The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-10-22
CROWD ALMOST M0BS jim JEFFRIES In NEW YORK
Penny .'Slots" Making Gamblers
Of Tacoma School Children
Attention City Attorney Unlawful Garmng
Operating and Baed Children
City Ord Must Be Stopped

Tacoma school children are be-
ing taught to gamble.
For the sake of a few pennies
some business men are training
the little folks into practical
gamblers and working the whole
juvenile population into a frenzied
excitement over the prospect OF
getting something for nothing.
All over the city, especially
near school houses slot machines
have recently been placed In
stores, BY dropping a penny In
the slot the player is rewarded
by stick of chewing gum with
a chance of getting 8, 10 or 25
sticks at single throw.
1t is the chance that makes the
excitement and that is causing
the commotion among the chill
dren. At one machine near the
Grant school it is said over 400
pennies day are put in the ma
chine. Children are going from
all over that end of town to play
the game.
Hawthorne Acts.
The evil has become so pro-
nounced that President Haw-
thorne of the city council has tax
en- it up and this morning he laid
the situation before the city at
torneys.
Section 220 of the criminal
code says:
Every person who shall have
In his possession or shall permit
to be placed or kept in any build
ing or boat or part thereof, own
ed, leased or occupied by him,
any table, slot machine or any
article, device or apparatus of a
kind commonly used for gamD-
ling, or operated for the losing
or winning of any money or prop
erty or any representative of eth
er, upon any chance or uncertain
contingent event, shall be guilty
of a gross misdemeanor"
According to this statute the
machines are evidently in direct
violation of the Law which pro-
hibits any machine ''for winning
any property upon any chance or
uncertain contingent event" and
the men who are thus tempting
little children in Tacoma are liza
BILE to fine Of $1,000 and a
year in jail.
The machines for the sale of
chewing gum have long been in
use in the city and there is no
complaint against them. The new
idea, however, is the gamble in it,
There Is chance to get s, 10 or
even 25 times the value Of the
money paid and children are go.
ing crazy over the thing.
President Hawthorne interview
ed the grocer at the corner of
Sixth and Trafton where he found
one OF the machines In operation
with children flocking in to play
The dealer said he had had Il
taken out after it was run fol
a short time, but that childre-
then came in and asked for thu
machine and when 1t was mo-
there they went out and walkee
clear over to Grant school, a dog
en- blocks, to get to a machine
He found he was not selling tn,
amount of gum he did with tn,
machine so put II back.
Will Stop 1t.
"The machines have got tc
come out" said President Haw>
thorne. 1--WE won't have deal
ers in the city training the chill
dren into gamblers and this l.
Just what is being done. The lit
tie folks are stealing pennies &c
play in the hope OF getting a b.
draw and It has got to stop
The chance of getting the extr-
sticks of gum is very remote bu
occasionally some child does pul
out s, 10 or even rs and thei
every child In the school or neigh
borhood for blocks is wild with
excitement and plays the machfn .
with every penny that can be Sc
cured.