The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1906-11-24
HOUSE CLEANING IN ELK0
Grand Jury Shows County Of
fcials Have Been Lax in
Collecting Licenses

The attention of the people OF Elko
County was called TO the existence of
illegal and immoral practices which
were said to flourish there last August,
and an investigation then begun has
finally terminated in an extended re-
search by the Grand Jury.
The question which is now agitating
the taxpayers seem to be as to the rela-
tive merits of the Grand Jury aud of
the County officers who were hauled
over the Goals for neglect of duty. The
debate is waxing warm aud decisive re-
suits may be expected to follow. We
give below the closing portion of the
report of the Grand Jury:
No descriptions of the gambling room
have been filed with the County Clerk,
no blame for this attaches to the Clerk,
but no license should be issued until
such description is filed.
The County Auditor has not. upon
the admission of the Sheriff and his
deputy, filled out any of the gaming
licenses. nor kept the stub as required by
law, although repeatedly notified of the
law and his duty. The Sheriff has not
collected licenses for all of the games
played. nor for all retail liquor licenses,
although fully cognizant hat the laws
were not being obeyed, as he admits.
The Sheriff states that he has been
following a custom of many years, and
while he knew he was not acting &C.
cording to the law he felt justified by
the record of the past. There Is no
question of the disregard of the law. It
has been freely admitted by many wit
nessess. We have carefully considered
all these facts in all its forms. and while
we might have brought indictments
against the offenders. we feel convinced
the best results may be attained by a
full and complete recital of these mat
tiers rather than by indictment. believ
ing that much has been done in ignor-
ance aud much is due to public opinion.
The Auditor is i'll. and has not been
seen by us, but the Grand Jury has
admonished the Sheriff aud deputy of
these errors. and they have promised to
fully observe the laws in the future.
We have suggested to the Sheriff that
he can enforce the gaming law by the
arrest and prosecution Of the first per-
son who hereafter conducts aud IN.
licensed game under the sections quoted
above. The Grand Jury cannot force
any off1cer-or citizen to take any step,
but it can admonish and caution them,
and demand that in the future the laws
be strictly enforced. This is the course
We have taken.
But Few Slot Machines Pay License
The Grand Jury adjourned without
investigating the charges as to the
failure to collect slot machine license
fees. and an independent investigation
was set on foot which has unearthed the
fact that while between 10 and 80 slot
machines are being operated in the
county, license fees have been collected
on only IS.
A taxpayer has taken the trouble to
express his opinion very forcibiy in a
brief but strong article printed by the
INDEPENDENT. in which he undoubtedly
sets forth the views taken by a majority
of the law abiding citizens of Elko
County. He fails to recognize the diff
ference between larceny committed by
a burglar and that committed by those
who rob the county through failure to
perform the duties of the offices en-
trusted to them by the people. aud de.
mands the reason why one should be
indicted while the other is only cad.
monished" by a Grand Jury sworn to
enforce the American principle: That
call men are equal in the eye of the
law"
Now that the crusade has begun, q
general house cleaning Of the evils in
vestigated will probably be accomp-
lished.