The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-08-13
STATE POLICE
SLOT MACHINE
DRIVE HALTED
County Authorities Must
Ask Aid, Feeney Is
Told.
BANDITS LOOT TAVERN
Customers Robbed and
Gambling Devices Seized
by Nine Thugs.

Dy MITE llluYS.
Statewide offensive against slot
machine raCketeers was hampered
today when the attOrney-generaTs
Office tied the hands OF state police
with an opinion keeping them out Of
counties unless called in by local
authorities.
The unofficial opinion was given
Al Feeney. state safety director, on
the heels Of a spectacular raid and
the taking of three slot machines
from an inn near Seymour.
In the meantime. Prosecutor Her
bert + Wilson declared that Chief
Nike MOrrlSey had told him that ne
was investigating a matter Of vital
importance" in the local slot ma
chine war.
Cleanliness OF Marion county as
far as slot machines was vOuChed
for by the sherifs Office today when
they reported that three deputies
CruiSed over the weekend in search
for slot machines in county resorts
and could not find them. The fu-
tile raid was ordered by Sheriff
Charles Buck Sumner in a tele-
gram from French Lick, Ind.
Feeney Urges Farley
Mr.. Feeney declared today that he
received a letter from Prosecutor
Wilson requesting information re-
garding what his force was doing in
regard to slot machines.
Mr.. Feeney replied with an offer
to meet with Sheriff Sumner, Chief
Morrissey. and the PROSECUTOR in Mr..
Wilson's Office at any time they de-
sired to discuss the gambling men
ace prevalent in the county.
However. the safety director
pointed out that the attOrney-gen-
erals office had told him that his
police force could not raid slot ma
chine operators in counties unless
requested to do so by authorities of
the counties.
In the meantime, state police we're
investigating an alleged outbreak Of
the slot machine war in cOnne~'iOn
with the Seymour holdup.
Bandits Take Cash, Gems
In a telephone call to city police
from Sheriff NJ. K. Stewart Of
BrownstoWn, the hijacking Of three
slot machines and holdup of a
crowd Of customers Of the Napoleon
Inn. three miles east Of Seymour,
was related by the sheriff.
Eight white men and a Negro IN
two autos participated in the raid.
In a regular wild west saloon
holdup. the bandits lined up the
inns customers against a wall and
took jewelry and money IN addition
to the three slot machines.
Guests of the inn reported the
loss Of several. hundred dollars in
currency. The owner was robbed OF
$500.
Customers slipping soft drinks in
autos outside the inn were held up
By four men while four other ma
rauders lined up the inside Gus
toners. rifled their pockets, and
took the slot machines.
Raiders in Two Cars
The raiders were in two cars. one
driven by a Negro. One car was said
to be a black Dodge sedan with
twin tail-hghtS. The cars did not
have license plates on the front and
the tail-hghtS had been turned out
TO prevent reading the rear plates.
Napoleon Inn Is at the junction
Of State Roads 81 and so. The raid
occurred at a. m. The inn Is fire.
ouented by many tourists as well as
by Seymour residents.
Mr.. Fceney said that hands of
state police had been tied in the
past in raiding places with slot ma
chimes.
Protect Children, Is Plea
"On one occasion We were called
into Morgan county by Circuit Judge
c. @. Vernon and Prosecutor Robert
Wade TO raid two places for ma
chimes. Three men we're arrested
and slot machines confiScsted. The
raids occurred June IS" Mr.. Feeney
said
Five slot machines and a guam
tity or liquor were coniScated in
the two raids. he said.
The safety director expressed the
belief that slot machines catering
TO children should be ouSted from
the state.
Those in clubs, where men over
81 go. are not as serious offenders.
The men are old enough TO know
the percentage against them in
PLAYING those machines" Mr..
Feeney said.