The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1925-08-20
Owner of Building Orders
Cicchini to Vacate the
Premises at Once.
FACED AN INJUNCTION
Eviction Proceedings Begun
After Action Against Own
er Is Started.

The last chapter in the spectacular
story of conflict between the operators
of the Cicchini poolroom and the po-
lice department was set down for
completion late Monday afternoon
when string of events was started
from the police department which re-
suited in eviction proceedings against
James, Herman, and Ottila Cicchini
the three men who were charged with
assault upon the person of Police Of
ficer Otto Pollesch Sunday night.
Chief of Police Thad Logan and De-
tective Sergeant Emil Meissner led
the investigation which sought to
bring about paddock proceedings
through the Office of the district at
torney ordering the Cicchini poolroom
closed as public nuisance. They dis
covered in the Wisconsin statutes a
law which opened the owner of the
building in which premises are used
for gambling purposes to prosecution.
Chief Logan declared today that
this same law would be used in fore
ing action against other places where
the owners continue to allow gambling
on their premises in spite of the fact
that they might plead ignorance of
what was going on.
The statute (Section 4533) reads:
"Any person who shall knowingly
lease or let to another any house,
building, or room for the purpose OF
having set up, kept or used therein
any construction, device or thing of
any description whatever used or to
be used for gambling purposes, or for
the purpose of having gambling of
any kind or by any means done or
practiced therein or for the purpose
Of having the same kept or used for
the purpose of gambling, in any man
ner or by any means, shall be pun
ished by imprisonment in the county
jail not more than one year or by a
fine not exceeding FIVE hundred dol
lars; and any lease by which such
house, building or room is so held and
used shall be void, and the lessor may
enter upon the premises SO let and
shall have the same remedies for the
recovery thereof as in the case of a
tenant holding over his term"
Under this statute a warrant was
ready to be sworn out for Eugene
Sullivan, proprietor of the building at
the corner of Rowland avenue and
Elizabeth street, in the basement of
which the Cicchini poolroom is locat-
ed. The Office of the district attorney
was prepared to prosecute the case,
but action by Sullivan in himself de-
handing eviction papers for Cicchini's
removal forestalled any prosecution
of this kind, and this also put halt
to paddock proceedings that were also
under consideration. i.
Sullivan had his attorney draw up
an eviction order against Cicchini
Monday afternoon and at six o'clock
the place was closed. Earlier in the
afternoon Chief Logan had an officer
stationed at the top of the stairway
leading down to the Cicchini place to
prevent anyone from going into the
poolroom. Justification for staging
an officer on the place was found in
the fact that Cicchini has no license
of any kind to operate either pool
room or soft drink parlor, accord
ing to Chief Logan.
Officer Still Sick.
In the meantime the condition of
Officer Otto Pollesch, whose injuries
started the. actions against the Cic-
chinis, was reported as slightly i'm
proved today. He is still at his home
under the car of physicians and it was
declared that it would be at least an
other day or two before he would be
back on his beat. The three Cicchinis
pleaded not guilty to the charge of
assault upon an officer with intent to
do great bodily harm on Monday and
their cases were continued until next
Tuesday morning at nine o'clock. Her
man and Ottila Cicchini were ordered
to put up bail of $500 each, while
James Cicchini offered bail of 5000.