Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 January 1902 — NOT GAME OF CHANCE. [ARTICLE]

NOT GAME OF CHANCE.

BETTING ON HORSE RACES NOT AGAINST THE LAW. Kansas City Court Renders Decision that Is Very Favorable to Pool-room*-Short afire of Louisville's Dead City Treasurer Amounts to $40,520. Charles Oldham, the proprietor of a pool room, was acquitted at Kansas City of the charge of '‘conducting a gambling device.” The decision was prepared by Police Judge Brumbeck and declares that bertting on a horse race cannot, in view of the decision of the Missouri Supreme Court, be held to be betting on a game of chance, because if the race is honestly run it is only a question of endurance and speed and if dishonestly conducted la a swindle in which chance takes no part. “Judge Brumbeck could render no other decision with the evidence at hand,” said Chief Hays. “When the question first arose the Mayor wrote to Manager Woods of the Western Union Telegraph Company to discover if the pool rooms actually telegraphed the money to Louisville or other cities to be placed as bets on horse races. I found that the keepers of the room actually sent the money to be placed in Louisville. The decision will have the effect of allowing any number of pool rooms to open in Kansas City.” FOUR BIG BUILDINGS FALL. Detroit Wholesale Houses Lose $200,000 by Strange Collapse. Four buildings, each four stories high, in the heart of the wholesale district of Detroit, collapsed at 8:30 o’clock Sunday night, without any apparent cause. All that now remains of them is a smoldering heap of ruins. The buildings were occupied by five concerns. The loss on stocks is estimated at $152,500; on build ings, $50,500. The buildings joined each other at Jefferson avenue and Shelby street. Experts from the Detroit Gas • Company’s office made an examination of the ruins, but were unable to find evidences of a gas explosion. Had the wreck occurred during business hoiirs the loss of life must have been appalling, as 200 persons were employed by the various firms. Furnaces in the buildings set the ruins on fire and the wooden work was •burned. There were no watchmen about the premises, consequently was injured or killed.

SUICIDE’S SHORTAGE $40,520. Experts Report on Accounts of Former Treasurer of Louisville, Ky. Former City Treasurer Stuart R. Young's shortage is placed at $40,520 by the experts who examined the books at Louisville. Young committed suicide in November, when news of his shortage was published. The report says Young’s method was to make out a eheck for a large amount to himself and record on the stub of the check book the name of another man and a smaller amount, or leave a blank anA make the amount nominal. The firs*money appropriated was by a check dated Oct. 28, 1899. The receipts of the office during Young's incumbency were $10,332,090. FARMER AND NIECE KILLED. " Robbers Murder Couple at Greenleaf, Kan,, and Loot House. Carl E. Holt, aged 55, and his niece, Miss Hilda Peterson, aged'3o, his housekeeper, were discovered murdered at the Holt home, three miles from Greenleaf, Kan. The people had been missing several days and the other morning a searching party went to learn the cause. The old man was found in the kitchen with two bullet holes in his head. The woman was lying on a back porch with one bullet hole through her head and one through her neck. The house had been rifled. To Cut Oregon Timber. Eastern capital in excess of $500,000 is to be invested in Oregon timber lands along the Columbia ahd McKenzie rivers, and plans.will be made this year for the building of sawmills to convert the standing timber into- marketable lumber. Benjamin Sweet, W. G. Collins and W. H. Bradley of Milwaukee have inspected timber in Oregon, Washington and California. Powder Package Explodes. J. W. Martin, a Knoxville, Tenn., postoffice clerk, was injured by the explosion of a package of powder or an infernal machine. He was stamping letters and packages, when a package addressed to a hardware house exploded as he struck It with the stamp. Examination showed on it the name of a New York smokeless concern. Dodge Taxes on Millions. It now appears that an important rea•ou why .the. -banks in a recent week showed only half as large an increase in cash as the known movements seemed to indicate is that considerable amounts had been lodged in Jersey City to cover the * day when personal property was declared in New York City. Fire Rages Over a Town. The business portion of Edinboro, Pa., was swept by fire the other night, several important business buildings being destroyed. The damage amount* to about $35,000. The town was entirely without fire protection. Report Favors Panama Route. The isthmian canal commission has •ent to President Roosevelt unaniniptiw report in favor of accepting $40,000,000 Panama offer. Killed in Missouri Mine. Four miners were killed, one dangerously hurt and a number of others seriously injured by a cave-in at the Ada mine, located at Carterville, Mo. Others were hurt, but their injuries are not serious. The accident was caused by the prematura explosion of dynamite. Norwegian Dark Rinks. The Norwegian bark Arab Steed, Captaln P. Pedersen. which left London Dec. 0 for Qiristianin, has sunk in the North Bea and twenty-two persons Were drown-