New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-15
HOW THE POOL SELLERS WERE FLEECED

NJ the Western Union Telegraph Company to dis
cover the persons who tapped the wires between
Nev-York and Jerome Park and sent out false re-
ports of the winners of the raceson Saturday so Iar
no success has attended them. Llnemen have been
searching for traces of the cutting since late Satur
dav afternoon. Their first report was that cur
sorry examination Of the upper section Of the line
disclosed no evidences of tamperng. The same
result attended the examination of the line between
the main office and McCOmbs Dam Bridge accord
ing to the last report at p. m. yesterday.
In this section every pole was climbed
for the thorough inspection of the wires
The work of examination was not
made as thorough at Iirst 1t will be later as it
was important that to save time much ground
should be covered as possible. careful inspec-
ton of the loop line which from the main line
along the Harlem road at FOrdham Station to the
companys Office at Jerome Park, failed to furnish
evidence of the cut. This loop is about three
quarters of mile long, and extends directly across
from the railroad station to the Park, whereas the
branch track of the railroad describes a semlcircle
in passing between the same points. The land
crossed by the telegraph line Is woody and
thick with underbrush, furnishing spot where the
operations of the wire-tappers might be carried on
without much chance of discovery. At the same
time there are many other points on the telegraph
of cOnceament OF SeclusiOn can be found
HOW TIE FRAUD WAS DISCOVERED.
The discovery that the wires had been tapped
was made by the chief operator at about 5:l5 p m
Saturday The business from the Park had been
received smoothly, and nothing had oc-
Cured to excite suspicion as regards the
working of the lines The character Of the
horses that were named as winners sur
prised the New-York operator, but not until For
ager Ia horse against which the betting at the Park
was TO Il was telegraphed as the winner in the
last race, did this surprise become suspicion. The
pperator telegraphed to the Jerome Park operator
q question which he only could answer properly
1t was regarding the contents OF package contain
Ing brace Of ducks which it happened the New
York ief-operator received some DAYS ago when
the race-operator was present. The answer came
back "Wait moment "A peremptory demand Ofan
answer received the same reply. minute later the
operator at the other end of the wire opened his
switch and it was realized in the New-YOrk Office
that the messages which had been coming appar-
emily from the race-track really came from tap"
The Western Union has two wires to Jerome
Park and both are used for the race business One
Operator at the Park regularly handles all the race
business during the The other operator is one
who has been sent TO all Of this seasons races at
Jerome Park A Western Union officer said yester-
pered with indicates that there must have
been four expert operators and an experienced
lneman engaged in the work. The wires were pro-
badly cut near the pole, the longer ends fastened
10 the pole by brace as to be Kept taut and the
connections then made with the four severed ends.
Two batteries were necessary, as the Jerome Park
wires are grounded to complete the circuits TO New
York. The New-YOrk battery would work the
New-York end of the cut by connecting the severed
wires with the ground and then the Jerome Park
circuits would be completed with the batteries
carried by the swindlers One reason for suppOsing
that the tapping was done on the loop
line from Fordham to the Park is that
the Park circuits would thereby be small
ones, and could be worked with small bat
tenes easy to carry and conceal. The swindleTs
evidently had most complete instruments the
smoothly working the tapped lines. The operators
had also studied the style of maniDulation Of our
Jerome Park men, 1t would require an expert line
man to splice the cut wires together after the tap
ping lines were abandoned in such manner as to
eyade detection as the cut has so far done 1t will
be most difficult work TO locate the cut, as the line
has probably been repaired IN many cases
on account Of former breaks. and the
discovery of a place where the wires were
spliced would not IN itself prove that that was
where the swlndlers had operated"
The last time the wires OF the Western Union were
tampered with on race business on July 4, be- |
tween Monmouth Park and the West End, Long |
Branch. This was detected before the proposed |
swlnde there was fully accomplished. The lnyes- |
tigatiOn of this trouble was interered with by the
telegraph strike, but IL had been far successful
that the batteries and wires used III the tap were !
found. 1t Is thought that the proofs gathered re-
garding this case of tampeTing with the wires may
be of value In leading TO the discovery OF the per-
pelTatOrs OF the jerome Park outrage.
CONGRATULATIONS AMONG BOOKMAKERs
The success of the swindle was the all>pervadng |.
topic Of conversation yesterday among the book
makers in the neighborhood Of the Bro wer House |
at Twenty eighth-st and Broadway. There was |
plenty Of hand-shaking and many expressions of |
congratulations were to be heard as each book !
maker confessed that :" this was the time
he did not get left" The zeal of Anthony !
Comstock directed toward the suppression Of pool |
ceiling. was highly commended. THE fact is" !
said bookmaker to a reporter of THE TRIBUNE, |
" that Lowell, Kelly & Bliss, Appleby & John
son and other prominent booksellers, lost no
money by this swindling scheme, simply because
only on last Tuesday they were informed by the .
pOlce authorities that they had 10 desst from
carrying on their unlawful business The bets that
they had made on the races included in SATURDAYS
programme at jerome Park were of a private ma
tuFe, and were made only with sporting men who
could be relied onn
There seems to be some difference of opinion |
among the booksellers as 10 who are the peTpe-
traitors Of the sWlndle. While some are inclined to
accuse TIE tflhng Telegraph operators who through
ignorance hoped TO injure the Western Union Tee-
graph Company by the job, the majority are of the
opinion that II was the work Of an organized gang
systematically planned and adroitly carried out.
The men engaged In the swindle must have been
intimately acquainted with the ms aud outs of pool
selling, say those of the latter opinion inasmuch as
they were familiar with the cipher dispatches of
each trm. In teegraphing the names of winners
the agents of the booksellers at the track invari-
ably use cipher dispatch: they never call horses
by tner proper names. On Saturday, in every
instance. the swindlers used the correct cipher
adopted by Rourke. Anderson and Burgis, of Coney
Island fame.
These three firms were the heaviest losers in this
city or vicinity. Anderson worked at his books all
cay yesterday, and he estimates his loss at from
k1,OOO 70 $4,000. The "Jumbo,D kept by
kourke, comes next with from $4,000 to $1,000.