St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1916-03-11

Inc grand jury recently lnnpaHell-
ed for the ensuing six months re-
ported its finding to the court or
! Thursday morning, after returning
twenty-nine true bills and thirteen
not true bills.
The grand jury, of which O. L
Gregory, prominent local lumber
man, is foreman, urged the munich
pal authorities to take steps to dc
away with gambling, to order SLOT
machines and punch boards out Of
this parish. 1t did not return any
true bills against any one, but il
warned those who operate gambl-
ing dens that they will be prosecut-
ed from now on.
1t has been known for sometime
that the grand jury would investi-
gate charges of gambling in t.lis
parish. The judge instructed the
jury to investigate these charges.
This was done and it was thought
advisable, by the grand jury, to re-
commend to the municipal authori-
ties in the various towns in st. Lam
dry.to enact ordinances suppressing
gambling of every form.
Following is the jury's report to
his honor B. H. Pavy, Judge:
Your grand jury beg leave to sub
nit its final report. We have care
fully investigated all eases sub
mitted to US for examination and
have given due consideration to the
testimony Of the witnesses produced
before US. We are firmly Of the
opinion that final trial will justi-
fy such action as we have taken in
the cases presented.
Our attention has been specially
called to the fact that in certain
sections Of our parish slot machines,
paying trade checks in return as
prizes, are being openly operated.
We are informed that these mach
ines in part are located in the places
where the children Of the com1nuni-
ty are frequently assembled and
that it is a common occurrence for
children of tender age to risk and
lose the small change given them
by fond parents or instrusted to
them for the purchase of some ar
ticle for use of the household.
Such temptation should be remov-
ed from our young ones. There are
even now too many pitfalls which
lie in the path of men of mature
years, calculated to bring about
condition of sorrow and sadness, in
the home circle, to permit the open
and public operation of the gambl-
ing devices designed to encourage
in our children the spirit Of the
gambler.
We doubt not but that most of
those who have permitted the oper-
alton of these machines, are ''un-
of the fact that they have
permitted themselves to be used as
tools, by others, who own and have
these machines, and week
" reap the benefits of their Illegal
earnings. For these reasons we have
seen fit to return no finding at this
session of our body. We have in
stucted the district attorney, how
ever, to take such action as is nee
eessary to have these machines
banished from our parish and to
by information all fut-
IRE yiolators Of this character. We
call upon all of the exec
ltive officers of the narissl and pol
zee officers in municipalities, to CO.
operate with the other parish offic-
ers in surpressing this vice. The
recent decision of the Supreme
Court, holding that punch boards,
paying a prize to the fortunate
of a prize shall fall under
he prohibition of tae statute, leaves
10 room to question whether these
machines fall under the ban Of the
aw.
We have taken due cognizance Of
he subject matter.relative to which
your honor has seen fit to specially
,harge u.s. We have had number
If witnesses cited before US with
view of making inquiry into the
natter,
That such violations of the law
exist cannot be questioned.
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