The Slot Machine King's Secret Life
A brutal divorce trial exposes the illicit gambling empire and domestic violence hidden behind a Tacoma marriage.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
When the divorce suit of Wealthy Ann Baldie against P.H. Baldie was called in the superior court, the courtroom was packed. Judge Huston ordered the public to retire, allowing only the parties and counsel. Wealthy Ann Baldie testified that domestic quarrels began a month after their marriage in 1901, when she was only 16. She recounted instances where her husband struck her, choked her, and threatened her life with a razor. Dr. K.M. Brown testified to treating her for bruises and abrasions following these assaults. When questioning turned to the couple's property, Mrs. Baldie listed two houses on South G Street, an automobile, and slot machines. She claimed her husband boasted he owned the local slot machine trade and had fenced in the town business. When the court resumed, a partner in the slot machine business was called to the stand, but the defense blocked any inquiry into the machine receipts. Judge Huston ultimately ruled that since Baldie's business was illegal, the court could not become a party to investigating how it was conducted.
“Baldie had told her that he owned all the slot machines himself and that he had a fence around the town and no one else could get in the business.”
This case highlights the intersection of unchecked vice—the 'slot machine' monopolies of the early 1900s—and the private terror within domestic spheres. It serves as a reminder that the city's 'growth' was often built upon illicit franchises that the courts were content to ignore as long as they remained behind closed doors.
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