The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-12-18
SLOT MACHINES MUST CLOSE MARCH |
Mayor Moore Issues the Orden/ to
Police This Morning. "

west Loan and Trust Co., by
Adolph Galland; M. Seller & Co.,
by A. Friedline; Club cafe, by H.
j. Sorg; Washington Cracker Co.,
Ryan-Newton Co., Charles F. Barth
and about Is retailers.
H. l.. Moody, who claimed to rep
| resent 600 members of the FEEDER
ated club of the Central Christian
church, spoke at great length on
the evils of the slot machine. At
the conclusion of his address Fred
Schade, who represents the Schade
| Brewing Co, arose and called
! Moody a "ten per CENTER and said
that until Moody got religion he
charged 10 per cent month on
money loans. Others also spoke
besides Moody. Pratt, father of the
ordinance, spoke at length in re-
ply to Attorney Lund.
| That the anti-machine forces
were prepared to go ahead with
prosecutions Notwithstanding is in
dictated by the attitude expressed
after the meeting last night. At
torney &. G. Pence, who is leading
the prosecutions of saloon keepers
for keeping their places open Sun
| days in violation of the closing Or
dinance, is contemplating proceed
ing against cigar store men under
the state law which forbids the op
GRAFTON of slot machines and makes
their operation misdemeanor. H.
| l.. Moody, who protested against
! the councils action last night
when it voted not to pass slot
machine ordinance just at present,
stated afterward that there was a
means by which the problem could
be got at and he, Pence and some
others held meeting Immediately
| after the slot machine vote. That
those who have slot machines can
be prosecuted was stated last night
| by Attorney Unarles Lund, attor-
ney for the slot machine men. He
| said:
What's the use, anyway, of
passing a slot machine ordinance
when already there is state law
which it is the duty of the county
officials to carry out. This council
seems to think that every time the
state legislature passes law. the
council must pass an ordinance on
the same subject and reading the
same as the state law
The state law follows:
ANY person or persons who shall
conduct, maintain or operate, either
as owner or owners, proprietor or
proprietors, lessee or lessees, en-
| ploye or employees, any nickel-in-
| the-slot machine, or other device of
like character. wherein there en-
| ters an element of chance, whether
| the same be played or operatd for
mony, checks, credit or any other
thing representative of value, shall
be guilty of a misdemeanor, and,
upon conviction, shall be punished
| by fine of not less than $40 nor
more than 500, and in default of
the fine imposed shall be imprison-
| ed in the county Jail one day for
each two dollars thereof"
The Law Enforcement leaguers
said that if the county prosecutor
| did not take up the cases they
Drought DeloIe HllH tHey Wouiu ne
gin proceedings to declare the
prosecutors Office vacated by
bringing charges under section
1883 of the state law relating to
the duty of public officers, which
reads in part as follows:
"Any public officer who shall re
fuse or wilfully neglect to inform
against and prosecute offenders
against the law shall be deemed
guilty of a misdemeanor, and on
conviction shall be punished by a
fine of not less than $25 nor more
than 500, and the court before
which said officer shall be tried
shall declare the office of appoint
ment held by such officer vacant
for the remainder of his term"