productive of crooked work, an alder
man stated this morning that he had a
conversation with Police Judge Boyle about
the matter and learned from the judge
that recently he had several complaints
from persons purporting to have been
robbed at sure thing games, but as in each
case the complaining party refused to
file charge in the legal manner the
judge could do nothing about it. =
Many conjectures were offered concern
ing the situation in the gambling rooms
today and it is believed that when httor-
ney General Donovan arrives from Helena
the rooms will be closed until the attorney
general goes home again.
1t is not improbable that the attorneys
visit will determine the duties of city and
county officials in the matter and as the
defense of Schmidt and Ryker will prob
ably be based upon an alleged conflict
of state law and city ordinance, it is be-
lcvcd that the attorney general will be
called upon to settle the question.