State Ex Rel. Olsen v. Crown Cigar Store

220 P.2d 1029, 124 Mont. 310, 1950 Mont. LEXIS 30
CourtMontana Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 2, 1950
Docket8964
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 220 P.2d 1029 (State Ex Rel. Olsen v. Crown Cigar Store) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Montana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State Ex Rel. Olsen v. Crown Cigar Store, 220 P.2d 1029, 124 Mont. 310, 1950 Mont. LEXIS 30 (Mo. 1950).

Opinions

PER CURIAM.

Appeal by the state from decree and order entered January 5, 1950, in the district court of Silver Bow county, the Hon. John B. McClernan, district judge, presiding, and cross-appeal by defendants from portions of such decree in an action to enjoin the operation of certain gambling games, lotteries and devices and to abate as a nuisance the building and premises in and on which the gambling and lotteries were permitted, same being described as: “* * * the building, structure, and premises * * * shown and designated as the Crown Cigar Store, the Crown Bar, Copper Kings Club, and as 106 and 110 East Park Street * * * The first floor of that certain three-story brick building situated upon that parcel of land situated in Silver Bow County, Montana and described as the West 38 feet of Lot 5 and the East 10% feet of Lot 6 all in Block 39, Butte Townsite, in the city of Butte, Silver Bow County, State of Montana * * * including the entire first floor of said building and structure and all rooms and compartments thereof, any or all of which may be entered through either of the outside entrances thereof, to-wit: That certain door therein located and opening on said East Park Street, and designated as 110 East Park Street, Butte, Montana, and that certain door therein, located and opening, on said East Park Street and designated as 106 East Park Street, Butte, Montana * * *. ’ ’

There is no dispute or conflict as to the facts, same having been agreed to by the parties pursuant to stipulation entered in open court.

The defendant George D. Curtis is the owner of the west 13% feet of lot 5, and the east 10% feet of lot 6, all in block 39 of [312]*312the Butte townsite in the city of Butte, and the defendant Old National Bank of Spokane is the owner of the 23% feet immediately to the east thereof.

The two properties combined are the property npon which the Crown Cigar Store and the Copper Kings Club room are located, being the west 38 feet of lot 5 and the east 10% feet of lot 6, all in block 39, Butte townsite, in the city of Butte.

On the ground floor of the above premises the defendants Joseph M. Lyden and John C. Cox own and conduct a bar, cigar store and lunch counter under the style of The Crown Cigar Store. "

In May 1947 Lyden and Cox organized and incorporated the defendant Copper Kings Club, a so-called “non-profit organization” or social club which has since been managed, operated and conducted by them, Lyden being the president and Cox the treasurer of the club.

The sole and exclusive business of the Copper Kings Club was the conducting, maintaining and operation of slot machines. For such enterprise the club used and occupied a room or compartment in the northwest corner on the first floor of the described building. There was a door, usually kept open, leading from such room or compartment to that portion of the first floor used and occupied by The Crown Cigar Store, bar and lunch counter. The slot machines operated and possessed by the club bore revenue stamps purchased from and issued by the state board of equalization.

In the portion of the building occupied by The Crown Cigar Store a numbers game was run and conducted for profit. The game had grossed the defendants the sum of $253,135. There is no pretense that such game is a “hickey game” nor that the winners are paid off in “hickeys” under the provisions of the “Hickey Law,” Ch. 153, Laws of 1937, or those of Chapter 142, Laws of 1945.

The game is called a Chinese lottery by the attorney general, while defendants call it “The Crown Game” and “The Crown [313]*313punchboard game.” The players of the game mark on tickets containing 80 squares numbered 1 to 80. At the close of the game the operators select 20 of those numbers. The player wins if his ticket has marked upon it five or more of the numbers marked by the operators. The players purchase tickets at prices ranging from 15^ to $1 per ticket. On a 25^ ticket the following combinations receive the following awards:

5 numbers pay $.50
6 numbers pay 4.50
7 numbers pay 45.00
8 numbers pay 225.00
9 numbers pay 450.00
10 numbers pay 900.00

The other gambling equipment consisted of lottery tickets, a wooden punchboard, an electric board, and other movable property used in operating the game.

The operators of the game affixed to the stub of each ticket pad purchased or used by the players participating, tax stamps in the amount of 3 % of the total price of the tickets sold from the pad.

October 18, 1949, the state of Montana, through its attorney general, filed in the above district court in cause No. 43986 therein, a complaint accompanied by the supporting affidavits of two investigators employed by the attorney general, charging defendants with knowingly and intentionally operating, conducting and permitting in the building and structure and on the premises aforesaid, lotteries and gambling in violation of the laws of the state banning same, seeking to abate the nuisance said to there exist, — to enjoin and restrain the continuance thereof and praying for an order closing the premises and directing disposition of the property used in operating such nuisance.

October 19, 1949, upon reading the complaint and affidavits thereto attached, Judge McClernan issued a restraining order and caused same to be served upon the defendants other than [314]*314Old National Bank of Spokane, requiring defendants to show cause on October 25, 1949, why a writ of injunction should not issue to abate and prevent the continuance or recurrence of the alleged nuisance.

Upon the stipulated facts the district court found “The Crown Game” as operated by defendants was gambling and a lottery and on January 9, 1950, rendered judgment declaring the premises a common nuisance; decreed that it be abated for a year; ordered the gambling equipment brought before the court for disposition according to law; ordered defendants to deliver to the sheriff the equipment used in the operation of “The Crown Game” and ordered the sheriff to take such equipment into hi's possession, but ordered that the action against the defendant Copper Kings Club be dismissed, holding the operation of its five slot machines to be lawful and declining to enjoin the defendant club from continuing such operation.

Immediately following its entry, the judgment was delivered to the sheriff for execution and within thirty minutes thereafter the sheriff made his return to the effect that no gambling equipment was found on the premises, notwithstanding that at the trial defendants had agreed and stipulated that the described gambling equipment was in their possession and on the premises from October 18, 1949, to January 3, 1950.

On January 9, 1950, following the filing of the sheriff’s return the defendants, Old National Bank of Spokane, a corporation, and George D. Curtis filed in the district court their petition “for delivery of the property to owners and for cancellation of order of abatement,” basing same upon the affidavit of the defendant George D. Curtis and the sheriff’s return. The district court, over the objections of the state, granted the petition.

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State Ex Rel. Olsen v. Crown Cigar Store
220 P.2d 1029 (Montana Supreme Court, 1950)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
220 P.2d 1029, 124 Mont. 310, 1950 Mont. LEXIS 30, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-olsen-v-crown-cigar-store-mont-1950.