The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-08-11
Towns Under Mormon Jurisdic-
ton Permit SwindIers to
Ply Vocation.
MURRAY OFFICERS COME
TO RESCUE OF POOLR0OMS
Commercial Man Cites Nephi as
Another City Where Gamb-
lers Are Licensed.

Il notice that the mayor and marshal
OF Murray were quick TO give their con-
sent that the poolroom gamblers could
open a place in that city where suckers
could be separated from their money. but
a well known commercial man. and he
no said;
Now the marshal of Murray is bishop
OF the First Ecclesiastical ward in Muir
ray, which Is in Granite stake OF Zion
Whlle the mayor Is prominent elder
III the church. hence i was not surprised
at si,,, 'neir @ sanction Of the game. II you
instant you Will agree with me. The
hiSner ecclesiaSts are lawbrealSers and
they proclaim this fact to The world.
Why should not the lesser lights encour-
age those who run poolrooms, for the lat
ter are lawbreakers, too2
Blind to Lawbreakers.
Whenever opportunity presents. espe-
ciaiiy In the smaller towns, the authori-
ues' the larger majority Of whom are
elders In the church, close their eyes to
their direct assent. Last week l was ut
Nephi while tho Black Hawk Indian war
veterans were holding their reunion and
/ saw more gambling games in the open
these games paid license OF $40 per
day-S2.50 to city and $3.50 ground rental
and were sanctioned by tho mayor and
marshal OF the town,
The games. which were about the
rawest j have ever seen. were permitted
TO run the first two days OF the reunion.
but on Friday, the last day the games
where money was in sight were shut
down. due, as one OF tho sports said 10
me, because the governor and the rep
resentatlve In congress, as well as other
state officials, would be there. and they
the city officials. did not want the
executive, In particular, TO leave the town
with a bad impression
No Show for Sucker.
But the games which the Nephi Of
fictals licensed We're the rankest you ever
saw, There was the old Jingle board
with Its 1000 per cent In favor of the
board or bank, and there were three Of
these boards licensed, You paid 10 cents
FOR throw and when the day ended the
net profit from each board averaged SlO5,
Then there was the candy wheel
with its sixteen paddles. which were sold
at every turn-S1.60 whirl-and but one
person could win, and then only If the
manipulation so desired, the winner get
ting box OF candy that cost 20 cents.
or three cigars that cost cents each,
There were two OF these on the grounds
There WAS the marble game known
as the drop care 1t was absolutely a
sure thing. There was the camel back
spindle, about which were shown all kinds
OF cheap watches and iewelry. 1t is
known as the Squeeze No one drew IL
watch but the women would always get
n celluloid rose, which cost 81 per gross.
These arc just samples.
Rake-Off All Around.
'rhere was a movable bowling alley.
from which n certain percentage was
given up as rental. and there was party
there who kept tab on the receipts. so
as 10 see that the rakeoff came. Even
the races We're not square-few ever arc.
The sucker had no show whatever.
Ilt,f I adj 10 wa
always q booster for the game, When
ever he won a celluloid rose or n 2-cent
cigar or a 20-cent box Of candy he would
hold il up and advertise the fact. Other
suckers followed And yet. knowing that
their own people were being milked to
a finish, the authorities permitted the
games to run No wonder poolrooms
thought they had a cinch in Murray"