The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-27
POLICE DESTROY 4 ''ROSCOE" MACHINE Was Burned With Other Gam bling ParaphanaIia A SECOND BON-F IRE Billiard Table, Dice and Poker Chips Made Up the FueI-Alleged
 Gamblers Are
 Fined.
A SECOND FIRE

Acting upon instructions from Mayor Ward a second installment of gambling property confiscated by the Birmingham police department recently was offered to the flames yesterday afternoon. About d wagon load of gambling paraphernalia made fuel for the official bonfire The property burned was valued at perhaps $500
 The bonfire was held. on the city's dumping grounds on the southside anI Policeman Thompson was the head fire man for the day. He received instruc- tions from the Mayor through Chief Wier for the fire to commence at 4 o'clock ani it was just at that hour that the torch was applied.
 The following property was destroyed:
 One satchel of crooked diee-assorted.
 One box of regular dice-assorted sizes
 Six gross poker chips; celluloid. plaster of Paris and paste board.
 One billiard table; style used often for dice games.
 FlXtufeS for one billiard table.
 One "Roscoe;" complete.
 One satchel filled with sundry articles; use for same unknown to the police.
 Is Slot Machine.
 Yesterday was the first time that tho police have destroyed a Roscoe" since the gambling crusade commenced. A Roscoe" is a slot machine-strictly a game of chance, so the police say. Ire device destroyed yesterday by fire was confiscatcd in saloon on South Twenty second street Saturday night and the op- orator was placed under arrest.
 Roscoe appears to be an innocent looking affair and the operator will tell you there is no chance for you to lose. For every nickel one invests the machine, he will ten you that one will get from two to twenty in return. No one has you been found, however, Chief Wier says, who left the machine with his pockets filled with nickels. To operate Roscoe you must have an unlimited supply of nickels; dimes and quarters won't do un- less you are willing to have them changed up. A five-cent piece Is dropped into the slot machine and a wheel is turned. If you are lucky the nickel you first drop ped in will fall into a compartment and several other nickels will then be re- leased.
 Half Peck of Nlckels.
 After the machine was confiscated by the police it was carried to headquarters and an examination made. The cash box attached to Roscoe was discovered and about a half peck of niclzels were se- cured. This money is now being held by Chief Wier pending further investigation. After the gambling paraphernalia was burned yesterday afternoon Policeman Thompson called at the Mayors office and reported that everything had moved on schedule time and without hitch. There were not many spectators present.
 Judge Feagln fined three young whits men arrested in an alleged gambling house over the Apollo pool rooms on Second ave nue several days.-ago s25 In the police court yesterday afternoon. The cases were prosecuted by Assistant City Attorney J. Qunton Smith. The defendants filed no- tice of an appeal to the criminal court. All the Mayor and Aldermen cases ap. pealed to the higher or county court are tried in the second division and so far no test of the. iew gambling laws of the city of Birmingham have been tested in that tribunal.
 Violated Sunday Law.
 Several men arrested by the police in the room oyer Dick Wrays saloon on Second avenue Sunday afternoon pleaded guilty to violating the Sunday laws in the police court yesterday afternoon, and were fined SIC by Judge Feagin. | Several other defendants arrested at the same time were discharged it being proved to the satisfaction of the court that they were attending a meeting being held in rooms adjoining those where the others were found, and were therefore not guilty of any wrong-doing.
 Held on Murder Charges.