The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-06-24
TAPPED THE WIRES.
A Clever Scheme to Rob Pool
Rooms Frustrated.
The Detectives Capture William Fallon and
J. W Maggie While Arranging for Big
Days Work on Pine Street.

man, and j. w. Maggie, an operator who
was discharged two years ago for alleged
crooked work with messages OF the Western
Union Company, were arrested yesterday
and locked up in the City Prison tanks.
Shortly before o'clock in the morning
they were caught by the detectives in a
room on the top floor Of 31S Pine street,
while preparing for big days work at
tapping the wires running from the tele-
graph operating rooms to the pool-rooms.
Their scheme was to get the kilograms
from Eastern races before the booksellers
place money on the winners, and immedi-
ately thereafter start the electric tidings on
the circuit from which they had taken
them. By this means they had expected to
cheat the pools. There was a complete
equipment of batteries. keys, saunders, re-
ceivers and various other instruments en-
plOyed In telegraphy.
They will be charged with felony. The
Penal Code provides that any one convicted
of tapping the telegraph wires may be pun
ished by Imprisonment in the State Peni-
Tertiary not to exceed five years, by impris-
onment in the County Jail not to exceed
one year, or by fine not to exceed $1,000.
WHO THEY ARE.
Fallon is member of the well-known
San Jose family-a brother of Al Fallon,
the horseman, and Anita Fallon, the act
ress He was left fortune by his father,
not long ago. but spent his money foolishly
in the poOl-roOms. Nagle is an expert tele-
graph operator and has distinguished him
self in connection with this affair as clever
electrician. Both men were playing high
game, taking chances at great odds, and
lost after much preparation.
About two years ago the managers of the
poOl-roomS complained that the boys who
carried the messages containing the win
ming names were bribed by gang to give
them the news before taking it to the pool
rooms. To meet this difficulty special wires
were laid to the betting offices. These wires
were tapped and the betting men lost thou
sands of dollars by the operation.
The telegraph company then connected
the pool-rooms with the main office by what
is known as metallic circuit" and after
that the ''tapperS" were unable to get the
news so that they cOu ID use it their pecuni-
airy advantage. But the men IN the scheme
were not easily disheartened, for they peri
odically tapped the clrcuit.
THE TELL-TALE NEEDLE.
Their work was for naught, for the deli
cate galvanometer of the telegraph company
kept its nervous needle trembling with the
excitement caused by tapping" or rather
interfering with the resistance OF the cir
cult. No messages were sent over the
wires, so the tappers gained nothing.
For weeks past suspicious trembling oil
the galvanic needle indicated some one was
tamperng with the wires. The detectives
were notified and an investigation at once
commenced. Nagle and FallOn were sus-
| peCted. Their subsequent movements con-
| iirmed the suspicion Of the detectives that
causing the galvanometer to indicate tap
| ping" When they rented Room in the
| building No. 318 Pine street, few days
| ago, for the ostensible purpose OF starting
an eectric-mot0r agency, Captain Lees set
watch on the place and was satisfied that
| they were the men wanted.
| The suspected men went to the room at
| 80 o'clock yesterday morning, and shortly
afterward were surprised by the detectives
! and telegraph officials. They tried to
| escape, but failed. and submitted quietly
to arrest. Sufficient evidence to secure
! conviction was found in the place.
! CLEVER CONTRIVANCEs.
BY clever mechanical arrangement the
! operators had succeeded in making tap sc
! that it was almost impossible to detect IT.
| and every arrangement had been completed
| for the robbery of the booksellers yester-
| day on the races at New York and Chicago
| 1t is believed they would have been sue,
cessful in this. for they had invented an
| instrument which would have offset the
| galyaIOmeter at headquarters.
The results of the Eastern races are re-
ceived In the operating-room first, aud are
! than sent to the pool-rooms over this
special wire. The resistance of the circuit
| is very carefully measured, and galyanO-
! meter placed on the operating table to show
the most tTifiIng change IN the resistance
caused by break in the circuit.
HIDDEN WIRES.
To conceal the break from the linemeI
| and electricians of the Western Union Com
| punnpptiOn mazda whnrp th(
wires were fastened TO the insulators
| Holes were drilled through the glass in
suIatOrs and then down through the center;
of the pins. Through these the tapping
wires were led making them invisible theil
entire length. In the room, which wa:
hired several weeks ago under the pretens,
| that AN electrical motor mandatory wa.
to be located in it, the tappers had con
| stTucted compound switch IN order Il
make the cutoff " perfectly. A re
sistance coil was supplied in order tina
the galvauometer in the operating-room
should not show any difference IN the re-
! sistance of the circuit. Only receiver wa:
missing, and it was found in Fallon's room
corner Of Bush and Montgomery streets.
THEIR SCHEME.
Every horse entered in the Eastern race
has number, and the numbers instead o
the names are telegraphed to the pool
rooms. Fallon ana Nagle had the number
and could have used their fingers in giYiDl
the number of the winner 10 the accom-
plices. They would then hold" the mes
sage until the accomplice bet on the win
ner. The plan was to signal from win
dow Of the room to the accomplces in the
alley the winning numbers. Afterward
Maggie would telegraph the news to the pool
rooms.
1t is said there will be interesting devel
opments within n day or two in connection
with the case. as several prominent sport
ing men are probably implicated in Nagle
and Fallon's scheme.
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PEOPLE TALKED AROUT.