The Penn's Grove record., 1910-10-14
What Are Crimes.

1t is widely known that Atlantic
county is the most lawless in the state
and little attention is made by the Off
cials to enforce the law, n~Otwithstand-
ing Judge T%renchald has repeatedly
called the attention of the Grand Jury
OF the transgressions.
AT the opening Of the Atlantic COuh
ty Court on Tuesday Judge Thomas W
Trencllard said: :
"Citizens complain that the excise
la WIS are continuously violated in Allan
tic City, and it will be your duty to in-
yes tigate that complaint and indict all
such offenses against the criminal law.
The complaint is with respect to sale on
Sunday.
1.-THE sale of intoxicating liquor on
Sunday is a crime.
"The legislature has so provided and
the courts duty and the grand juIy's
duty is plain.
"The court declared The law as it is
laid down by the law making body.
"The grand jury's duty is to indict
the persons whe violate the law. And
this is so, regardless of opinion as to
the wisdom of the law or local public
sentiment.
"All these matters to which the cour.
has referred because its attention has
been directed to them, and all other mat
ters of a criminal nature, which shall
otherwise come to your knowledge, you
sh ould investigate thoroughly and pre-
sent indictments where the evidence in
dicates the criminal law has been vio-
lated"
Justice Trenchard, in the opening of
his address, also took occasion to rap
the alleged protected gambling at At
lantic City.
compliant is made" he said, ''that
ga milling places and houses otherwise
disorderly are maintained in Atlantic
City and nearby places. These places
either do or do not exist. If they do
til ey are in violation of law, and should
I've closed, and those responsible should
be punished.
"The court supposed that the local
police authorizes in the performance of
their duty will present for your consid-
er alton such evidence as may be in their
possession. But the grand jury is an in.
vestigatng body. You have the power,
and it is your duty to thoroughly inves-
tigate conditions in your county, to
find out if the criminal laws are being
violated.
"'The law is plain, but in order that
there may be no misunderstanding the
court will repeat what it said on this
subject To the grand jury at the last
term of court as follows:
"Gambling in every form is a crime.
"All who engage in it, whether as
principal or assistant, are equally |
guilty.
$50, too. the owner Of premises who
rents them for gambling purposes is in.
dictable.
''Generally speaking, gambling is the
playing for money or other valuable
thing at cards, dice or other game or
with any instrument or device.
''In the case of slot machines, con- |
corning which we have been asked to
charge you specially, the law is some
times more difficult of application.
Our statute makes it a crime to play
for money or other valuable thing with
any slot machine.
sit is also a crime to keep in a place
of business a slot machine which may
be used for that purpose.
tsIf the slot machine is so Opers Cd
that a person putting into it a coli
cieved in any event something c fYal2e,
but stands to win by chance addi-
tional thing of value wItboUg iutier
payment, it is a gamblinc De-
notwithstanding IT, foraga ieg eX
plicitstatement of tn la1 ~ .le court
at the last term, it said that gaoc
ling slot machine we're permitted II be-
publicly mairtained il lar5s number
unmolested, at least until recently
Citizens have complained bitterly OF
this state Of affairs. which hey ssy
exists. Tic court expects this grand
iury to 20 act t1at there ahall bs 10
further ground Of complaint " tlat
gsaagd