Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-09-21
MONTE CARLO A MENACE
Feeling All Through Europe
That the Great Gambling
Place !Should BE Closed.

Increasing support is being given
to the suggestion that the career OF
the notorious gambling saloon nj
Monte Carlo should be ended.
The Monte Carlo Casino has been
| responsible for more suicides than
any other institution of any kind in
| the world n frequent visitor To the
Rivera said this week. 1T was re-
ported three or -four years ago that
| the gambling house was about tn bc
closed. but it is still drawing thou
sands Of people into its net every
year and SO great has been it's finan
cial success that new gaming place
in the ncighborhood is heinz talked
OF II is scarcely an cNaggcration To
say that thousands OF people have
committed suicide through being ruin
cd at Monte Carlo As Il rule the
world hears little or nothing of such
suicides. for it is not To the interest
OF the town TO say much about them.
But now and then striking cases
come To light. Here are few:
December Q, 1904.-llarold Clarke
son of Il distinguished San Francisco
family and II law student OF New
York. shot himself through tho head
In the Hotel Regina. Paris. lie had
just returned from Monte Carlo.
where he lost all his money at the
tables.
December II. 190A.-A young Ital-
IAN count walked out OF the casino n
picture of detection, and after sitting
In the gardens for awhile. talking To
Il lady he pulled out revolver and
shot himself Through the heart. At
tcndants quiclSlr removed the body
and few persons were aware of what
happened
December IN. 190i.-Rudolf Ry-
der. Il young Vienncsc gentleman
lost all his money AT the tables and
going out early in the morning lay
down in front of a train at Willie.
franchc and was cut to pieces.
Only Few Made Public.
These are only few Instances
noted now and then during a single
month"; he continued mo one
knows how many more cases occur
rcd altogether in that same month. or
| how many score occur in a ycal
Ruined players are continually Jump
ing into the sea and getting drowned.
or going to Paris or elsewhere. there
To shoot themselves. But the suicides
no not represent tenth OF the mis-
cry due TO the casino. So many pco
pie are broken by tho bank that II
has been necessary to establish n re.
lleving department in order to get rid
or the ruined players who might 9th
erwise commit suicide.
Every day in the season n score
}or more OF men and women apply Il
the casino officers for n dole to nav
their hotel bills and their fares home
Some time ago Il British officer who
mad lost every penny, was given free
=. and o. ticket to Calcutta ana $3.50
The sums paid out ly the casino
range from S25 to $500
but in spite OF this toll on it's pror.
its the casino has made millions ster.
ling ont of the gamblers who try Ia
break the bank. Last year its total
receipts came to $7.54040O. an In
crease of S759,4O0 on the year be
fore. After every expense had been
betrayed there was close on $4,000. 00O
for distribution among tn" sharchold
ers at the rate of $40 a share This
was equal to 20 per cent. on the orig.
inal value OF the shares.
The Cursed Monte Carlo.
rho curse of Monte Carlo is not
H'i Wy 'nhl IL IL responsible Tor the
ruin of hundreds of men and women. .
he concluded. but that 1t entails un-
deserved wretchedness on their fam.
ilics, who often have to suffer not
only privation, but great mental an
smish, directly due to the evil influ-
ence of the gambling tables. It, is a
forcing bed of crime. Swindlers and
thieves of every class haunt the
place. The spot is the most beautiful
one oil the Rivera. and has the fin
est climate for invalids. 1t is time
that such place was rid OF the curse
of the gambling dem
suggestion that the gambling
rooms ut Monte Carlo should be sup
pressed by the powers of Europe is
attracting widespread attention. Mr.
Max Pcmberton. the novelist, who i
an authority on Monte Carlo, SAYS
that the diplomatic situation would
m1Ea any t.tInl, fn,, .lfTrt.,,1,