Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-08
MONTE CARLO CASINO
Feeling Against Notorious GAM
bling Saloon Grows.
LONG RECORD OF SUICIDES
Thousands Have Ended Their Lives
Through Remorse.
ATMOSPHERE IS DEMoRALIzING
Privation and Mental
Anguish for Families Of Ruined
Men and Women-Suppression.


Special Cab!egram to The Star.
LONDON. September 7.-Increasing sup
port is being given to the suggestion that
the career Of the notorious gambling saloon
at Monte Carlo should be ended.
The Monte Carlo Casino has been re-
| sponsible for more suicides than any other
| institution Of any kind in the world"
| frequent visitor to the Riviera said this
| week. TT was reported three or four years
ago that the gambling house was about to
be closed, but 1t Is still drawing thousands
of people into its net every year, and so
great has been its financial success that
new gaming place in the neighborhood is
! being talked of. 1t is scarcely an eXaggera-
ton to say that thousands OF people have
committed suicide through being ruined at
Monte Carlo. AS 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 a few
! December Q. l9O4.-Harold Clarke, son or
| distinguished San Francisco family and
| a law student of New York, shot himself
| through the head in the Hotel Regina,
Paris He had just returned from Monte
Carlo, where he lost all his money at the
tables.
December II, 1904 young italian count
walked out of the casino a picture OF deJec-
| ton, and after sitting in the gardens for
awhile, talking to a lady, he pulled out
revolver and shot himself through the
heart. Attendants quickly removed the
body and few persons were aware OF what
happened
December 10, 19O4.-Rudof Ryder, a
young Viennese gentleman, lost all his
money at the tables and going out early in
the morning lay down in front or a train at
Villefranche and was cut to pieces.
Only a 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 occurred altogether in that same
month. or how many score occur in year
Ruined players are continually jumping
into the sea and getting rowned, or going
to Paris elsewhere, there to shoot them
| selves. But the suicides do not represent
a tenth OF the misery due to the casino.
So many people are broken by the bank
that It has been necessary to establish a re-
lieving department In order to get rid Of the
| ruined players who might otherwise commit
suicide.
every day in the season a score or
more of men and women apply to the
casino officers for a dole to pay their hotel
| bills and their fares home. Some time
ago a British officer, who had lost every
penny. was given free P. and @. ticket
by the casino range from $25 to s., 500.
But in spite of this toll on its profits
the casino has made millions sterling out
Of the gamblers who try to break the bank.
Last year its total receipts came to
$3.50, 400. an increase of $759, 400 on the
year before. After every expense had been
betrayed there was close on 100000 for
distribution among the shareholders at the
rate of $40 share. This WAS equal to 20
per cent on the original value Of the shares.
The Cursed Monte Carlo.
1.-The curse of Monte Carlo is not merely
that it is responsible for the ruin Of hun
dreds of men and women" he concluded,
but that 1t entails undeserved wretched-
ness on their families, who often have to
suffer not only privation, but great mental
anguish, directly due to the evil influence
Of the gambling tables. 1t is a forcing
bed of crime. Swindlers and thieves of
every class haunt the place. The spot Is
the most beautiful one on the Riviera, and
has the finest climate for invalids. 1t is
time that such place was rid Of the curse
Of the gambling dem
A suggestion that the gambling rooms
at Monte Carlo should be suppressed by the
powers of Europe is attracting widespread
attention. Mr.. Max Pemberton, the novel
list, who is an authority on Monte Carlo,
says that the diplomatic situation would
make any such action difficult.
Il cannot pronounce an opinion on
crime that is still untried,' he said, but
ono thing is clear-Monte Carlo Is the
haunt Of every adventurer and adventures
in the world. 1t Is astounding how many
big swindles and thefts have been plan
ned at Monte Carlo. The obvious curse
Of the place is that fools go there to make
money out of the tables. and rogues go
there to make money out of the fools.
The atmosphere Is most demoraliZing to
young people, who lose their heads, and
also all sense of the value of money. An
other great evil Is that of pure girls sue
cumbing to the atmosphere. They are Of
ten brought in contact at the tables with
undesirable persons, with whom they &C
tualiy converse.
Diplomacy in the Way.
1.-The government of every country is per-
fectly aware that Monte Carlo should be
suppressed. but the diplomatic situation