The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1915-07-08
GET A WHOLE WAGON LOAD
Five Resort Keepers Appear in Munici.
pal Court This Morning and While
Proceedings Were Not Regular They
Pay Fines of S25 and Costs.

Munster, the little village in the
town of Wheatland on the western
county line, became the seat of justice
in Kenosha county on Tuesday and
Chief Justice Hofner'' usurped the
duties of the municipal court long
enough to issue bunch of warrants
which had for their purpose the ending
OF the reign of the slot machine in the
town of Randall. The reign has been a
sort of power behind the throne as it
is declared that the machines have not
been in operation but the warrants is
sued by Chief Justice Homer made
possible the seizure of the machines
and the arrest of the men who had them
stored away and the list of defendants,
including Edward Zerfas, William
Schwartz, John Schmidt, George Hig-
ley, and John Cappelin, all appeared in
the municipal court this morning and
pleaded to violating the state law
against having gambling devices in
their possession. Judge Taylor oficiated
and imposed fine of twenty-five dol
lars in each case. The costs of the pros
ecution were split between the five de-
PENDANTS. All of the men with the ex-
ception of Schmidt are saloon keepers
In the resort districts of the town Of
Randall Schmidt is the keeper of an
ice cream parlor
1 TIE story Of how Randall cleaned up
the slot machines is an interesting one
although there may be some cloud on
the motives which made the cleanup
| possible. The Kenosha officials first
heard of the matter late Tuesday after
noon when Joseph Toelle, a deputy in
Munster, notified the district attorney
that he had wagon load of slot ma
chimes and asked what he should do
with them. The district attorney at
once took an automobile and went to
Munster. He found the wagon loaded
down with the gambling devices in
charge of man who appeared to be
considerably under the influence of IL
quor and Constable William Spetzman
who was credited with having made
the seizures was said to have gone to
bed. The district attorney this morn
ing declared that he had done right in
going to bed. Spetzman and Hofner
started out to clean up Randall Tues
day morning and although jurisdiction
under the statute is conferred exclu-
sively on the municipal court little
matter like this did not hinder the Off
Gals at Munster from taking immedi-
ate action. Deputies under the COM
mand of Constable Spetzman were sent
out to the resorts with a wagon. They
pulled the machines from barns, from
back rooms and from cellars and piled
them high on the wagon Nine ma
chimes were alleged to have been taken
but only eight of them ever reached
Munster and the justice. One of them
was evidently dropped along the way
side and it is probably in operation in
some ditch today.
When the district attorney got to
Munster he at once turned the confs-
Gated machines over to the sheriff and
directed that they be brought to Keno
sha and he ordered the men who had
" stored' them to appear in court this
morning. The five men did not ques-
ton the jurisdiction under which the
seizure had been made but admitted
their guilt in court. Under the order
of Judge Taylor, Sheriff Stahl was di-
rected to break up the machines and
take such money as might be found in
them into the. court. The disposition of
this money will be made later and it
will probably be placed in the county
treasury.
While taking no exception to the eff
forts of the western deputies to clean
up that section of the county the dis
trict attorney strongly criticised the
men for their condition at the time of
the raid. "These raids should be made
by sober men and men who know what
they are doing" was the comment of
Mr.. Drury.
The load Of machines was the biggest
load ever brought to the county jail
and they will furnish wagon load of
junk and kindling for lot of the win
ter months at the jail. All of the men
arrested had been warned some time
ago against having the. slot machines
their premises and none of them
made any serious objections to the
fines imposed by Judge Taylor.