The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-02-14
POOL HALL MEN PAID
FINE SIS; GUILT PLEA
Ramey and Jerry Before the
Court This Morning
INQUIRY INTO CIGARETTE SALE
Investigation May Be Had in MankatO;
Conference; Statement BY
Judge ComstoCk.
From Saturdays Daily.

from saturday DdilJ.
Thomas Ramey and Michael Jerry
appeared in the municipal court this
morning charged with violating the
city ordinance which prohibits mi
nOrs under eighteen and all minor
students from playing pool or bill
lizards in a public place. The case
was continued from yesterday in or
der to give the defendants time to
engage an attorney. A. r. Pau, Jr.,
appeared as their attorney and said
that if it was certain that the boy
named in the complaint was Il minor
student, they were ready to plead
guilty. J. r. Brandrup had made an
affidavit in writing to the court
stating that Rodney Brown, a minor
student, had been playing pool in the
pool hall owned by Ramey and Jer-
ry on South Front street. The de-
PENDANTS entered plea of guilty
and the minimum fine was imposed
upon them jointly.
No intention of Violating Law.
Mr.. Pau said that he did not
think that his clients had any inten-
ton of breaking the law and that
they did not know that Brown was a
minor and were not well acquainted
with the law. Although the excuse
of ignorance of the law cannot be
taken in court, Mr.. Pfau thought
that it might have something to do
with imposing the penalty. The de-
PENDANTS promised that hereafter
they would be very careful not to
let any minors in their pool hall as
it was their intention to run a re-
putable place.
City Attorney c. o. Daley seemed
to be of the same opinion as Mr..
Pau, namely that the offense was
not intended and that the men were
sincere in trying to run a reputable
place OF business. Attorney Pfau
said that although it had no bearing
on the present case, il. should prob
ably be known that other pool halls
should be investigated as he thought
that the others were quite as guilty
as were Ramey and Jerry. ]. r.
Bandrup made the statement that he
knew that minor students were play,
ed his intention of having talk
with every pool and billiard hall pro-
prietor in the city at his earliest
convenience and warning them that
they were violating a city ordinance
in allowing this. The court declared
that under the circumstances the de-
PENDANTS should be ordered to pay
only the minimum fine of $25, and
warned them not to let the offense
occur again. He also stated that
since coming to Mankato neither
Ramey nor Jerry had ever violated
the law before, or at least had
not been arrested, and that therefore
they were entitled to some leniency
on their previous record. The fine
was paid
Alleged Sale of Cigarets.
After the case had been settled, an
informal discussion took place re-
garding the illegal sale of cigarets
in Mankato. Judge Comstock said
that he understood that cigarets
could now be purchased almost any
where in Mankato where tobacco was
sold and that Investigations were i'm
order to have the law enforced. He
warned Messrs. Jerry aIul Ramey in
regard to this and Mr.. Jerry replied
that "everybody's doing it," The
judge told him that this would not
be any excuse for him if he were
caught in the act. Judge ComStock
thinks that there is urgent neces-
sity of making rigorous investigation
and having all ViOlatOrS of the anti
cigaret law brought up and punish
ed. 1T seems that at present there
is very little respect for the law any
where in the state and that Mankato
is no exception.