The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-10-03
THROUGH HIS HAT
Unique Scheme of tho Town Pool
Rooms to Got Race Track
News.
Flash Light Telegraph System Con-
ccalad In the Coachman's
HiGh Eat.
Found 0ut by Rob Pin~kerton-Enco Events
of the D~Ay--rsoston IncreAa-
Ing Her Lead.

NEW YoRK, Oct. 2.-Thars Ia m inolosurt
near tho betting ring at she Gravesend rae
track for carriages o. every description ane
a few vehicles are seen there every race
dey. One that has been In constant Rt
tendance since Saturday was a bsrouchs. /
was occupied by a large woman, of middle
age, we'll dressed in black; a boy Of sever
years, two grown men and \ long, slim
coachman with n very tall hat, which ht
wore with \ corn-to-sell tilt far back on his
head. No other coaehmsn ever wore his
hat in that style. The carriage always had
its kind wheels in the direction of the tall
tower on Slsight's hotel md the coachman'a
tall hat was forever turned toward ths
twenty milo telescope set therein.
There was nothing remarkable about the
party. They were we'll behaved. The two
men were accustomed to leave their places
between races and so to the betting ring
where they would romain until & raca was
about to be run. when they would return to
the carriage to see the contest. The alert
Bob Pinkerton had his attsntian called to
this carriage and he assigned two OF his
smartest detectives to the duty of Watching
the movements OF the occupants.
Friday the entire party, carriage, woman
boy, coachman and all. were arrested. The
arrest caused great excitement. The woman
fought with her parasol, striking Mr.. Pin
kerton on the head. and used her nails fari-
ously, OF which Bob bears the marks on
his face and hands, blood being drawn in
several places. Au officer olutchsd the
viraeo by the throat whereat the crowd that
gathered became greatly enraged and want-
- = fsSk1o -rn,p~ :, - tgca frras fha hlua
coat.
MIR. Pinkerton, seeing the danger, called
off the officer. One of the arrested men
drew himself up to a disnifed height and
acclaimed thus. II dare you to modest
me, sir. l nave behind me tbs Western
Union company and S2o,ooo,ooo. I defy
your
That was a bad break. He threw up
his ~ooattail as il abou to draw u pistol.
''If you dare to draw that gum" yelled
the detective, then Tl make Jou eat il.
and I'll knock every tooth out OF your
head" .
The man dropped his hand and said: 81
have no pistol. I was only blufing.",
His companion was less belligersnt. The
goodman showed no fight, but folded his
arms and smiled. All the prisoners were
searched for weapons. In the coachman's
tall silk hat was found an upper story, in
which was concealed an electric light bulo
about tWO lncQeb long, Inc WIGS lEOm III
ran down the mans back to a battery CON
cealed under the drivers box of the car
rage. One of them was coilad around his
neck, and to prevent burning was carefully
1n9ulated.
In the crown Of his hat, directly over the
bulb, was a hole three inches in diameter.
The man confessed that he was a telegraph
operator in the guiss of a coachman. The
two men in the carriage were his confeder-
ntes. Ii was their business to 40 to the bet
ting ring to get the starters in each race,
tho jockeys, the scratches and the betting,
and after each race the order Of the I'm
ish, the time, etc. All this information
was placed at the disposal of the coaohman,
who telegraphed IT by electric light flashes
to the eonferates in the tower, who
had their twenty-mile telescope bearing on
the hole in the crown of the tall has. The
Morse code was used. Every detail of the
racing could be te~lesraphed without q mis-
take, the operators in the tower reading the
code By sight instead OF sound. This had
been going on for five days, and on Thurs
day the system of munication was 50
nearly perfect that the pool rooms were re-
ceiving all the information they wanted.
The man who devised the plan is entitled
to a gold medal. But he and sill his part
mars were taken to the Coney Island lock
mp, where charges of assault were preferred
against them. They preferred counter
charges against the Pinkerton men.