The Detroit times., 1911-11-08
CALLING SLOT MACHINE MEN
CROOKS,SHtPHERD PREPARES
T0RA|D MORE WAREHOUSES;
I'm Going To Break Up This
Gang" Prosecutor Declares
With Vigor.
ON MARQUETTE'S TRAIL.
Pitts Backs Down in Bluff To
Ask Warrants; Now Talks
of Civil Suit.
ON MARQUETTE'S TRAIL.

I'm going TO find out just how far
the law will protect these crooks, and
I'm going 10 keep up the fight until
the matter is settled by the supreme
court" said Prosecuting Attorney
Shepherd. Tuesday morning, discuss
ing the threat OF w. II. Pitts to apply
for a warrant for the prosecutors ar
rest for breaking into his barn, Sun
day night and carrying away 20 slot
machines.
At noon Tuesday the prosecutor was
in his office preparing for more sen.
sational raids on other storage houses.
These crooks have always main
talned that unless we found a machine
in actual operation we had no right
to touch It," Mr.. Shepherd continued.
las result they have established sew
eral storage houses in Detroit, and
the minute we get after their ma
chimes they rush them into storage.
keep them there until the storm blows
over and then put the machine back
into saloons. I'm into this fight 10
be raided, and there are going to be
other places entered pretty soon.
These crooks have staggered about
town Dragging that they had machines
but the law couldn't touch them, but
I'll show them they can be touched.
They are bunch OF crooks and
I'm going TO break up the gang I'll
enter Marquettes storage house just
as soon as | find out where II is
understand there has been some pref
~ swift work done the last night or
two moving these storage houses, but
We'll track them.
do you know there must have
been at least one thousand machines
in operation in Wayne county when
took Office | had no idea OF the ex-
tent TO which this gambling had
grown until started in on this work.
II is a curse. have heard since
entered this work of women and chill
dren who live in constant poverty be-
cause OF the men gambling away most
OF their wages in the machines.
Pitts, who threatened TO get out a
warrant for Shepherd and those asso-
ciated with him in the seizure OF the
slot machines now says he has
changed his mind and will bring
an action In trover. through his at
torney, Eugene Mistersky, for the re-
covery of the machines through civil
process
81 knew that Pitts would never go
into court for warrant for me- said
Prosecutor Shepherd, smiling broadly,
Tuesday. "In the first place, theAonly
way 10 get him into court In connec-
ton with slot machine seizures, would
be to drag him in, and in the second
place. he could not get warrant,
even IL he tried, under the law.
knew what was doing when seized
those machines without warrant.
ITO obtain a warrant for breaking.
and entering, II is necessary 10 prove
that the breaking was done with In
tent to commit larceny or some other
crime. Slot machines are not prop
erty under the law, as held many
times. and 10 seize them Is not lar
ceny. They. are outlaws, and their
owners are also outlaws as far as the
machine are concerned
Action for trespass was then sug-
gested as possibility, but Prosecutor
Shepherd said that 1t would be neces-
sary to show that some damage had
been done, in order to recover and
that the same question OF whether the
machines were property or not, would
come up, and that the biggest verdict
that could be obtained would be six
cents. which Is the verdict for tres
pass without damages.
Attorney Mistersky visited Prose
cutor Shepherd in his office. Tuesday
morning and held conference with
him which lasted about 10 minutes
At it's close, Shepherd declined to
give out any inkling OF what was dis
cussed. remarking merely that 1t was
private.
He would not say whether the con-
templated suit against him was the
subject OF discussion, or whether the
meeting was amicable Of otherwise.