The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-06-30
Slot Machine Operators En-
deavOr to Evade Law Which
Goes Into Operation Tonight
Rooms Scheduled to Open July
8 Behind Screened Doors
in Market Street
Second Hand Devices Bought to
Continue Business of Fleec. >
ing Frantic Players
Chief of Police Says Law viii
Be Enforced and It's Vio-
latOrs Arrested
f<TTS music to the gamblers ear
to hear the sucker roar"
Sayings of TinhOrn.


Fearful that they will be deprived OF
the musical whirr of the cards and the
accompanying wall Of the disappointed
player who has deposited his last nickel
in the hope of winning a special"
some magnanimous owners of nickel
in the slot machines have prepared to
evade the law abolishing the gambling
An attempt is to be made to operate
machine Joints" under the guise OF
clubs and the first one OF these to
come to light is the Young Mems
downtown club" at rooms and 4.
Golden building, 80 Market street.
which is scheduled to open July 3.
Second Hand Machines Bought
Evidently. however. those who have
made elaborate ts>~preparations to con-
tinue grabbing easy money from de-
Iuded victims have reckoned without
their host. for an order viii be sent out
this afternoon by Chief OF Police Jesse
3. Cook. calling en- each precinct COM
mander to take notice OF the law and
enforce it to the letter in his district
under penalty of appearing before the
commission to answer for his derelie-
tion.
A number of owners of nickle in
the slot machines have been active for
some time buying up the second hand
devices from cigar stands and saloons
which intend to comply with the law.
Active and prominent among these
has been Adolph Rothschild. owner of
the stand in front of A. A. Powers
barber shop at 220 Market street.
Rothschild has been paying s12.50 and
SIS for the machines which will be put
out of business tonight. but has in
sisted in all of his purchases that the
machines have carried a license"
Doors of Club Curtained
Rothschild is reputed to be the sole
proprietor or one of the heaviest own
ers in the Young Mems Downtown
club and has enough machines TO COM
mence operations. as he is Nrefusing
any further offers.
The club intends to take possession
Of the rooms and A in the Golden
building today. and preparations have
been made to prevent the curious from
seeing what is going on The glass
doors have been heavily curtained. and
the furniture, with the exception of
the machines. has been moved in.
The machines which Rothschild has
bought are subject to delivery tonight
or tomorrow. At present he needs
those he has at his cigar stand, where
he has posted lurid signs announcing:
Eight checks for 25 cents" whereas
the manufacturers represent that a
machine will only sell goods on a basis
of five checks for % cents
Enough Machines Acquired
The manager of the upper portion OF
the Golden building. which is operated
partly as an Office building and partly
as a lodging house. processes to know
nothing regarding the tenants who
have rented rooms 5 and 4. saying that
his brother rented the rooms and he
is now "at the springs"
Do you think the boys would want
to buy any more machinesg' he was
asked yesterday.
mo. think not. They have been.
rustling pretty hard and l guess they
have all they need" he. replied.
The senior partner of C0lbrandt &
Reilly, at Eighteenth and Castro
streets. who is a personal friend OF
Rothschilds. has also been in the mar
ket during the last few days for Sec
ond hand machines. but he also has
acquired all he needs. and prospective
sellers are referred from his place to
Flahives cigar stand in Castro street
between Eighteenth and Nineteenth
FIahive. it is reported among those
who know. has been securing machines
at lower price than that paid by
Rothsehild.
Chief Cook Orders Arrests
After IL O'Clock tomorrow night
any man who attempts to operate
slot machine will be arrested" said
Chief Cook when asked for a state
ment yesterday afternoon. The Law
will go into effect at that time. ana
viii be enforced to the letter
Tomorrow afternoon intend send