The House of Cards Collapses
Washington State’s new felony law drives the gambling halls of Walla Walla into the shadows.
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.
For the first time in years, the gambling houses of this city have closed down in conformity with a new law which went into effect today, making gambling a felony. Proprietors announced that they will not reopen while they wait to test the case. Many gamblers and sports are already leaving the city.
“For the first time in years, the gambling houses of this city have closed down in conformity with a new law which went into effect today.”
In 1903, the push to criminalize gambling in Washington forced an immediate, if temporary, exodus of 'sports' from Walla Walla. Today, the local debate has shifted from criminal prohibition to the expansion of state-sanctioned gaming, but the underlying tension between civic morality and the 'business' of vice remains a constant in local politics.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.