The evening times., 1896-03-11
WILL TEST THE NEW IlV
ST. Asaph Officials Say They
Will Start in a Short While.
HILL AND JoNEsEs COMBINE
Validity of the Maupin Act to BE
COnteste ed and Taken TO the Highest
Court and i'm the Meantime Secure
an Injunction and Carry on Racing.
Many Flaws in the Measure.

The Old Dominion and Virginia Jockey
clubs have Joined issues, and have decided
TO fight the Maupin bill to the bitter end.
II is the intention OF j. NJ. Hill and the Jones
family to open the st. Asaph race track
within the next month, and not only race,
but have book betting at the track on ex-
Virginia.
When the Maupin bill. which prohibits
| open betting in the State, came up before the
| legislature, there was CONSIDERABLE surprise
expressed that the St..Asaph and AIexan-
der island people allowed the measure to
pass the legislature without opposing it in
| any way.
WILL ATTACK THE NEW LAW.
The apparent inactiOn on the part OF Hill
and his conferes it is now easy to explain.
| They propose to attack the constitution
aiity of the Maupin bill. As soon as the
bill became law Hin and the Alexander
management decided 10 cooperate and en-
deiVor to find some flaw in the bill The
counsel for the two clubs went over the
mea sure carefully, and after mature deIib-
GRAFTON gave their opinion that the bill was
not dra wn up on IA sound basis, and could
he easily overcome.
They also gave an opinion setting forth
that the system OF betting at present In
vogue in Virginia was not prohibited ard
that not hing stood in the way of the tracks
reopsning and racing being carried on ex
actly the same as before. One of the weak
points in the Maupin hill is hat one-quarter
Of the fine OF $500 which the bill has fixed
rs a penalty to auy offenders against the
law shall go to the infCrmer.
This, i, is claimed, is enough to make the
bill q dead letter. as they claim it is against
the constitution OF the State OF Virginia to
offer any remuneration for information of
that sort. Ifthere is any interference on the
part OF the State authorities, the race track
people, who have merged together, will OBJ
tain AN Injunction. and fight the case clean
through To the highest courts, if necessary.
This will take at least year.
HAVE DECIDED TO GO AHEAD.
j. NJ. Hill, John c. Carr of Gutenberg
fame and Doc Kirk. who are the control
ling spirits in the Virginia Jockey Club, held
long conference in New York city yester-
day afternoon. and at Its conclusion. it is
said, they decided TO go ahead and race.
The expenses of the legal warfare VIII be
shared equally by the stockholders In the
Virginia aud O!d Dominion Jockey Clubs.
They have little, if any, cause to fear
the county officials OF Alexandria, as all
the officials were elected mainly through
the influence of Hill and his associates, and
they are practically under his thumb.
AT the time the Maupin bill was passed |
it was thought 10y its advocates and those |
who voted for the measure, that it pre-
vented pool selling throughout the State, |
but, Judging by the confident manner of |
the racing people, the law will have little |
If any effect on betting on the tracks which |
lie within Il few miles of the nations cap |
ital. and pool selling will continue as be
fore. with few restrictions.
1t Is hardly probable that foreign book |
VIII be run. at least. until the present effort |
TO override the Maupin measure has been
tried and it is seen what action the State
Will take on this proposed effort
To run meeting on the Old lines.