The news and herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1876-1881, 1876-11-16
GAMBLING IN POOLS.
Explanation OF the System How
Cheating Is Alleged to have been done.

Cheaeihg ID Alleged to nave been done,
New York contains many gamb-
ling houses, but in tho past they
have not obtruded themselves on
public attention. Recently, how
ever, says the New York. Tribune
one form of gambling has become
moro bold and conspicuous, md at
least six establishments in this city
whose proprictors openly invite
speculation on any event in the
sporting calcndars, through ''nuction
pools, paris mutunls," and "com
blnation mutuals. The "Paris
mutuals" and "combination mutuals"
are recent inventions. Joseph Ollcr,
Of Paris, well known for many years
ut the France race courses, intro
duccu them to notice, aud amasscd
great wealth by the percentage or
"commission" of ten per cent. which
he charged on them. The Paris
mutuals require two operators, an
Indicator, II crowd ofspcctators, and
IN event that may be settled in any
one of several ways. 1t may be a
boat race, ora bail match, or it may
be race of IL dozen horses in which
any one of them may come under the
wire first. The system is best ex-
planned by nh illustration. Suppose
six horses named respectively A, B,
{, =, = and + are entered for race
The operators set up black tin box
with round blank spaces like staring
eyes cut III the lid over each Of
which is placed card inscribed A or
Is or &, NC. A speculator approach
cs, hands to the operator five dollars,
and says, Give me c. He receives
Il pnrti- i-colorcd ticket with IL number
printed omit, and simultaneously the
operator gives the Indicator u turn,
click" goes the machinery, tho
blank eye apportioned to G. gives II
wink ut the folly of tho human race,
the figure l appears therein, and tho
young man remarks in aphilosophi-
cal monotone, Zone G" Another
speculator pays his money. and by
eye and ear the spectator is informed
no has gone twenty on four G." At
length the bell for starting the horses
! sounds, when the pools close, or
should close, the entire number of
tickets sold being Indicated ut the
top of the machine, while glance
at the space underline name OF each
horse reveals the particulars of the
pool. Suppose that pools have So
as follows at IS n ticket: 100 tickets
on A, so on B, 60 on G, 40 on d,
20 on II and 10 on F--a total of 31O
tickets, representing $3.50. First
the operator takes out his percent
age, the amount of which varies
At first Oller charged ten per cent,
but competition in this country has
reduced it to s and s. Making tho
calculation on the 10 per cent. bnsis
S15 90 less III 55, leaves $13 95 to
be divided among the holders of
tickets on the winning horse. If A
wins, each ticket pays $13 95; if B wins
each ticket pays SIT IS; if G wins
each ticket pays S23 25 if d wins,
each ticket pays S34 81 if T. wins,
each ticket pays 500 rs, and if Il
wins, each ticket pays $l39 so. Tho
race is over, one of the horses has
won, and his hackers receive the
returns from their Investments. Few
notice how much tho operator has
pockcted, but yet it Will be seen
, from the above calculation that this
percentage WAS more than the
amount paid on the most valuable
ticket, and that, too, in IL pool cs,
pccially favorable to buyers, such as
hardly occurs once in fifty races.
The "combiDation mutllnls' arc
clnborntions Of the original "Pnris
mutu;ls. The spcculator names the
: winners OF three races, and all Of the
three events must fulfil his prophecy
to cntitIc him to the pool. lie has
/ to contend against tremendous odds
and even if nc proves successful he
receives only the amount in the pool
which may be very small, and which
never by any possibility equals his
! investment multiplied by the mum,
/ Der of chances against success.
The first Paris mutual indicator
at jerome Park was set mp during
the spring meeting Of 1872. 1t had
been said that n well known Wall
street spcculator initiated the public
into it's mysteries, md even manipu-
lated the machine himself Later
John Chamberlain imported more
indicators, and since that time they
have appeared at many racing meet
ings. They were taken down to
Long Branch Mt tho time Of the
swimming match between johnson
and Trautz in 1874 they have been
carried to cellar in Now street in
the attempt to bring stock speculn-
ton within tho reach Of five dollar
capitalists sthcy have attended upon
the college boat races until men are
declaring that the evils accompany
ing such contests oyerbalance the
benefits of the athletic training /;
they have popularizcd gambling
under tho guise of Il fair dealing. and
they have got their tolls about tho
rising generation. Night and
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