Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1922-09-29
OFFICERS CLOSE
MIDWAY AT FAIR
One of Concessionaires Arrested
and His. Goods Forfeited
Edward York Said to Have Played
Skin Game OH Leslie Wellman-Failed
to Appear i'm Court Yesterday.


to Appear i'm Court Yesterday
Its d dirty trick, that's all l
got to say"
"Shucks, we're goin' to the Brockton
fair, where they use people right"
"Bankety -blank-blank why don't they
give Teller a chance and--ah, wot's de
use"
Pack 'em away, boys, put 'em in de
trunk. dose people don't want to buy
blankets cheap dey want you TO glib EN-
away"
These and countless other remarks of
the same caliber We're heard right and
left on the midway early Wednesday aft
ernoon after practically all of the game
concessionaires had been ordered to cease
operating by order of States Attorney
Harold f. Whitney and Sheriff Frank
l.. Wellman. The closing of the conces-
sions was the result of proceedings in
the municipal court Wednesday forenoon
when one of the concessionaires, Edward
York. of Hartford Conn, was arrested
earlier in the morning for an alleged
skin game which he was operating. A
hearing was given him in which his
paraphernalia consisting of several
blankets. two dolls and two playing
boards were declared forfeited by Judge
Frank ID. T.. Stowe. York was to ap-
pear in court next morning. having been
let out by the court on bail Of 500. Dan
Steve, another concessionaire, having
been accepted rs bondsman. Next morn
| ing York and his bondsman failed to APP
pear. and it is believed that they have
left for parts unknown.
Never was there scene of more sor-
rowful and dissatisfied countenances
than was exhibited by those concession
aires whose games of chance had been
| closed up. Complete disgust was, regis
| rcd IN rf atlfaf fhnu1 xrit
the exception of those few whose faces
have become so hardened that they were
absolutely imperturbable. Realizing the
gravity of the situation, however, most
of them. especially those who dealt in
dolls, set about disposing of their wares
ut the best prices they could exact. Some
of the blanket bankers offered their
wares for $3.50 apiece, but this was too
| much for anyone to pay who had been
| accustomed to winning them at quarter
II throw, so that very few blankets were
sold. One blanket man became so in
| furiated when he was unable to make Il
sale to three enterprising people who
were bargaining for lower prices that he
snapped his fingers in their faces and
brushed the pile of blankets on the coun-
ter into large trunk on the ground.
1t is agreed that as the day progressed
| Wednesday many of the concessiOnaires
operating these games of chance or skill,
became more and more fragrant as far as
| keeping within the law is concerned. In
fact, some of them offered neither a
chance let alone skill to their patrons.
The most fragrant case which brought
matters to a head resulted in the arrest
of York. He and two or three others
were operating a blanket concession, it
being necessary to roll some marbles or
small rubber balls down a board, at one
end of which there were several channels
which the balls or marbles might take.
Each channel had number After
every throw at % cents each the num-
bers in the channels where the marbles
came to rest were counted up, and if the
sum agreed with "A red number printed
on sheet of OilclOth, a blanket was
won. If the sum added up to a black
number, one showed poor skill and was
invited and urged to try again. Leslie
Wellman, a son of Sheriff Wellman, was
passing the stand operated by York,
when the latter repeatedly urged him to
make a try. Finally York said he would
let Wellman make IA try without any
cost, and if he won blanket, he could
throw, and the resultant sum agreed
with one of the red numbers. Wellman
then handed York % cents and asked
for his blanket, whereupon York said,
wait minute" Then pulling two
five-dollar bills from u roll of $3.50, he
placed these with the quarter on the
blanket, covered the sum with another
blanket and said, "Now, roll again and
if you win you get the whole business
Wellman threw again, and won another
red number. Quickly, York threw his
hat over the figures and said, You've
stung me completely" Then grasping
the two blankets with the sum of money
be removed them from the counter to
the bench in back of him and bade young
Wellman n happy good morning. The
latter reported the affair to Sheriff Well
man, who with Officer John q. Tucker
went Immediately to York's stand, ar
rested him and took him with his array
. of blankets and dolls and operating
boards to the municipal court where he
was given n hearing. At the time of the
arrest, York pulled the roll of SOD from
his pocket and slyly passed it to one OF
his confederates. but he was too slow
for the sheriff. who saw the pass and
delegated Officer Tucker to take charge
of the roll. In court York said he was
carrying the money for safe-keepipg fol-
another c0ncessionaire, Dans Steve by
name, and the money was later returned
to him.
Yesterday the display of the blankets
and dolls was still on exhibition in the
municipal court room. For several min
utes, members of the legal fraternity
amused themselves by demonstra ting
, their skill with the rubber balls on the
playing board, Just what will become OF
the attractive blankets is as yet Il mys
terry. for while they will be sold and tn,
money turned over is the state the ques
ton is, who is going to do the selling
and buying and when is it to take place
Is il going to be limited affair or vii
ia he omen Ia nll?