The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-11

morse races, anu ICSbllCtCo pOOI-SG1llfg 10
the racetrack proper, where, under the
right, kind of supervision, responsible
bookmakers only were allowed to crafty
the desires of racetrack patrons. Within
the last few months, however, when turf
matters became more lively through the
elevating hands of the biggest and best
/stable-owners in the country, all the riff
raft of the State men who were barred out
of running crap games. faro banks and
kindred unlawful pursuits, stepped into
the field of speculation. The Pacific Coast
Jockey Club would not permit them to
establish books at the Ingleside track, so
they opened their shops downtown, calling
themselves s'commission brokers'
They claim that as such they may ply
their trade, declaring that they do not
take wagers, but accept the money from
the public and place it as desired in the
regular books at the racetrack, withhold
ing their commission.
This paltry excuse seems to have pro-
tected these vampires on the public up to
date, and their doings have been such that
women and children have been deOauched
into all manner of wrongdoing to get
money to throw into the laps of these
beings.
This is no exaggeration. One needs but
to take trip into the building at 906 Mar
ket street, where most of the poolrooms-
some of the worst, by the way-are open
from early morning until night. Right
around the corner. at IL Ellis street, where
the "Crescendo Club" holds its sway, a
man named Baumann is the leading light.
With less conjunction than his Market
street neighbors, who will not accept the
money of lads under Is years of age, Bau-
mann takes the wagers of anybody.
Some days ago when HE CALL pub.
lished the fact, the "Crescendo Club"
stopped the women from coming around
the place. But these misguided creatures
hang around and loiter in the back rooms
of neighboring saloons, where a perfect
string of messenger boys, in uniform, too,
run in and out keeping them posted on
the odds, aud taking their coin to place it
with booksellers.
There were a half dozen lads in messen-
ger uniforms there yesterday betting
their own money as well as that of
the women. These boys, imbued with i'm
portance by virtue of their ability to 60 in
and wager their money like big men, had
coterie of little fellow admirers around them
and they were all talking "horsey" stuff
with liberal aspersion OF profanity.
At 9O6 Market street the narrow hall
ways and rooms were crowded all day to
suffocation. All classes of people were
represented, but everywhere could be seen
smocth-faced boys, red-eyed and dissi-
pated, exchanging their few dollars Tor the
pool-tlckets of the sharpers.
In this house is the shop of Lawrence 81
Skiliman. Yesterday morning these peo-
pie refused to pay their players money
that had been placed with them the day
before on race which did not take place,
or at least was declared off. Pistols were
drawn and bloodshed was averted only by
the speedy arrival OF some police officers,
who cleared the place. No arrests were
made, however, and IN little while bust
ness was resumed as usual.
Lawrence, one OF the proprletors OF this
place, is a man who conducted faro
bank in this City for years until those
places were closed some time ago.
Next door are the rooms of Ayers & Co.,
OF Fleming & Co., of Messenger e. Co. and
of Jackman d Co. All these places are
overcrowded deadfalIs, run in open viola
ton of the law. They claim that thew
make up the odds offered at the race
track.
This is true in the daytime, but at night
thew make their own odds and sell pools,
hence they cannot claim they receive
money to be placed at the track, as they
cannot possibly surmise what those odds
will be the next day. Again, they accept
money from the public UP to the time the
horses at the track are at the post and
ready to start. They have no possible
means OF communication with the book
they receive, and the bookmakers over
there hold themselves in no way RESPONSE
bic for the wagers made downtown.
The claim that commission business is
done is palpably false. The class of people
who attend those places is the worst IN the
community, ana the men who run the
games represent ali element which has