, 1906-04-19
The Gambling Cases.

in Big Horn county.
Tbos. Kane of Lowell, three charges:
Frank Strong of Lowell, three charges:
William j. Chapman of Cody, three
charges: James Maize of Cody, two
charges: Hoyle of Cody, Three charges;
Gus Clock of Cody, two charges; Jesse
NJ. Frost of Cody, three charges; c. r.
NARROW, and Cellar Gebo of Cody three
charges: Daniel Sullivan of Cody, two
charges: c. r. NARROW of Cody, four
charges: H. T. Newell of Cody, four
charges: Frank Parks of Cody, two
charges; J. w., Wilcox of Cody, three
charges: John Lowe of Cody, two
charges: George Hawkins of Cody,
Jacob G. Snyder of Worland, three
charges; a. A. Slime and jacob Sny-
der, of Worlald, five charges; Nellie
Shannan of Worland, Two charges; G.
HI. Worlund of Worland, three charges;
Top Boyles of Basin, three charges;
jesse Horn of Garland, three charges;
john Brown of Basin; Bernard Mobiles
of Basin: James Jones alias j. S. Nc
Grue, of Basin: w. l. Penney of Basin,
four charges; Charles f. Birks, of Gar
land. two charges; James Gibson of
Basin, three charges; Homer HiXon of
Basin; Christie Hanson alias Andrew
Omdahl of Busin; Grin Allen of Basin;
Joseph McCenlan, of Basin: Lee Nc
Gee of Basin, four charges; Joseph l..
D.nney of Basin; A. L. Pease of Is lsin
four charges; Oscar McNay of Basin,
three charges: Walter w. Wynn of
Meeteetse, three charges; Josiah Cock
of Basin, three charges.
The legislature of Wyoming at the
1901 session enacted statutes against
gambling, or for having in posses
sion gambling devices, or allowing
games in saloons, fixing the penalty at
not less than $500 for each otfense and
not more than ST 900, or by imprison-
ment not less than three months nor
more than one year, or both; and after
a most expensive and bitter fight in
the south part of the state, with the
gamblers on the one side and the law
abiding citizens on the other, the Sill
preme court affirmed the constitution
ality of that law. 1t will be remem
bered that the legislature of 1901, in
the gambling cases, made the mini
mum penalty less than the statutes
fixes for crimes of like character. Big
Horn county in hat legisl aure was
represented by Messrs Thomas and
Shaw, and il will be remembered they
both took seats in the band wagon.
Now in the case of the saloonkeeper,
the law recognizes his business as
strictly legitimate. He pays his good
money for a license. and so long as he
make no %infractions of law by allow
ing gamblers to ply their vocation On
his premises, he is justly entitled 10
the same protection as is the merchant
the hotel man, the doctor or the law
yer. In the case of the gambler plying
his vocation, he deliberately commits
a crime and openly defes the laws of
the state. ~.
Attracted by the money that is soa.-
tered with lavish hariI by the opera
tions of the vast works of irrigation
and railroad building, the Big Horn
B .sin has been flooded by that fratern-
iGy from states That have effectuaily
squelched open gambling. To Big
Horn county is now tiockIng hundreds
OF men with their families, all seeking
homes, and who, in a few years Will
be the moral and financial strength
and pride of this inter mountain coun-
try. In The main these families come
from Nebraska, Iowa, Ohio and other
states where laws are bouored in their
observance, and dropping into little
Villages like Cody, Lowell, Garland,
Meeteetse, Basin Worland, etc, they
are astounded to witness sights that
would put to blush the ear y mining
camps of early days.
Civiliz alton is just now taking rapid
strides right here under the shadow OF
the old Rocky mountains, and with il
churches, schoo S, lods es and various
forms of social life are going hand in
hand, and no man nor no set of men
are strong enough to combine and
openly Cefy the laws of the state in
which they domicile. Whatever the
outcome of the gambling cases now
pending in the district court at Basin,
whether for the state or in favor of tn.
gamblers, eventually the laws o
Wyoming u be iespec ed. IL tn.
laws are bad, repeal them and suosti
tute Others-but until they are so re
pealed, obey them, or iuunigiate Il
more genial clime-. The basic fuunda
tim of our town, our STATE, our C un
ny aud this republic is COOS ciJizen
ship-wiLhont this, government l., /
failure.