El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-06-26
Down ON
SLOT MACHINES
Quiet Raid of County Au-
thorities Confiscates 80
Cash Catchers.


devices in FL Paso county was ar
ranged and and engineered by county
attorney ". H. Fryer and carried out
successfully late Tuesday afternoon
by sheriff's deputies. who rounded up
SO gum slot machines and half dozen
punchboards and trucked them 20
the courthouse. for disposal accord
ing TO law.
There is sometimes an impression
that during the several months just
before election time. the lid may
remain off Whether or not this I'M
preston prevailed in any quarters in
FL Paso is not known, but the fact re
mains that during the past week SLOT
machines have been hauled from dust
covered corners in Easements and at
tics and one by one have been placed
in the path Of easy mar Ks
Get ssWord1 Too Late.
When the matter was brought 20
Mr.. Flyers attention. early this week,
he began quiet plans for the protection
Of the aforesaid easy marks over
80 search warrants were issued all
on the "a t." and Tuesday evening
sheriff Seth 3. Orndorft set his depu-
ties 10 work When me tirsJ ma
chimes were being corraledi the WORD
was passed TO other places that raid
was on, and efforts to restore the
machines 10 the dust corners were
made.
Luck was with the deputies how
ever. for they met truck drivers haul
ing off machines for their owners
Just drive 10 the sheriffs office and
chargs the haul TO u.s." the drivers
were told. and the machines were ike
wise seized
The machines will be condemned
and destroyed in strict accordance
with law" county attorney Fryer sald
Wednesday. They viii never be
hauled out TO beguile innocent ones
again, n I can help it,
Mr.. Fryer added that he would not
make any charges against those oper-
ating the machines. but would be con-
tent with destroying the devices
Work OF Cleanup Committee.
Information as 10 the distribution
Of the machines among various down
town places was furnished oy a spe-
cial report OF purity squad workers
10 the committee Of 25.' The matter
was Investigated by the grand jury. u
is understood. although no indictments
were reported and Nr. Flyers state
meut that there will be no personal
prosecution is taken TO end that fea-
ture Of the matter
u An4 LuAuluAAAA DENAGGAa
The report OF the operatives OF the
committee OF .. In the cleanup cam
paigu, on which action was taken ny
the county authorities. said in part;
while making their rounds on
other work in the past several days,
officers from this office were IN
structed 70 note slot machines punch
boards and other gambling devices
on o1ens display. II was found that
= -n or
noted, they were placed In conspicuous
places where they would Immediately
attract the attention OF possible play
ers. In respect to the slot machines.
nearly all OF these are constructed so
that when a player deposits a nickel
or check purchased at the counter, he
viii also receive a stick OF cheap gull-
but the gum device does not even pay
this stick OF gum unless the player
punches or turns another handle u
has been noted that the gum device
has been disconnected on a number
OF these slot machines. making same
merely a slot gambling device OF the
old time order. Most OF these ma
chimes pay in checks which can De
played back or can be cashed at the
counter for merchandise, many OF the
places also cashing them in money al
though they only do this TO players
known 20 them. II was noted in sew
Ha 81 lAaaHa A4AlA Aaa aAAA SIMS a. AaAA Az
10 IS years Of age eyre permitted
10 patronize these slot machines. As
for the punch cards. these are used
IN a number OF cigar stores and az
cigar stands and other places. but
they are not kept on display, but are
brought out by request
zone slot machine was in the same
block as the street car barns and wen
patronized by street car employees. one
Of the officers was told that several
car conductors are heavy players and
losers on this machine. that one con-
ductor has several times gone broke
on It
Gambling IN Pool halls.
"This office wishes 20 call attention
to gambling in pool and billiard halls
IN this city. Il has been noted in the
past several months that minors are
permitted 10 play in nearly all Of them
and that gambling is universal The
two favorite gambling games are
known as Kelly and 'payball pool
Stakes on one game at times range
from SIS 10 $50, though usually the
stakes are from 50 cents TO S. a game
Pool game gambling has gone so far
that many games have been noted
where players bet on every odd NUM-
bered ball I'm the rack A number OF
men hang about these pool halls
whose only visible means Of support Is
pool game gambling Usually the first
table in a pool hall is known as an
open game table. where strangers
are permitted 20 take a cue without
Invitation. These loafers or gam
blers watch these games and when
ever possible butt in
Mostly Owned BY Two Een.
1T has also been learned that most
OF the slot machines operating in this
city are owned by two men and that
they have been placed IN cigar stores.
stands and pool halls on a $3.50 ba-
sis, that is. one-half the profits 20 80
to the owners Of the machines and the
other half TO the proprietor OF the
places were they are on display. The
rentors Of the machines are supposed
TO keep the gum devices supplied with
cheap gum. made for that purpose.
Glad to Rid His store.
zone place the officers visited and
where they confiscated a slot machine.
the proprietor told them he was glad
they were taking them out, that the
only reason one was found In his
place was because a certain class Of
trade insisted on playing such gam
bling devices. even though they knew
they could not win. That he thought
Ii a good thing 20 do away with them
entirely.
Tries to save Some.
zone OF the owners OF the majority Of
the slot machines was caught loading
a machine into an automobile, he al
ready having picked up four other slot
machines I'm other places where they
had been working, trying to get them
out Of the way before the officers
panied him TO the ourthouses where
a Oh All vi "a