The Pool-Selling Fugitive of Victoria
After facing legal trouble in Seattle, a local man fled to British Columbia, only to find his gambling scheme unwelcome there as well.
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.
Ex-City Councilman Oaney returned yesterday from Victoria, accompanied by his family, and bringing along his personal effects. Oaney was arrested, a few days ago, for pool selling, which is a serious offense over there. His trial was set for yesterday. He thought a place where pool selling is not allowed would not suit him for a residence, and that he had better get out of it at the first opportunity. The chance came at six o'clock in the evening when the Eliza Anderson cleared out for Puget Sound. The rest of the story is laid in the telegraphic dispatch following: Victoria, B. C., June 3.—Chas. Oaney, late of Seattle, charged with pool selling, did not appear in court this morning. It is understood he has left the country. In his absence, a fine of $25 was imposed.
“He thought a place where pool selling is not allowed would not suit him for a residence, and that he had better get out of it at the first opportunity.”
While gambling laws have evolved significantly, the perennial struggle between Seattle's civic growth and the shadow economies of 'pool selling' remains a familiar tension. The mobility of those evading local justice has long been a feature of the Pacific Northwest, with the border serving as both a refuge and a trap.
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