The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-09-29
CLOSE. BOOTHSAT
BELLOWS FALLS
County Officers Make Wis
itation to Legion
Carnival
FIND GAMES OF
CHANCE RUNNING
Action by Sheriff Wellman and States
Attorney Whitney Last Night -
Legion Officials Had Gone Over Plans
With Col E. w. Gibson.

Following visit TO Barber Park at
Bellows Falls last night where the
Pierce-Lawton Post No. 81. American
Legion, were holding the first night of
their three-day carnival. States Attorney
Harold E. Whitney and Sheriff Frank L.
Wellman ordered the closing of between
- and % blanket, doll and other conces-
sions which were being operated by
Legion men.
The Brattleboro officials arrived at
the park at $50 o'clock and made an
inspection of the various games of chance
and skill and found on the whole, that
they We're being operated on a basis
much cleaner and fairer than those of
the Valley fair in Brattleboro this week
According to States Attorney Whitney,
there were some games of chance, sew
eral ring throwing games and other de-
vices where darts were thrown.
After an inspection of the games, a
conference was held between the two
Brattleboro officials and members of the
general committee headed by Commander
w c. Carney. At first, the members of
the committee complained about the big
were closed up and said the law was de-
cidedly unfair. States Attorney Whit
uey said, however, that he had no OPP
tion in the matter as the games came
under Chapter PA of the Acts of 1921
and that it made no difference whether
the games constituted gambling or not
When asked If they would not have to
admit that disposition of property by
chance was involved, regardless of
whether the games were run by chance
or skill, the members of the committee
aSsented and they forthwith promised to
close up the games.
There were from 1000 to 800 people
present last night, many of this number
spending their time on the midway.
States Attorney Whitney said he never
saw so many people carrying dolls and
blankets as there were at Barber Park
last night. He accounted for the num-
ber of prize winners by stating that the
possibility of winning dolls and blankets
at the Legion show was greater because
more opportunity to win was offered
than at usual games of this kind operated
at the regular county fairs.
The Legion men seemed rather
Stumped, or "fiabbergasted" as one Off
cial stated it. in view of the fact that
previous to the opening of the carnival
1t Is understood that a conference was
held with Col. Ernest W Gibson, at
which time plans for the event were gone
over IN uetall, and lt Is pointed out that
he found no fault with them
When called on the telephone by The
Eeformer this morning. Commander Car
ney showed a disposition to say very
little about the closing up of the games.
He said there were about % concessions
and that the Legion did not as yet care
to express any opinion regarding the
stopping of the game. He stated that
the carnival will be run through the
whole three days as advertised and that
he didn't care to state just what would
be done about the games When asked
if States Attorney Whitney didn't order
the closing of the games, he said, ''Oh,
don't know"
States Attorney Whitney said this
morning that his conference with the
Legion officials and members of the com
mittee lasted about an hour and a half
and he found them courteous and gentle
manly. At the time the conference ended
very few people were playing the games
most of them having won their dolls and
blankets earlier in the evening A dance
hall where dances were being held was
the mecca of many people and a nearby
pavilion where a show was being given
also attracted many patrons