Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1920-05-12
WANT LAW ENFORCED

e the City Council last night, Inc
,,clice department. CT the city IS d.
-ected to carry out the state law con-
corning slot and other machines, held
/, be gambling devices. These con-
tivances have been or steady
r.-owth in ALEXANDRIA during recent
.cars, until nearly every place In
which soft drinks, cakes, pies, etc.
IRE sold is provided with one. Lltte
..>cys form large percentage OF the
PATRONS, and while only merchandise
IS supposed to- be given players, IN
r,any cases money is awarded where
articles worth much more than the
amount of money riske1' are won.
The spirit asswell as the letter OF
the state law are against all srch
fevices, ami it would be well fer those
'~terested to read the same carefully
and take due caution, as the police
apartment will, OF course, conform
10 the order of the city fathers.
Heretofore persons who have beer
cited to appear in the Police Court
10 answer the charge Of CONDUCTING
c,amblirg or participating in the
came have escaped serious consequen-
.es being tried under our city laws
which provide a penalty of twenty
Collars on any person conducting a
2mbling house and five dollars CT
!, :ch participant. The state statute.
:. will be seen, provides for more
heavy punishment. for those who
I'VE on their premises slot or ether
machines, except where those opera
ting the same get an equivalent for
the amount eff moacy they venture.
This is net the procedure in this city,
however, as the players generally
{. .oosit nickles in the hope that they
will strike some article far exceeding
IN value their outlay. 1t IS also
said that in dAny instances they re-
tcive money in exchange for certain
articles won.
The following is the law referred
: by the City Courcil last night:
If any person keep or exhibit, or
. concerned in interest in keeping.
: exhibiting, any slct machine OF
~ description into which are drop
4 pennies or nickcls or coins Of
nv other denominations, or other
rice that operates on: the nickel in
slot principle, in the operation
which said machine or device the
nealt Of change enters in, or per-
t. such machine or device to be
t or exhibited in his place Of bus
., or any other. place IN this
tie, he shall he confined in Jail not
than fifteen Gays nor more than
,ty days and fined not less thar,
ne hundred nor more than five hum
Cd dollars, and said machine or de-
&c shall be deemed gaming appara-
$, and shall. be embraced within
'tc provisions of sections fqrty-cight
;ratre5 and twenty to forty-elght
.2Glred and twenty two. inclusive.
50 far as said sections relate to
ming apparatus. The possession
the aforesaid machine or device
$ all be prima facic evidence of the
;c thereof. This section shall not,
wever, apply to any slot machine
device that operates on the nickel
+, the slot principle, in the operation
which said machine the element of
lance docs not enter, and which: $
ed exclusively for any of the fol
wing purposcs-to wit: For con
::ctiEg pay telephone. fer musical
.cighing, or ether similar purposes
! for dispcsir- of cigars in which
80 or more cigars arc sold with each
excl Deposited in the slot machine
devise that operates on the nickel.
the slot principle, or for the dis
,os:ng of chewing gum or articles OF
;..2rchandisc ether than cigarettes