The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-21
ROYAL IS TO GO.
Building Leased at Last for
Legitimate Purposes.
Owner Refuses to Say Who Is
New Lessee.
MANY BREATHE EASIER
Prominent Young Men Feared
to Testify.
Sentence Will Be Passed in Two
Weeks.
BREATHE EASIER

There were a good many business
men and young society men who
! breathed easier when they heard that
Mike Thompson, Wood Fowler and
Tobias and Hurst had pleaded guilty,
in the district court, to the charge of
keeping a gambling device The list
of witnesses to appear. against the
defendants was made up of the names
of 40 prominent business and society
men.
Had the case come to trial they
would have been forced to appear as
witnesses and give their testimony In
open court AS it is they are to escape
all this publicity and they are mighty
glad that Thompson and the rest de-
c1ded to plead guilty instead of stand
trial for there would have been four
separate trials and on four different
occasions these witnesses would have
had to tell the shameless story.
However, these witnesses can not
feel entirely free until after the four
defendants have complied with the SEN
tence of the court for the other case
against them, under the Cubbison law
will be held in allegiance until they
have served their sentence. Should
they fail to follow the conditions then
the other case will be brought to trial.
The Jail sentence, which will be passed
/
and the county commissioners can not
pardon the gamblers out of jail. No
one but the governor can grant par
don in such a case and the governor
is not likely to do so.
There are many of these witnesses
who will feel as elated over the clos
! ing of the Royal gambling esta blish-
ment any More than one bust
and lost money by frequenting the
Royal gambling parlors and finally
lost his business and money.
The Royal and the National next
door north, have been Haunted before
the public. Situated in the busiest
retail block in the city, they have been
decidedly obnoxious, and they have
injured business of stores around
them.
The proprietors of the Royal and
of the National also must go. County
Attorney Hungate's victory over Mike
Thompson, the king of the gam blers.
and his followers, has given him the
whip hand. Hungate says the Royal
and the National must go. The pro-
prietors of the Royal in agreeing to
Ilead guilty, agreed to close the
establishment. George Hanley, who
owns the building where the Royal is
| located, said today that he had rented
the building to other parties than
! Mike Thompson and Wood Fowler,
but he would not state who would be
the new tenant in the building.
Two weeks from Monday is the day
| set for the passing of sentence, by
Judge Hazen. on Thompson. Fowler,
Tobias and Hurst. The attorney for
the four defendants, Eugene Hagan,
\ left Wednesday for Washington and
! he asked that sentence be not passed
until he returned.
The gamblers wished for time in
which to prepare themselves for
! term in the county jail Unless they
entered a plea of guilty before the
day set for the trial Hungate would
have hPRn n wit
nesses in the case and put the county
to considerable expense to be in read
mess To avoid summoning the wit
neSSeS Hungate agreed that If the de-
PENDANTS would plead guilty before
the time for trial that he would agree
to the withholding of the sentence
for a time.
The law under which Thompson.
Fowler, Hurst and Tobias entered a
plea of guilty, which was passed by
the legislature in 1903, is as follows:
Section L The operation of any
machine or mechanism for gambling
purposes, and particularly those ma
chimes commonly known and desig-
mated as slot machines" in operation
of which cash prizes or other valuable
things given, shall be deemed a mis-
demeanor.
Sec. 2. Every person who shall set
up or keep in any room where mer-
chandise is sold or kept for sale, hotel
office, club room, saloon. joint, gam
bling house, brothel or other public or
private place any slot machine or
gambling device, devised and designed
for the purpose of playing any game of
chance for money or property, and
shall induce, entice or permit any per
son to bet or wager any money or
other things of value thereon, shall on
conviction thereof be adjudged guilty
of a misdemeanor under this act, and
shall be punished by fine of not less
than one hundred dollars nor more
than five hundred dollars. or by inn
prisonment in the county Jail for a
term of not less than thirty days nor
more than one year.
Sec & Upon conviction of any per-
son or persons under the provisions Of
this act, the court shall as part of its
judgment order the destruction of all
slot machines used by or in possession
of the defendant, and the sheriff of
the county shall execute such judgment
and order by publicly destroying such
slot machines by burning or otherwise.