The San Francisco call., 1896-03-15
But Bets Aggregating Thousands
Of Dollars Are Promptly
Paid.
THE WRONG RESULT Is WIRED
Success of Daring Plan That Started
at the New Orleans Race.
Track.

CHICAGO, ILL.,, March 14.-One of the
most extensive and successful swindles in
the history of racing in the United States
was perpetrated on the poolroom keepers
of the country to-day. The conspirators
had agents in every city where gambling
on racing is carried on, and money was
placed with a freedom which indicates
that the schemers were backed with all
the capital necessary to make the fraud
gigantic success.
That their plans were carefully laid is
evinced by the fact that money was dis
tributed by telegraph from New Orleans
and Chicago twenty-tour hours in advance.
The last race at New Orleans was selected
as the medium for the fraud. When the
race was finished the news was flashed
from the track all over the country that
Royal Nettie won.
Soon after the bets had been paid, the
suspicious of the bookmakers were
aroused, but it was more than an hour
after the race had been won that they
learned that Plug had come in first. In
Chicago Royal Nettie was played heavily
in every poolroom in town, and it is be-
lieyed that the agents of the conspirators
secured from $15, 200 TO SIS, 900.
Owing TO the reticence of the poolroom
managers, who refuse to talk on the SUBJ
ject, it is impossible to give the exact loss.
One room was hit to the extent of $4,000
and another lost $4,000.
To all appearances here the race was run
legitimately, and it was not until some
minutes after the official result was re-
ceived and the poolrooms had paid their
bets that flash message was received by
them stating that something was wrong
and ordering delay in the payment of
bets that anything wrong was suspected.
1t is said that $4,000 was sent to Louisville
from here last night to play on the race
and $1,000 was telegraphed here from New
Orleans to be played.
The first odds from New Orleans quoted
ROYAL Nettie at II to and she was nibbled
at by the pikers. When the second bet
ting came in, giving Nettie at s to l, show
ing that she was being played at the track,
the agents of the swindlers began putting
Rheir money on and kept it up until the
horses were off. One of the large rooms
norV .4.>>.--ya-eaIoy Coulu 5Ovy
but had to cut the odds to to 1 at the
post. The conspirators are not known
here, and it is not believed that the rooms
will recover cent of the money paid.
NEW ORLEANS, LA, March 14.-There
was a fine piece of work done at the race
track here to-day, by which every pool
room in the country was hard hit. The
sixth and last race of the day was won by
Plug, but the official result was changed
by the telegraph operator at the racetrack
to read that Royal Nettie had come under
the wire first. She was teD-to-one shot,
This Il al: foI ei 0F -
suit by the operator was, no doubt, the
consummation of a carefully laid plan by
himself and confederates at various points
1t is stated by telegraph experts that the
wire could not be tapped, as the wire to
the racetrack is what is known as a duplex
wire and an intermediate set of instru-
ments could not be put in without attract
ing instant attention.
The Western Union officials are very
reticent about the matter and will not
make a statement, but the foregoing is
gathered from an absolutely reliable
source.
LOUISVILLE, KY, March 14.-All the
poolrooms were hard hit to-day in the last
race at New Orleans through shrewd
system of wire tapping. Royal Nettie was
heavily played in all three rooms, and
when the mare was announced as winner
the bets were promptly paid. The amount
of money lost cannot be learned, but it is
said that the horse was very heavily
played in every poolroom, being backed
down in one room. The poolroom men
did not learn that they were duped until
tonight, when they learned that Plug had
won the race.
The poolroom men are howiing, but the
loudest howlers are the ones who had
tickets on Plug and tore them up after the
result was announced.
CINCINNATI, OHIO, March 14.-There
are no poolrooms in Covington known to
the law, but several institutions of that
character doing regular business under
cover were hit to some extent by the Royal
Nettie telegram to-day. This information
is CLEANED from outside sources not con-
nected with the management. How far
local bookmakers were hurt cannot be
learned, but it is believed they lost but