The Penn's Grove record., 1923-04-27
Sheriff Took
Slot Machines
Gambling Devices So Enticing
Debts Were Neglected

A premature cleanup took place in
Penns Grove last Monday night when
Sheriff Brandriff with deputy Sheriff
G.. w. Brown, Chief of Police Reeves,
of Salem, Constable Edward Van
Meter, with a squad of State police
arrived in town and took a dozen slot
machines and the p%roprietors of the
places where they were located.
Some we're also taken at Deep Water
Village.
The gambling mania and chance
sales were never SO rampant in this
region as in the past six months.
A finn who manufactures punch
cards put them in most of the drug
stores, lunch shops and candy stores,
so that the counters were more full
of temptations to get nothing for
something than for legitimate moral
trade.
A few weeks ago a dealer brought
slot machines whereby a nickel was
dropped into one and a quarter of a
dollar in the other. A crank was
pulled and four wheels spun around
with the signs of lemons, plums and
other fruits. Occasionally a coin
would drop out to entice the player to
continue. Occasionally a player got
more than he put in. 1t was said the
machines were set so the player, who
liked to see the wheels go around, like
Helen's babies, usually lost half. The
owner of the machine came around
occasionally, unlocked the coin box
and divided with the proprietor in
whose place the machine was left.
The punch boards rapidly disappear
cd af+aT tho c1pt Do1phJnns TvnTn tal-an
Some who have no conscientious
scruples as to civic righteousness, re-
CARELESS of Christian morality, put
them in to get the money. Others got
them in as self defense to hold bust
ness, because customers would walk
by places where they use to buy and
could see the wheels go around with
childish glee and get their purse
empty.
It is reported the rage became so
great that some gambled way their
and would borrow money before next
played in SIT.
It is said that some business men
got so incensed at having money owed
IIlcIIl 70 lI1IO l1t olOI IIdOIlilIC IHd
they united to request the Sheriff to
make the raid.
The Sheriff and his posse did not
get all the machines. 1t is reported
that some got an inkling of their COM
at a distance. The owner set the tele-
phone tingling rapidly for the proprie-
tors to get the machines out. In some
n1ooo, 4lo aGioo,c ancyx-or.oI fho nhnnp
and told him they were getting them
out.
The mania to get money for different
purposes and to get rid of articles be-
yond their value has grown into a
rage. The example set out at the fair
of the r. c.. Church and of rafting off
of automobiles and the wheels spun at
the community fair under the auspices
ar immoral effect to san%ctioning lot
this region in the t~hirty-eight years
publisher of the Record. The eX-
ample set has been baneful and led to
other chance gambling sales and low
ering the moral influences of the
Churches as well as civic righteous
ness.
Honest toll is holy service. Sup
porting an enterprise because it is
righteous and worthy is civic righte-
BUSINESS and Christian service, good
citizenship. If it can not be maintain
ed on civic righteous lines it better be
abandoned.
Those taken to Salem with the slot
machines were released on their
recognizance and will be given a hear
ing before Squire Smith in Salem
this Friday afternoon.