Evening star., 1934-11-21
"CLAW" MACHINES
BAN IS RENEWED,
EFFECTIVE DEC. |.
Browns Order Is Made on
Garnett Request-Seiz-
ure Threatened.
WIDENED WAR INCLUDES
MARBLE" GAME BOARDS
U. S. Attorney Plans New Drive
Despite Previous Acquittals
in Police Court.

The Districts war on gambling took
another turn today when Police Chief
Ernest W. Brown, acting at the request
of United States Attorney Leslie c.
Garnett, ordered removal of all CLAW"
machines in Washington on threat OF
seizure December l.
At the same time. members of Lieut..
George Little's vice squad moved
against marble game boards by ar
resting a delicatesSen proprietor on a
charge of permitting gaming, The
action followed complaints that high
school pupils were cutting classes and
spending their lunch money on the
games.
The craze for playing CLAW" ma
chimes has swept Washington, police
say, and hundreds of the devices are
doing a rushing pre-Christmas busi-
ness, with players swinging the
mechanical arm in an effort to grab
cigarette lighters, clocks. pipes and
variety of articles suitable for gifts.
Notification Ordered.
Mai. Brown ordered all precinct
commanders to notify store owners
and others having CLAW" machines
on their premises to remove them by
December l, following this letter from
Garnett yesterday:
After comforting with Lieut. Little
yesterday, I have determined that we
ought to make an effort to do away
with claw machines now operating in
+r;o ~ 80 ~zI, j. tr,fa
that a jury in the Police Court found
certain defendants not guilty, but
these machines look to me to be
purely gambling devices.
II should therefore, appreciate it
If you would notify the precinct cap
tains to notify every place where
these machines are being operated
that unless they are removed on or
before December l they will be
seized"
Marbles ION Border Line"
Garnett said today he had received
no complaints against the marble"
machines, but understands these de-
vices are ION the border line" and
might be banned under the gaming
law. The machines are played by
shooting marbles or balls through a
series of hazards which defect the
pellets in or out of slots, each of
which has a number bearing on the
final score. Garnett plans no drive
against these machines unless other
complaints are received.
Lieut.. Little said number of stores
are beginning to offer cash prizes on
marble" scores, and some places con-
tain at least dozen of the machines.
In particular, he referred to stores in
the vicinity of Seventh and T streets.
u and Fourteenth and Ninth and
New York avenue.
The delicatessen proprietor arrest
ed yesterday was Louis Sokolobe. 40
years old. The arrest was made by
Officer R. E. Blick of Sergt. Little's
squad. Blick said he played s1.2o on
a marble" game in a store oper-
ated by Sokolobe at 44O1 Fourteenth
street and received only cents in
return.
The marble" games. Blick added.
were called subway" signal ana
"step-up." Sokolobe posted $500
bond in Police Court today and the
case was set down for jury trial.
Blick was of the opinion the game
was based more on chance than Skill
The conventional machine offers 10
marbles for 5 cents with perfect
score" of about $4,000 points, depend
ing on where the balls lodge on the
board.
Cooperation Pledged.
Another step toward rigid law en-
forcement was taken today when
mutual cooperation between the
Parole Board and the Police Depart
ment was pledged by Maj. Brown
and Wilbur La Roe, jr., member
of the board.
Following the conference, La Roe
issued the following statement:
AT a conference today between
Mai. Brown and myself, plans were
made for a greater degree of CO.
operation between the Police Depart
ment and the Parole Board. This
plan contemplates exchange of infor-
nation regarding prisoners and such
cooperation as may be required to
protect the public interest.
Experience has shown that the
Police Department has at times in
formation in its files which would
be very valuable to the Parole Board,
but it is the opinion of both Maj.
Brown and myself that the existing
machinery is inadequate to insure
the best cooperation"
Maj. Brown is going out of his way
to cooperate with the Parole Board.
incidentally, recent developments have
shown that the Parole Board some-
times has in its files information that
is wanted by the police department.
and the Parole Board will arrange to
cooperate in this matter also.
La Roe said further that the board,
ut request of Commissioner George
E. Allen, had prepared a report on
the parole of James F.. Donovan from
Lorton Reformatory a week ago and
submitted the report to Allen. Dono-
van was paroled to an Indiana farm
after serving 80 months on a 10-year
term for an armed hold-up in Wash
ington during the Winter of 1882.
Allen, who also has obtained a re-
port on the parole from Capt. M. M.
Barnard, superintendent of District
penal institutions, expects to study
the case when he can spare the time
from other public duties.