The Hawaiian gazette., 1905-12-15
SANG OlO STORY
Or POLICE GRAFT

roiies Frafllne upon gamblers hoe
stirred up salt Lake CTS 80 we'll nj
iionoiuiu The folloNnH ARTICLE from
the salt Lake Tribune contains much
~ interest here A. the chief Of Poe
lice. William ! Lynch. h. 30 anxious
90 have law-ahidinr city that be
sends out his sienths 90 nnd saloon
opcn on sunday. he might with pro-
priety consider that not less than $50
men. who but for their passion Tor
gambling would be GOOD citizens, every
day walk out OF the city's gambling
houses without "A dollar. their earnings
having gone into the cash drawer of
men who live by the labor OF others.
PLAYERS MUST LOSE.
Now and then a man wins, but IN the
opinion OF those who have for years
made a study ~ gambling. out Of "a
hundred patrons Of the games there are
twenty losers TO one winner The rea-
sons FOR this are numerous, and are
not always apparent 10 the man who
is not familiar with the games. In the
first place there Is an iron-clad and
invariable percentage In favor OF the
house. This Is the rule In every game,
faro, roulette, 'twenty-one." craps or
any other device that is used TO fleece
cash from the dupes who foolishly eN-
pect TO win
LOSER CAN NOT STAY.
But there is another and even great
er percentage In favor OF the men who
run the games. The cash OF the aver
age player Ii limited. and In case of
few minutes losing he IL left stranded,
without funds to play even though he
may be confident that another deal
at the bank will change his luck. He
may pawn his watch. his overcoat and
| anything else that can be converted
into money. but he has no resources to
combat the practically unlimited capt.
tai OF the gambling
HOUSE HAS A "CINCH."
one OF the veteran gamblers OF the
city said Wednesday, In discussion of
the question: 1T is nothing less than
a cinch that the steady patron of the
tables Will lose There is still another
and even greater per cent. In favor of
the house. The man who is lucky Is
usually satisfied with "A few dollars;
[ the man who loses, as the majority
must do, will nine times out of ten
stay to lose every dollar that he has
| In his pocket, or is able to raise"
OFFICERS ARE GUILTY.
BY the statutes of Utah the duty Is
laid upon every police officer. sheriff
constable and county attorney to take
note of violations of the law against
gambling, and use every effort to bring
the guilty parties TO justice. Section
| 4266 of the Revised Statutes reads:
Every prosecuting attorney, sheriff.
constable or police officer must inform
against and diligently prosecute per-
sons who they have reasonable cause
to believe are offenders against the
provisions of this chapter, and every
such officer refusing or neglecting so
to do is guilty of a misdemeanor.
The chapter referred to is the one
providing a penalty for gambling.
NEGLECT IS NOTORIOUS.
Not a day passes that uniformed
policeman can not he seen in the vari-
Gus gambling houses of the city, but
no one hears of any efforts on the part
of the police department to comply
with the provisions of the statute. AS
part of the proceedings In n suit now
pending in the district court, four dep
uty sheriffs served an attachment up
on well known gambling house, and
were in the rooms for more than half
an hour while they were crowded with
players But the provisions Of the law
requiring the filing Of informations
against those engaging in gambling
We're ignored.
CHANCE FOR COUNTY ATTORNEY.
The County Attorney OF Salt Lake
county bestirred himself last summer
to stop a prize fight which he did not
according to his own statement, be-
lieye to be ION the square" He, as
well as every other officer of the city
and county well knows that the gam
bling houses run day and night in vio-
lation of the law, but no one has been
able to discover that he has taken any
steps to prosecute the violators OF the
law i'm this regard. Even the bitterest
opponents of the boxing game can not
allege that 1t is to be compared with
gambling In its evil influence and re-
suits.
Can Chief Lynch satisfy his law and
order conscience by closing the saloons
on Sunday and permitting gambling
houses to remain open day and night