The log cabin Democrat., 1917-01-03
BILLIARD ROOM
HEARING RESET
TO Be HELD JANUARY rs
Order Prohibiting Billiard Rooms
Would Not Apply to Pool Hall,
X. ID. White Claims.

The hearing upon petition filed
December % asking the Faulkner
county court to make an order pro-
hlbiting the operation of billiard
rooms and other resorts within three
miles of Hendrix College was today
reset by Judge E. L. Smith for Jan
uary 25. When the petition was filed
the hearing was set for Friday, JAN
uary 5. Attorney William j. Clark
for the petitioners requested the con-
tlnuance, stating that in view of the
fact that the petition would probably
be contested, it would be impossible
for the hearing to be completed be-
fore the convening Of circuit court
next Monday, and the petitioners de-
sired that the matter be postponed
until after circuit court adjourned.
The petitions contain a total of sos
names. Some of the signatures, Mr.
Clark admitted, are probably irregu-
lar, being names which do not ap-
pear on the official list of voters, and
it is possible that few will be re-
moved Additional signatures are
still being secured, however, he said
Mr. Clark estimates that the number
of legal voters residing within a ra-
dius of three miles of Hendrix Col
lege is not more than 800 and that
425 legal signatures to the petition
will be an ample number to secure
the order of court. He arrived at
this estimate, he stated, by calculat-
ing that the territory outside of the
city Of Conway included in the dis
trict comprises approximately 25
square miles, or about one third of
the area of Cadron township outside
the city. The number of voters in the
township, not including the city, is
about 600, he said, and taking one
third of this number and adding it
to $40 voters within the city would
make total of TO, of which 1856
would be a majority.
R. D. White, who operates a pool
hall here, the closing of which is the
purpose of the petitions, declares
that even if the court grants the pc
tition and makes an order as pro-
vided for in section 921 of Kirby's
Digest, it would not affect his place
of business, for the reason that pool
halls or pool tables are not mentioned
in the statute. The things which a
court may prohibit under this statute
are billiard rooms, bowling alleys,
race courses, gaming instruments or
devices. brothels or houses of i'll fame
and theatrical or circus exhibitions.
Mr.. White contends that he has not
operated and does not intend to oper-
ate billiard room, that he has no
billiard tables, and that the game of
billiards cannot possibly be played on
the tables in his hall, which are con-
structed solely for playing pool, an
entirely different game.
The petition, however, while ex-
cluding theatrical and circus exhibi-
tions," includes all of the other mat
ters provided for in the statute re-
ferred to and also includes pool halls
With reference to the contention of
Mr.. White, Mr.. Clark said today that
The supreme court of Arkansas had
held that billiard and pool halls were
in form the same and that law Civ
ing cities the right to regulate billiard
halls applied with equal force to pool
halls and pool tables. Mr.. White
said that whatever steps were taken
to close his place, he expected to
contest the matter to the supreme
court and would abide by the ruling
of that tribunal.