New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-14
cp1FFIN'S BAD BLUNDER.
.,,,c A RACE BY ovER-CoNFTDENCE
,rsrs AT MORRIS PARK-sEvERAL REFLEc-
TIoNs on RACING


srno'' ,,h AID is well known that no racing
OF '.,o, in America. in any other part of
,o-,d ever had a list Of officers Board or
l nv and an Executive Committee so eminent
". nsrsonal beauty as the Coney Island Jockey
fo' P.ssssscs They are a most amazing col
W. Of Antinouses. Just glance over them.
.r a. lanes c. X. Lawrence. Colonel Lawrence
D WILLIAM X Vanderbilt. John II. Bradford.
hp Inns Relieves United States Senator-eect
80 80, Peabody Wetmore. John G. Heckscher.
oe '.-a1 Daniel Butterfeld, Herbert C. Peli, James
oondon Bennett John NJ Bowers. James H. heene
". General James w Wadsworth. Every one OF
81. gentlemen IS strikingy. exceptionally and
u' s,yaIv handsome A reflective philosopher
np o,,nost think that the officers and governors
Is Eve Coney Island Jockey Club had been selected
.,asv on the ground OF good looks. If 1t were not
I'll known that the physical corneliness or these
"n-ssentative racing men is only the outward III
A., Of unusual intellectual powers no" Pie"Hi"e
- all are 10 the vision
nso,ge William Curtis. il his novel of Trumps -
.o,,sI nublished before the Civil War. most IN
.,sx,ing original and attractive novel, WHICH py
srs strange alteration Of public caprice never Sc
- the popularity which 1t richly deserved-spoke
,hs fascinating features and the manly form OF
~. hanless hero Abel Newt. This hero of "Irumps
80 ,,olk,ne down broadway one fine Sunday morn
w. ,ban the Lovely devotees Of fashion were on
Nj way 10 the services at Grace Church' ueh
s o,d away the favorite church Of the -Four Hun
49, ~ that day. AS Abel Newt sauntered down
uss.away his eyes were alurlng. his classic
.,r,ss were so Grecian his figure was so symmet-
~ ,ba, Mr. Curtis tells us that many feminine
- fingered caressingly Abel Newt passed BY.
a.. ~ the chief attractions Of Suburban Day at
s,..nshead Bay is the opportunity 10 gaze upon the
49,, Nevis of the Coney Island Jockey Club. They
~ III fair 10 look upon. and they are always pres
-, IN great force when the most popular and cele-
S-,,ss Of American handicaps Is decided
~t,,or that wit EDmDtnOMS
- ~ cleaning Phoebuses and radiant Narcissuses
:. The Coney Island Jockey Club can muster. the
oub hooks are models of taste and beauty and that
Al the arrangements OF the meetings are examples
Of artistic ingenuity?
- roe Iexow Committee should ever turn its de-
,statlng and destructive forces upon the race
tracks. and should peer curiously into all the de-
Ills NJ the deal which Richard Croker is believed
., have made with certain people In regard TO the
c.,ins OF the city poolrooms. there would be
.r.shing and shverings and terrors among certain
,arlne men. II the investigation should ever be
turned in that direction, and the inquiry should be
messed unsparingy and unrelentlessly certain
r.cins men would probably be eager to fee 10
Europe in pursuit OF health as Mr.. Croker was
ina Iexow Committee has proved beyond dispute
a. question that the police force OF this town has
hAsn IN the habit Of extortng backmail from houses
~ Nlfame II is we'll known that the police force
,,acted backnail from the city poorooms while
were open, anu tHdt eiOliIO"7 NV
nue was derived from these rooms. II Peter De
law cared 10 go on the stand and tell all that he
tnovs about police backma OF poorooms. the
mills upon the fretfu Tammany police porcupine
would start In the liveliest possible fashion
xs,Lknown Tammany leader In this town. who COM
uired one Of the most cowardly and dasiardly as
sassinations ever known in New-York, but who
nevertheless. appointed TO an important office
by Mayor Gilroy. could undoubtedly tell a great
asal about Tammany blackmail of poolrooms and
rambling houses If he cared 70 tell the whole truth
Like Mr.. Croker this Tammany assassin has grown
enormously rich In a few years in mysterious ways
Perhaps the Lexow Committee. before 1t completes
.y hbors at the end of this year. may have some
yustons TO ask this assassin as to the sources OF
lis wealth
ws-informed turfmen and wei-informed poll
TRANS believe that when the poolrooms were run
nhg in this city Temmany Hall and the Police De-
payment blackmailed them out Of total OF at least
10000 year. That considerable annual
tribute much priced by Tammany Hall and the Po-
lice Department The managers OF the racetracks
were very anxious 10 get the poolrooms closed. In
order to increase the attendance at the raceracks
II the poolrooms were closed. many of the people
who made bets in the poolrooms would go TO the
racctracks TO make BETS and many of the pool
room-keepers would take stands In the betting rings
Of the racetracks as bookmakers and pay 800 per
day for each stand So the closing OF the poorooms
would greatly enrich the treasures Of the race
tracks
Richard Croker controlled the Democratic Legis
hture OF 1893 No bill TO close the city poorooms
could pass the Legislature without hts consent
Tamnany Hall and the Police Department were
generally believed be blackmailing the city pool
rooms TO so fruitful extent that it thought
MI Croker would hesitate TO cut off so big a rev.
enue from Tammany Hall and the Police Depart
ment Nr. Croker went 10 New-Orleans and spent
some time there In New-Oreans or elsewhere Mr..
d.. l.1,. asc
we're opened also He great light. He con
s ssned 10 the passage Of the bill which closed the
~ hegecting his own interests. He never forgets
pose that y SaD IS anyboay ioG enough 10 os
~ me city poorooms unless some very efiicacious
Arguments were used in his case.
.n ahe Lexow Committee has the power and the
P,cSaSd % inquire into ali these Things IT. .
es before some OF his intimate friends on the turf
g. to Join him?
The men who are advising the New Jockey Club
~ restore one-two-tilree bookmakng. and 70 take
sn, me limitation OF the number OF sprints ami
nmsamhoies are not true friends Of the turf They
may De sincere In their motives and purposes and
~ y ma think they are giving aid and assistance
~. 'a pas; But they have very short memories
Inc republican party Of New-Jcrscy WAS convinced
~ year that racing was carried in that STATE
ns Republicans OF New-Jersey nave suppressed rae
Ss N mat State entirely. The Republicans OF THIS
Ssaie VIII elect Republican Governor and Re
publican Legislature In November. 1886 and don't
80 forget H. II racing in this state Is 10 be
NEON reg on by means OF excessive number of short
spnnts ana snort scrambles and short sclrrfes
ssnieny FOR the promotion Of gambling ana II the
nhsIes and evils and abuses Of One-twO-thr /,
nhsoHmaking are - De restored. the Republicans Of
Wis STATE VIII suppress racing In this State next
'ssi and don't you forget that. either.
Inc breed Of horses f. not 20 be improved and
ue standard OF racing is not be elevated By a
~ ol gambling sprint races anu by One-twO-t three
svokmaking Certain blind leaders OF the blind are
ssee!!hg mat there must be more short races in
suei 70 satisfy owners. Guttenburg and Gloucester
n ~ tIfton tried TO please the owners who sent
S1el horses 10 those tracks b. giving them plenty
" snort races and plenty OF gambling in short
cS Svss Where are Gutenberg and Gloucester and
SxaI.on now? Surely the New Jockey club does not
SIRE 10 promote Carnival OF rascallty." as GER
AN Am british newspapers call English racing on the
sssnencan turf, But any Increase IN the number OF
s nv't races beyond the limit now allowed and the
rrssosatlon of One-twO- three bockmaklng. would
~ an the promotion OF carnival OF rascality" in
-. iong run and nothing else The result would be
carnival Of rascality." although prominent turf
ss sn VINO favor the proposed changes may fail 10
a,ze that truth, and may be entirely unselfsh
~ aislnterested in their suggestions
~ Sompel the owners 10 enter their horses In races
reasonable length by refusing TO give them
ss~smhoing spirits and scrambies. These owners