Federal or State agents Raided and took all slot machines(I think for no tax stamp??)tried to get the ones on the Radar Base NCO Club but we got them out before they got them can remember a local guy in town who had a bar was involved( will not mention what bar)well planned they hit all the places at the same time,

Armadillos can carry leprosy. That's also sort of interesting.

They also went after punch boards every so often. They were illegal in this state but Miles City was notorious for ignoring moral codes sent down by Helena.

I think Butte is kind of notorious for that as well.

If I remember correctly, there was a picture on the front page of the Star of the Feds lined up across Main Street on the day of the raid. I don't remember if the local Police or Sheriff were included. Does anybody still have a copy of that picture?

My father used to bring slot and gaming machines home from the Moose Club when things got to hot with the law. I remember at least ten slot machines in our basement at one time.

Wasn't Vern Hanley sheriff in Miles City at that time, he used to drive a green Pontiac, about a 53 or 54.

For the raid in the early '60's, the Fed's "cased the joint" before they did the raid. They sent in agents in advance who made the rounds observing where the machines were, what kind and how many. They spent time in the bars logging the approximate play and cash generated. They used that information in the tax cases they brought against the owners.

If any of the owners moved machines before or during the raid, it didn't do much good because they had been watched for some time prior to the action. I heard a few stories from my Father who was involved with several Fraternal organizations that got whacked pretty hard. I don't remember if anybody went to jail, but I'm sure there was a lot of money ponied up for back taxes that probably offset some hard time.

I heard that when they did the raid in Butte, they ordered all the bars to close up and lock up. The busiest guys in town after that were the locksmiths, installing locks on bar doors that had never closed long enough to need them.