Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-12-25
GOTHAM GOSSIP.

Brldge Railroad Gable Mystery
A Sharp Trick Played on Pool Sell
ers and Bookmakers--Arrest of a
Murderer, Etc.
New YORK, Dec. 21.-Y esterday
afternoon one of the strands of the
Brooklyn bridge railway cables snap
ped and began to sway. Before the
machinery could be stopped, the flaw
which, when first seen was scarce two
feet long, had grown to 800 feet and
the broken strands, knotted and twist
ed, had been crowded in spiral spring
twenty-five feet long. The train ser.
vice was then continued with locomo.
tives, with trains of four cars each, at
fifteen minutes intervals, 1t was i'm.
possible, however, to clear the plat
forms of passengers, and traffic was
delayed, thousands of people, going
to ferries, or using promenades. On
examination, some weak places were
found near the break. So a piece of
cable four hundred feet long was cut
out and replaced. The cable was war
ranted for one year, but had been run
ming two years and quarter longer
than any cable on record. The cause
of the break is a mystery, but general
ly attributed to frost. Trains are run
ming as usual to-day.
Pool sellers and bookmaker in the
city were swindled last Saturday out
Of $4,000 by band of spectators.
Since opening of the racing season
at New Orleans, most of the book
makers here have been doing very
good business. Notwithstanding the
talk of the police. their rooms have
been well patronized. On Saturday
business was especially good. The
different places were filled with a
crowd that places their bets in lavish
manner The betting on the third
race came from the track. 1t was to
be mile race, within five starters, and
odds against them were even money on
Bob Swim, two to one on John Sull.
van, five to two on Fletch Taylor,
three to one on Flor Delis, and thirty
to one on Judge Jackson, with Godfrey
on the outside. The public played oa
nothing but three favorites,
and some very large bets were
made. All OF the bets had
been made and books were about
to close at 49 Chatham street, where
Goodwin & Co., kept open house.
Just before the instrument announced
the start, young man about twenty
four years old, walked into the office,
and drawing out his pocket book,
coolly placed $25 on Judge Jackson at
odds Of 30 to and walked out, he
stood to win SIS or lose his $25'
Players in the office thought this
rather peculiar as no one had bet a
cent on the short horse, and the young
mans face was not familiar to any of
them. "That fellow is a Western
Union Inspector" said telegraph
operator in the room. Then the books
were closed, as the news came
that horses were at their post.
The result came more quickly
than was expected, and the "short"
horse, Judge Jackson, was the winner.
The young man returned and non
chalantly drew out $3.50 and disap-
peared. In all the different offices in
the city the same incident happened
just before the start of the third race.
Different young men dropped in all
the rooms and took any odds they
could get on Judge Jackson. Wall
baum & Co., 43 Chatham street, gave
fifteen to one, and they parted with
1915 to the young man. When the book
makers began to compare notes, it was
found that in addition to those men
toned, Ross & Co., 81 Chatham street,
had seen a young man, who
had bought Judge Jackson at 1915 to
$50. The Bridge Turf company, Al
Chambers street, delivered $256 for
$40. At the last place an operator at
the instrument remarked, as the player
on the short horse walked out, that he
was Western Union inspector,
but he didn't know he had ever gam
bled before. The bookmakers all paid
their bets, but it was not long before
the sequel to the young mans actions
came out, 1t began to be rumored
that there had been a deal among the
telegraph operators to play little
game on the bOokmakers. and by COM
parison it was found that the lively
young men knew Judge Jackson had
won when they made their bets. The
bets rarely exceeded $25, yet every
place down town was warned alike,
and it is estimated that $4,000 in
money was taken out of the book
makers hands on the third race alone.
1t is supposed now that a combination
of this kind had been worked on other
racers, but as odds were not as large
as on the third race it was not noticed.
The Western Union people deny that
any of their operators tampered with
the wires or used information before
sending out the start. They place blame
on the bookmakers, who, they say,
have some private scheme of their
own. The race news, the bookmakers
say, came from New Orleans by Gin
cinnati, and from there to New York.
Some one, they say, in league with bet
tiers in this town, had cut the wires
between here and Cincinnati, and had
taken in the news as it came along.
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