Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1911-09-16
IS THIS JUSTICE?

On this mornings north-bound train there
were three prisoners i'll charge of Sheriff Malley,
enroute to the state prison at Carson City
Among the three Gus Pistinat convicted of
felony III allowing gambling to be conducted
in his place of business at Rhyoite almost a
year ago
At the time the alleged crime was committed
four or five men were engaged in game of draw
poker for money in the saloon conducted by Mr.
Pistinat, and during the game two youths, not
over 10 years OF age wearing masks, entered the
resort and with drawn guns, demanded Hands
cup The request was promptly complied with
and the boys departed with all the money upon
the table-several hundred dollars in the aggre-
gate Shortly afterwards the boys were arrested
and the money recovered.
When this crime committed, Cleve II.
Baker, who is now attorney general of the state
of Nevada. was the district attorney of Nye coun-
ty. He sent his deputy, lIoratio Alling to Rhyo-
lite to look into the matter and appear for the
state at the preliminary of the two youths After
lot OF baby play" the boys had their hearing
ard were bound over to the grand jury
The men WHO were engaged in the gambling
game at that time were arrested. They
were the that should have been bound over
to appear before the grand jury, and the boys
given spanking and sent over the hills to their
parents. But this not done, an election was
approaching and it would never do to antagonize
anyone at that time--votes were too precious to
lose.
The boys were confined i'll the county jail here
for several months awaiting the action of the
grand jury. which found an Indictment of some
KIND against them and they were sentenced to
serve three months During the time of their
incarceration their parents, respected residents of
tins community promised this and that as
TO their early release
After the election new district attorney took
office and Mr. Allng who prosecuted the boys
at their preliminary, for the sum of 800 was en-
gagged to look after their interests before the
grand jury Well, he received the money and the
boys, as above stated were bound over TIL
reader can draw his own conclusion what service
rendered for this 800
And Iii the meantime the grand Jury found
no indictments against the several men who vio-
fated the law by gambling Another grand jury
finds Gus PStinat, the proprietor of the saloon.
guilty of felony, and his arrest soon followed
When Sheriff Malley served the warrant every
business and professional man in Rhyolite rushed
to Mr.. Pistinat' aid and offered to become his
bondsmen. lie Is and was, highly respected
citizen OF that community, He never gambled
III his life, was not drunkard and was always
honorable in all his dealings with his fellow man
The men who We're guilty of gambling as pro
hlbited by law were brought to Tonopah and
appeared as witnesses against the defendant
These five or SIX men. guilty as guilty could
be.-they admitted it upon the witness stand--are
allowed to 90 free; that one might be sent
to the state prison
1t was testified to at the trial that Mr. Pts
tlnat was asleep at the time the gambling game
was in progress.
The Bonanza, along with many of our best
citizens, sincerely believes that the district attor
ney has not done his duty; that the principals
IN the game should have been made to pay the
penalty.
If the conviction of Gus Pistinat is law and
justice, we say law and justice is farce in Nye
county.
Had this money spent in convicting Pistinat
been used and the energy of the district attorney
in force, in recovery Of the county money lost in
the Nye and Ormsby County bank, praise could
be given, but it is, only condemnation is
deserving