Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-15
CON NUOUS RACING
Mr.. Birney Thinks 1t Would Result From
Proposed Bills.
He Thinks Race Meetings With Gam
stricted-Race Cases Not Dropped.

Being asked today by a Star reporter
for his opinion respecting the two bills re-
ported, respectively, to the Senate and
House of Representatives permitting book
making and pool selling on the District
race tracks during certain months and half
a mile and three-fourths Of a mile, re-
spectively, beyond the city limits. District
Attorney Birney stated that he thought
the passage of either bill would be a very
unwise act on the part of Congress.
Both bills. explained Mr.. Birney, sought
to amend or annul, as he was informed,
the act of 1888 prohibiting the setting up
or keeping of a gaming table or other gam
bling device. in such a manner as to make
lawful the practice of bOokmaking and
pool selling on horse races between the LIST
Of March and the 18th Of December; the
House bill allowing any regularly incOr-
porated racing club or association TO con-
duct a spring and fall meeting Of fifteen
days each, three-fourths of a mile beyond
the city limits, while the Senate bill lin
tied the semi-2nnual meetings to eighteen
days each, and reduced the distance to
half a mile beyond the city limits Hence,
said the district attorney, If either bill
should become a law, the result would be-
il seemed to him, that continuous racing
here would become a certain fact; and the
only thing that would be prohibited would
be racing between the 18th of December
and the LIST of March.
THAT is" remarked Mr.. Birney, ''if
either bill becomes law there will then
be nothing to prevent racing in the Dis
trict every day between the LIST of March
and the 10Th OF December. do not, Of
course, say that such thing is the object
in seeking the passage Of either of the
bills, but il certainly must be clearly ap-
parent to every one that should either bill
become & law there would then be nothing
TO prevent such number Of racing asso-
Citations from springing into existence as
would. one after another, occupy the local
race tracks every day during the racing
season. For instance, suppose the WASH
in gton Jockey Club ran their spring meet
ing from the LIST Of March to, say, the 18th
of that month. what would there be to
prevent John Smith. Tom Jones and Bill
Brown from forming a racing association
and resumng the following day for eight
cen or fifteen days. as the law might pre-
scribe, they to be followed throughout the
season by successive racing associations?
Why. there would be absolutely nothing TO
prohibit such a thing. OF course, l do not
mean for a moment to say that Congress
in passing either of the bills would intend
to make possible such a deplorahle thing
as a season of continuous racing here be
tween the dates named, but | believe such
a thing would in all probability come TO
pass in the event Of either bill becoming
a law. That is, in their present shape"
His Amendments.
what amendment of the bills would YOU
suggest?' inquired the reporter.
well. in the first place" replied the dis
trict attorney, Il cannot say that 1 am i'm
favor of a resumption of gambling on rae
ing here. But, if Congress and the Presi-
dent should deem il advisable. / would first
amend the bills as to reduce the length
of the racing season. / believe that the
lst of March is much too early to begin
ra cling, and that il should cease considerably
earlier than the 18th Of December. Then.
l would SO amend the reported bills as 10
require the spring meetings to be run dur
ing a period of sixty days, and the fan
meetings during a like period That is. ]
think the racing should be restricted to
the months of April and May. ana October
and November. and that no one associa ton
should conduct a spring meeting Of more
than eighteen days, nor a fail meeting of
a greater period"
Not Dropped.
District Attorney Birney denied the pub
lshed statement that the case against
Bookmaker Marin and his three clerks
and against President Geo II. Engeman. in
dicted for violating the gaming act of lSS3
by conducting and permitting bookmaking
respectively. at the Ivy City track ,n De
cember last, had or would be dropped The
cases had been set, said Mr.. Eirney for
Monday last, and had been postponed only
at the request Of the defendants counsel
who had urged prior professional engage
ment. As soon, however. as counsel for the
indicted parties Were disengaged. the cases
would be called for trial. and Mr. Rirnev
stated that they would then be vigorously
prosecuted