Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-12-07
taken in at the foot-race to pos
him.
PEEP BEHIND THE SCENES.

PEEP BEHIND THE SCENES.
The current reports among the
knowing ones indicate that in the
first race Davis would have beaten
Bonham with ease, had he not held
back on purpose. Bonham's chief
hacker had so much money wagered
that be could we'll afford to give Davis
one-third of his winnings to be
beaten. This programme was said
by some to be carried out and Davis
supporters quietly paid their losses
amounting to about 81 900 But
Davis now declares that instead of
The promised 0ne-thrd. be only
realized $50. 1t is claimed that they
submitted to this bribery aEd loss, to
draw the opposite parties on TO a
fearful retrlbution Be this as il
may, the next race was speedily
arranged, Crandall sent for, and the
former negotiations between Davis
and others were said TO be made by
letter, he agreeing to lose the race
for stipulated share of the large
bets he was thus 10 place in The hands
of the Crandall men Elated by such
certain prospect of wealth, they wish
to bet even their last dollar. Thu
other side probably had as good as
surances Of the game that was trans
piring, and that Davis would win in
stead of deserving them, for it is his
profession to join the party that of
ters largest pay, and win or lose the
match as may seem most profitable.
REPUTATION
AS soon as the match was over,
the principal loser made all speed to
town, and forbade all his stake-ho
ers to pay a dollar of his money to
the winners, on the ground that there
was trickery and cheating. Davis
had not adhered to the private con-
tract charged to have been made be-
tween the two, but had run his best,
making bin lose $1,700. SO some
the losers took the sound legal posi-
ton that betting was bad, immoral
practice and they guessed they
wouldn't pay those bets. Another
time we may discuss the ethics and
morals of this course and see if the
adagc of "honor among thieves"
ought to apply TO betting men.
LEGAL REDRESS.
Well, the shareholders generally
disregarded the command, and paid
the money to the winners. The los
ing party then engaged the services
of Barber q ClemeDtson to recover
the money from the shareholders.
who each received from said lawyers
before night polite notice to repay
to said party the sum Of hundred
dollars forthwith or the same would
be collected by process of law. The
result was panic among those
threatened, several prospective law
suits, some loud talk of fighting, and
a vast amount Of profane swearing.
BETTING LAWS OF WISCONSIN.
Section II of Chapter 1863, of the
Revised Statutes says: "Every per-
son who shall win or lose at play or
by betting at any time. any sum or
value, shall be deemed guilty Of a
mlsdemeanor, ando conviction shall
be punished by fine of not less than
five times the value so lost or won
Section II, Any person who shall
pay, deliver, or deposit any money,
properly or thing in action, upon the
event OF any wager or bet herein
prohibited, may sue for and recover
the same of the winner or person TO
whom the same shall be paid or DE-
livered, and of the stalk or
otL er person in whose hands shall be
deposited any such wager bet or
stake, or any part thereof, whether
the same shall have been paid over
by such stakeholder or not"
AS the Judge is also required to
give the otfense described in Section
IL, in special charge to the Grand
Jury, it seems likely that this excess
sive gambling, if it does not give our
lawyers some civil business, may
breed some criminal cases for our
next term OF Court.