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Show LAWYERS PUZZLED I OVER II DEVISE Following is a conclusive and fair! Btatement of fact n-tMrdinp: the trade- stimulators, taken from the Deseretj News : "Heretofore, slot machines have, nr-or given thr- lawyers much trouble deciding whether they were devices ii evil or harmless pastime. If ih player did not know what he was getting get-ting when he dropped in his coin, it v, ,i gambling. If he did know, it wasn't. Simple as A B C. "But now therf has come Into the confines of the state a contraption that baa BAveral dignified onicials. including the attorney general, and the district attorney of Weber county, scratching their heads. Is it a snare and a pitfall, pit-fall, or isn't it9 "It operates, like others, by drop ping a nickel in a slot and pulling a lever. The player always knows what he is going to get when h drops in the first nickd, whether it will be one, two or throe chips and some gum, or some gum alone, or what not. "But he does not know what he Is going (o get with the second nickel, until after he has played the first. It may be only one chip and gum or u may be the chips and gum "Now, Stuart P. Dobbs. district at torney of the Second district, holds that it is not a gambling devlc-, l-cause l-cause the player knows what he le going to get before he plays his nickel. Herbert C. Peterson, sheriff of Weber county, on the contrary, holds that it is a snare and a pitfall, because the essence of gambling is curiosity, and ever player soon becomes Interested in finding out, not what he gets on the ursi unhi'i, uui wuai. ne win gci uu the second. It is a chance once removed, remov-ed, but a chance never the less, saith Sir Sheriff. "To decide the matter Mr. Dobbs wrote Dan B. Shields, attorney general. Mr. Shields took one look at the letter, let-ter, rubbed his hands dizzily over his eyes and "passed the buck" to O. C Dalby, his second assistant. Mr. Dal by Is a canny man and unswered as lol-lows, lol-lows, tow it . " The court may decide it is a gambling gam-bling device and it may not. We are not prepared to give an opinion on what a court will do in this matter. But we advise that you do not spend much time on the question unless you find that these machines are seriously demoralizing de-moralizing the people ol your city: If they are, make a test case If not, seek other mort' weighty and glaring matters mat-ters to engage your attention.' "Is it. or alnt it gambling?" It is also a fact that the merchants who declined further use of tht trade-stimulator trade-stimulator slot-machine did so because of the grand jury, which will be convened con-vened on March f.th, and th uncertainty uncer-tainty as to the legality ol the i and they were not influenced to tins action by auything which was said or done by the morning paper. In the meantime, the real gamblers of Ogden, whose system of operation is pretty well known, have been advised ad-vised to "lay low" Mil alter the adjournment ad-journment of the grand Jur -oo |
