Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 173, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 July 1911 — BAN ON KNIFE SWAPPING. [ARTICLE]

BAN ON KNIFE SWAPPING.

Illinois Town Adopts Rale in Effort To Stop Rage Among Men. Owensville, 111., July 23. —Swapping pocket knives bas become such a fad' in Owensville that an ordinance prohibiting the practice will be introduced before the town council. The ordinance reads as follows: “Be it ordained that it shall be unlawful for any person or persons to engage in the practice of swapping pocket knives or other devices in the streets, alleys, sidewalks or in any building or buildings within the corporate limits of Owensville. Any person or persons violating this ordinance shall, upon conviction, be fined in the sum of not less than $1 or more than $3 for each and every offense.” The knife swapping club of the village is against the ordinance, on the ground that swapping pocket knives is an innocent amusement, affording members the means of passing away the monotonous hours of village life. The members say some person who has lost in a knife trade is responsible for the proposed ordinance. The club holds hourly sessions, and when a victim appears the knife swappers get busy and gather in close. The unsight and unseen method of swapping a knife is observed in almost every instance, unless some person has a goodlooking knife and demands 5 or 10 cents to close the trade. It is said that some members have made enough money out of the sport to keep up their tobacco accounts at the village store.