The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-07-23
BL|NDAUR BELIEVES
He is WR0NCED
BIG VAL TELLS HIS SIDE OF THE
LICENSE TROUBLE AND THE
GAMBLING STORY.

K Val Blindaur, whose retail liauor H.
4 cense was revoked Monday night by
| the council thinks he did not have a
4 fair show, in that he was accorded no
his statement Of the case which The
Missoulian ia willing to give in this
as in any case. Following is Mr. Bin
daur's presentment of his side Of the
gambling incident upon which the
/ charges against him are said to rest
Il have lived in Missoula 22 years.
For six years / was an officer of the
law in the city. Now / am charged
with Wilfnlly allowing gambling in my
place. This is not so,
George Graham worked for me for
five months up to a few days before I
was closed. ! would like him to state
what my Instructions We're in the mat
ter of gambling in my place.
about three months ago three men
started in the afternoon to play solo
in my room. About o'clock I noticed
they had switched over to draw poker
] did not think they had played more
than five or ten minutes when found
out about It, ] went into the room
and tipped the table over on them,
threw the chips and cards into the
ditch and told them to get out of the
house and never come back any more
About two months ago there was
another instance. | had instructed my
porter for the past six months that
whenever he noticed anybody playing
n tn LAT
would attend to it immediately. So,
about two months ago, the porter came
to met worked nights myself all the
time-and told me: Val. I believe
those fellows in the room have
switched to draw poker from solo, T !
went into the room and told them to /
get out Of the room as soon as pos
sible, and | threw the cards and
checks on the floor.
con the Goth of June. Pete Anderson I
Coz. Bert Tracey and a stranger to
me were playing solo all the afternoon
Bye and bye five other strangers came
in and started to play at the other
table. About o'clock in the evening
the porter came to me and said: Val, /
believe those fellows have switched +
from solo to draw poker, and are
playing for money I went into the
room and stopped them and told them
To get out Of tie house.
about 1890 o'clock that night-the
2Gth Of JuneSheriff Graham and the
chief came in and went into the room
where Pete Anderson, Bert Tracey,
Cox and the stranger We're PLAYING and
a few strangers We're looking on. They
{,1.tt H..
shut both doors In the back room and
called out the strangers, one by ono,
and questioned them If they had seen
any money change hands Every one
of these men said they had seen no
money change hands, but an hour or
SO before there had been five men at
the other table playing, but whether
for money or drinks they didn't know.
They told the sheriff that had come
In and asked the men, Are you play
ing for money?' They said the men
had told me they We're not; that they r
were playing for drinks. Then, they
said, I told the men, Tt looks suspic-
Gus to me- And / had said thought
hey We're playing for money, / saw
10 money, but ] told them to quit and
took the cards and checks away from
hem
When the sheriff had questioned
HEM he called me one side. I told
Tim that an hour and a half Or two
hours before he came in five men had
'at around the other table, and | be-
ieved they were playing for money,
md / went in and told them to stop
It once and get out of the house. Gra-
lam told me / couldn't do any more =
han that.
$50 l believe I got an unjust deal |
haven't had Il hearing, ! haven't had
trial, and | am not convicted Of any
rhine. / think the mayor was too
TASTY in revoking my license. / think
le should have found out the particu
ars before acting, 1T is easy to ruin
man, ! have $4,000 invested here, |
believe | am entitled to a fair hearing
md for the council and the mayor |
o find out whether | am guilty or not
'he mayor has promised me a special
Meeting for next Monday night for a
of the matter .