Evening star., 1922-08-25
BETT0R LIABLE
AS nBOOK|E" in
PROPOSED BILL
Corporation Counsel Consid-
ers Draft of Sweeping
Measure.
GAMBLING VICTIMS
NEED PROTECTION
Possibilities of Curbing! Evil Seen
in Legislation of General
Character.


that will make person placing a pet
with a handbook man equally cuipa
BILE with the man taking the pet is
being considered today by Corpora
tion Counsel F. H. Stephens. This
forms the latest wedge in the cam
paign of the District authorities
against handbooks in Washington.
The idea germinated the other day.
when Mr. Stephens mentioned casu-
ally to Commissioner Oyster that ne
had recommended such an act num-
Der of years ago, but that the propo-
sition had never gone any farther.
To say Commissioner Oyster was
interested lin this proposition us put
ting it mildly. The result is that
the office of the corporation counsei
is now seeking ways and means 10
put on the statute books or the DIS
ting and gambling in genera oe-
tween any persons in any places a
felony, punishable within the limits
of the penalties to be ascribed.
The plan is to draft a law which
will cover every form and methon
then to take up particular evils. such
as bookmaking and horse-race bet
ting under the general provisions.
Favored by U. 8. Attorney.
United States Attorney Peyton Cor
don returned from his vacation today
at Ocean City. n. j.. and announced
he is in full accord with the cam
pai<n of Comm ssioner Oyster and
The Star to expedite the trial OF per
sons charged with making handbooks
on the races. Maj. Gordon said ne
will direct his assistants at the Po-
lice Court to give precedence to such
cases when the jury in that court re-
turns next month.
Here's the trouble" explained the
corporation counsel today in discuss
ing the proposal to amend the present
law. "Whepsyou put a certain form
or a specified method of gambling into
the unlawful class you have to make
laws and definitions that will cover
exactly the situation. This method
also allows many cases to be won by
defendants through shrewd legal
plea ding to the effect that the offense
being tried was not intended to be
covered by the law.
Would Cover Everything.
with a general act. it seems to me.
particular cases can be handled in
satisfactory manner whenever de-
sired. If the act covers everything.
there is no chance for specific viola
tions to squirm out of the meaning Of
the act on the plea that the law was
Then. too, to hold the bookmaker
or the person accepting the bet cul-
pable alone, on the surface, does not
seem to be equitable. There is no
doubt in my mind that gambling is
one Of the major evils in the country
today. AS matter of fact, it extends
throughout the world, and If this
country is compared with others, one
can see that the situation here Is not
so bad as it is in other states and
other countries.
But to protect young boys who bet
on the races. many of whom have to
borrow money possibly, in some
cases, steal ito bet on what they
believe to be sure thing, only to
lose. I believe that the law should be
made sweeping enough to cover the
practice of gambling in general, and
bookmaking specifically.
Victims Usually Needy.
The worst phase of gambling is
that it affects those who can least af-
ford it. Cases time after time bear
evidence that CnOSe SuHer most Dy II
who should really be protected. 1t is
for the purpose of giving such per-
sons protection that such a law as
suggested should find its way to the
statute books"
At present sections s65 and S69 of
the District of Columbia Code are be-
ing used to cover gambling on the
races. Section s65 appertains to set
ting up Of gaming tables for purpose
of gambling, while $50 covers directly
bets on the races.
In the last named section the
verbiage dramatically would appear
to prevent any one from betting on
the races, but Corporation Counsel
Stephens said that judicial interpre-
tation of this section would leave a
doubt as to whether the person plac-
ing the money with the bookmaker
could be held.
Under section 869 the maximum fine
is $500 and a sentence of ninety days
in Jail is prescribed, or both, whereas
under section 865 the maximum SEN
tence Is five years in Jail. This re-
moves the section last named from
the Jurisdiction of the Police Court
where no sentence exceeding one year
in the workhouse may be pronounced