Historic Preservation Commission Agenda and Packet 2023 04 24

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dice for large sums of money at the place. Sheriff Everson went to the pool hall Saturday night but was informed that the gamblers had left just before his arrival. The same thing has happened several times previously when the sheriff has attempted gambling raids at the Bugdust and elsewhere.... Holmes filed his complaint yesterday and asked the district court for a hearing Monday on a motion for a preliminary injunction against Madonna. This would prevent operation of "a nuisance" at the Bugdust pending final hearing. Then the court will be asked to close the building for any purpose for one year and to direct the removal and sale of "all furniture, fixtures, musical instruments and movable property in conducting, maintaining, aiding or abetting the nuisance." In a telephone conversation last night, Everson told The Times when asked what was back of the action, that complaints received from Louisville people were not alone in bringing about the drastic action. He said he had been over here so many times to try to stop gambling and when he arrested them and brought them in all they got was a $50 fine, which he said they can make in 20 minutes. The sheriff said he had talked with the operator and tried to get them to stop and they "just made a laughing stock out of the officers." Everson said the city dads were to blame because they would not do anything to stop gambling.... In an article the next week, the Louisville Times reported that the Louisville Town Board unanimously decided about a week after the Sheriff's statement that gamblers would no longer "be permitted to use Louisville as a place to gamble" despite being "irked by Sheriff Arthur Everson's statement that the board was to blame that gambling was permitted in Louisville." The Louisville Times February 5, 1953 — Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection Next, the Denver Post on Feb. 5, 1953 reported in a front page story that a federal grand jury would be studying the Smaldones' involvement in a rigged barbuit table that had been discovered in a pool hall on North Federal. In a related story, the Post reported that the Bug Dust Pool Hall had been closed down and padlocked due to gaming equipment having been found there. The gaming equipment consisted of "a pool table with the surface covered tightly with canvas." The article mentioned that the District Attorney in Greeley had information that the Smaldones were using the Bug Dust as one of the locations in floating barbuit games. And in the same issue, the Post gave a description of the game of barbuit for readers unfamiliar with it, describing it as a game played with two dice and an unlimited number of gamblers. Certain combinations of the numbers of the dice are winners, and certain combinations are losers. The article noted, "You can win — or lose — a lot of money in a few seconds." N. 29