The Independent

Judge Morse Gives Suckers a Break

The late Texas Guinan was famous for her night club slogan of "Never give the suckers a break."

Local authorities this week ignored the famous hostess' advice and literally "gave the suckers a break" when they chased all slot machines out of the city.

The move came as a result of an order from Trial Justice W. C. Morse, Jr., who last week gave the owners and operators of the slot machines until Monday of this week to remove every one of them from the town and county. Slot machines by the truckload were gathered up from pool rooms, pop shops, confectioneries and drug stores throughout the town and county, and by Monday night there was nothing left except a few of the shooting-ball machines which do not give anything in return when played but are regarded as being only games of skill and amusement.

Asked about these machines, Judge Morse said yesterday that it is not up to him to say whether they are legal or illegal until he is called upon to do so on the bench. He says that if the police and the prosecuting attorney arrest owners or operators of these machines and bring them into court he will rule on their legality as best he can.

The slot machines which were driven out were of the spinning wheel variety, which dump a certain number of coins or brass tokens when the wheels stop on certain combinations. It is estimated that these machines at one time were taking hundreds of dollars a week out of Elizabeth City. Judge Morse's action in running them out of the county has been applauded on every hand.