The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1923-05-11
OUT GO THE SLOT
BOxES,SAYS BOSS
Rochester Mayor Will Not
Permit Operation
MORAL TONE THERE
Women Were In the Habit OF
Trying To Beat Machines,
Is Claim

Rochester, Mimi, May 5 --Ap-
proximately sixty OF the "ill. reput.
ed" slot machines, which have been
the center or q system OF protest
from ministers and women's club
workers. were ordered out OF the
city yesterday when Chief OF Police
Newsome, acting on order received
nom Mayor Julius Reiter appeared
In the various business places hous.
ing the alleged gambling device and
warned the owners TO Immediately
rid themselves or the public nuts.
ances.
Mayor Reiter in speaking OF the
order which put the popular" and
unpopular machines into the dis
card said: II have come to this de-
cision after listening to the argu-
ments Of the proponents of these
Slot machines who sought me out
both at the office and the house,
j have firmly made up my mind that
the city should get rid of them at
solely on the decisions OF smaller
courts the Justice court and the
municipal court In my mind / do
not believe that higher court
would sustain any decision to keep
the machines In a city after review
ing the effect they have morally and
commercially.
According to mayor, city officials,
ministers and club women, the slot
machines have had q noticeably bad
effect on young boys who caught the
fever Of gambling from playing the
fascinating game or nickels. In some
In -,
steal from their parents in order to
20 down and use one OF the machines
and take chance on winning TWEEN
" chips for one but Invariably COM
ing home with empty pockets.
Women Played EN- Also
Women too, have not been exempt
from this alleged gambling game
and have been seen at various times
sliding their change into the ma
chine In an attempt to beat the
house.. One young woman boasted
that last summer she was able to
get enough out Of the machines to
over q period or two months.
The other bad feature OF the slot
machines, many business men claim,
is apparent. This Is the fact that Ii
puts money into the hands of out
side spectators. that while the ma
chimes have been In use, hundreds
OF dollars have been going weekly
into the pockets OF an outside ma
chine manager who calmly takes II
without turning b hand and does not
spend 4 cent OF 1t In the city. In one
business place where there were two
machines in use the outsider, who
owned the machine. In one week put
SIZE In his pocket This, the bust
ness men cay, Is taking money away
from the city which might be spent
here In othar profitable ways both
on the part OF the purchaser and re-
taller. II should stop they think
and they stand Nrmly behind the
cir officials and the mayor in the
act OF Riding the city OF what the
term gambling devices"
There are approximately 60 OF the
little nickel machines In the city and
2hour forty or these are owned b.
on6 Outside Speculation. Some arr
ovnea by the places OF business
rhe places themselves The mos,
common method OF operation now
ever. Is the '-so-50- basis giving hal
the profits to the owner or manager
of the machine.
Refers order WI! I'd into 1mme-
date effect rs the police made theil
rounds yesterday afternoon and gave
their notice. The machines viii
either be destroyed or returned II
their owners