Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-05-22
0. R. 81. TRAIN
USED AS HAUNT
OF CRAPSHOOTERS
Early Morning Sees Many
Brisk Games Going on in
Public Coaches

Wholesale gambling goes on in Ho1
nOmlu every morning
The playing is in the early morn
Ing, gamesters abound; betting is
fast, money y plentiful, Where?
One Of the most public places
Oahu railway coaches. TIme-AbOut
a. m. Shooting craps" is the
game "..
On the outbound train to Puuloa
this morning there were four games
going furiOusly Each game had about
IL players and as many more spec
tators. There was no attempt at Sc
crecy. Dice and silver rolled togeth-
er on the floor The games were
open to all and the limit apparently
was SKY high.
SO .thickly we're the players packed
about the front entrances of four
coaches that one could not pass
through the car Entrance was pos
sible only at the rear Of these
coaches. The men who tOyed with
the elusive seven were obliviouS to
anything but the rolling dice and the
size of the stakes. There were no
Interruptions; nothing could be heard
but the explanations of the winner
and the groanS of the loser.
Games Run Heavy. ...
1t is said that the betting was slow
this morning in comparison with the
usual play. However, the games Oft
en- pick up on the way out, the num-
Der increasing in proportion to the
miles from Honolulu. Shortly after
&c 10 in
ly every coach, according to a regu-
lar passenger. -.
There are usually 10 coaches and
games in eight With about 10 play
ers to a game there would be so
gambling every day. No estimate can
be made of the money won and lost,
as it must vary. Sometimes the stakes
are nickel; other times a dollar and
more. .--... ~.
Passenger Describes Daily Scenes.
A daily passenger tells the Star
Bulletin that PERSONS desiring to
board the train find it practically i'm
possible every working day of the
week to enter any one of the eight
forward coaches at the front entrance
because of the big crap games which
are 1 uuuluS Iull DldSIs
No Interference Offered.
Although many were in each game,
many more in every coach paid no
attention to the gamblers and their
antics. In fact those who were not |
in the game looked as if they would |
appreciate a Quieter and more order |
ly place in which to ride to their |
days work Several who had paid |
their money for passage didn't seem
to like the entertainment which was
being provided without their consent |
or plea sure. 49,. s# >.- 1870 81 |
May Passengers Be Arrested?
An interesting question which |
arises in connection with the gam
bling on the Oahu coaches is wheth-
er an innocent passenger, who can
not help hearing and seeing the |
games, can be arrested as an onlook-
er. One of the regular Oahu passen-
gers asks: .... ...t. T.,
Would he who merely wishes to go |
TO his work be a criminal if he
neekly trod rearWard to the rear en-
trance of the coach and entered this
coach knowing full well that he would
De on this coach for nearly an hour
IF he wasn't arrested and taken Off
and knowing further that all he could
zee (unless he wished to gaze contin-
tally out of the window would be a
mass of humanity eager to
place bet on the roll of the dice?
. 81 have seen many stories in the
of persons present at
gambling games being convicted for
the law, though not found
guilty of actual participation in the
games. From these convictions | in
er that the intention of this law,
o prevent gambling and to insure
punishment OF. actual violators of the
aw, considers all persons present at
gambling games equally guilty with