The Poker Club That Wrote ‘No Gambling’ Into Its Own Rulebook
Seattle detectives raid a Third and Cherry social club and find a members-only poker game hiding behind a constitution that strictly forbade gambling.
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.
The raid made by Detectives Hart and Phnbrick on the Pastime club rooms in the building at the southwest corner of Third and Cherry streets Saturday night was a great damper on the spirits of the sports who have met in session from time to time during months gone by, for the general edification of those in the club. The club has held forth under the guise of a non-gambling institution, but the police claim to have positive evidence that the pretenses were false, and that a regular poker room game was being run. When the raid was made the goods owned by the club were also taken. Among the collection appeared the rules and regulations. Following is the full text of the document, minus the names of the members:
"This club shall be known as the Pastime Club of Seattle.
"Art. 1st—All gentlemen if so desire can put their name here if wishing to become a number of this said club.
"Art. 2d—Members are required to put their name in full in their own writing. Any gentleman can bring who he wants to with him providing that he be responsible for his conduct while here and if he wants.
"3d—To become a member of said club he can also put his name on the register provided he approves himself with the approval of the aforesaid club.
"The Regulations Are:
"4th—Gentlemen only will be admitted. All members shall have a key or their names on the register before they will be recognized as members. No dogs admitted in this club, and any member that are boisterous or in an intoxicated condition shall be excluded forthwith. No loud talking or ringing aloud.
"5th—No gambling for money or valuables. This is strictly forbidden in this club. Any member will report to the committee at once if the aforesaid regulations are not complied with.
"7th—The committee of regulations shall be named by the house vote, and that shall be by a standing vote of all members whose names shall be on the roll.
"8th—Any member having remarks to make will find a card in the side board."
The cases will come up in the police court this afternoon.
“No gambling for money or valuables. This is strictly forbidden in this club.”
The Pastime Club's confiscated rules are a small comic masterpiece of vice enforcement: a private club charter that forbids gambling while allegedly hosting a regular poker game. Seattle has always policed nightlife through licensing, raids, and the question of who gets to gather indoors—and who gets to look the other way.
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