St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-02-21
sHAW'S BIG SCHEME.
His Chicago Commission Business
About to Blossom

His Chicago Commission Business
About to Blossom.
CHICAGO, Feb. 2O.-Frank N. Shaw's
big pOol-solling scheme, or, as it will be
called, commission business" is about
to blossom. Mr.. Shaw, who is secretary
of the Twin City Jockey club and is
known as high roller in every betting
ring in the country. particularly in the
West, has been Matching it ever since
the close of the racing season in Chica-
20. Knowing that the authorities
here would not tolerate out-and-
out bookmaking except at race
track, no matter how it was
disguised, he set about devising a plan
whereby he might take advantage of the
big play that for want of more con-
genial channel had been drifting to the
that the few hand books. being operated
on the quiet, could handle.
The nature of Mr.. Shaw's business in
Chicago was on his recent visit an open
secret, but pending the completion of
his plans, which are quite elaborate, he
has seen fit to say nothing for publica-
ton. Even now Ire is reticent on that
score, and it is not from him that the
facts have been obtained.
1t is claimed for Mr.. Shaw's scheme
that although it will be an evasion of
the spirit of the statute it will not, ac-
cording to supposedly sound legal adj
vice and commercial usage, be viola
ton of the law. 1t will entail, before 1t
can 20 into operation, the expenditure
of an amount of money well up in the
hundreds of thousands. but that is no
object in the face of the glowing posi-
bilities, provided the authorities can be
compelled to keep then. hands off.
Private wires, leased from the Postal
or Western Union, or both, will connect
Mr.. Shaw's "brOkerage" office with the
tracks where the horses happen to be
running, and business will be trans
acted through agents on the ground.
The deals will partake as much as prac-
ticable of the feature of stock Specula-
ton. Mr.. Shaw may, for instance, pay
for the privilege of making book at
Morris Park and conduct his operations
from this end. just as the Chicago stock
broker is member of the New York
necessary, however, as any bOokmaker
operating in the ring at the track would
willingly take all the business sent in
by the Chicago office.
The actual passage of money before
the race between the customer and the
quasi broker would not be necessary. If
the customer was not known to the
broker he might put up sufficient secur-
ity before he commenced to play to
margin up his deal in case the market
went the other way or the horse on
which he happened to take f1ier came
in behind couple of others. Of course
it would be necessary to post the odds
upon the blackboard, as is the custom in
old-fashioned pool rooms, but the rest
of the business could be conducted just
the same as stock brokerage for
that matter the figures on the wall are
an indispensable concomitant of stock
brokerage.
Among others associated with Frank
Shaw i'll the scheme is member of the
st. Louis house of delegates named
James Ii. Townsend. Mr.. Townsend is
a man of means, but he owes his con-
nection with Mr.. Shaw in this deal to
his practical knowledge of telegraphy.
He is. or at least was a few days ago,
president of the Mound City Coupe and
Livery company, and was formerly
manager of the Baltimore & Ohio Tele-
graph cOmpany's st. Louis Office, hold
ing that position until the Baltimore &
Ohio consolidated with the Western
Union. Mr.. Townsend passed the early
half of the present week in this city in
close consultation with Mr.. Shaw, and
after he returned home it was given out
quietly that the scheme was Ego, I"
and that it would be in full swing as
soon as the legitimate racing season
set In. s@4 kiii'