The San Francisco call., 1896-02-11
Gamblers Resort to Sharp Prac.
tices to Get Ingleside
Results.
WERE ALL at SEA YESTERDAY.
Wrong Jockeys Were Posted Up, and
Scratched Horses Had Odds Laid
Against Them.

With every poolroom in the United
States cut off from communication, the
downtown poolrooms continue to do busi-
ness, and the question arises when and
how do they place the commissions they
receive. Should they not be arrested for
violating the Ellert ordnance
The Pacific Coast Jockey Club is prose-
cutting with relentless vigor its war against
the poolrooms, with their contaminating
influences and evils.
In its struggle to purge the California
turf of these parasites that have brought
the noble sport to the verge of ruin in so
many different sections of the country
the new racing association is entitled to
the respect and support of all true lovers
OF racing. A law is in force that pro-
hibits these crime-breeding dens, but,
through cunning evasions, fraud and
deceit, their keepers have managed to
evade it, and justice is allowed to drag.
These joints were first opened under the
name of commission houses" simply a
"blind" to dupe the unwary and unso-
phisticated and relieve them of their dol
lars. Thousands of dollars haze found
their way into the strong-b boxes of
these disreputable dens, and not one
cent of it was ever placed
at the track-the loophole through which
they are allowed to exist This has been
proven and shown up in print since the
warfare waged on them by the Pacific
Coast Jockey Club.
When the new jockey club opened up its
new course at lngIeside it refused to let
the rooms have wire from the track,
such as had been furnished by the
outwitted their crafty Droprietors
had the results rewired from
one of the poolrooms in the interior of the
State. Then the club shut these rooms
off. Nothing dauntea, the sharpers tried
to smuggle information from the track
through the aid of boys, men and even
women. Failure followed in their wake,
and they were temporarily obliged to close
down.
With the reopening of the Bay District
track 1t was again clear sailing for them.
During the interim the criminal element
was drawn upon, and men with criminal
records were promised big rewards by the
which the desired information could
be got from Ingleside. Consequently
when the new track reopened for the meet
ing at present in progress the poolroom
men had their campaign all mapped out.
But hard blow was struck them at the
outset, for cunningly concealed under
ground wire was discovered and DESTROYED.
AS the meeting progressed, however. the
poolrooms were in receipt of the betting
and results, and for time the manage
ment was at loss to discover the method
by which they obtained the news
The officials of the Pacific Coast Jockey
Club held a meeting at the clubs rooms in
the Palace Hotel last evening, and Secre
tary Leake gave out to the press some
OF the methods the desperate gamblers
had resorted to.
On Thursday last man was caught
signaling,i while confederates in a neigh
boring building took down the results by
means of powerful field glass; A portion
OF his code OF signals was the following:
Number one, hat off in right hand num-
Der two, right hand to right ear: number
three, left hand to left ear, and so on to UP
to the mum Der Is, the numbers representing
the dlfferent horses could be signaled by
simple movements of the arms, or touch
ing certain portions of the clothing worn.
On Friday G. ]. Kuerdal, whose residence
IS IN Alameda, and he once served
term In the penitentiary for
forgery, was arrested while signaling
from the grand stand. And his
method was a revelation in the art. a
black leather book, similar to the 'dope'
books kept by many racegoers, carefully
indexed, with large black numb bers pasted
on the leaves, was held in such position
that the confederate, by the aid of a
glass. could easily discern them. Each
jockey riding at the track was given a
number, Tod Sloan, who evidently did not
stand well with the clever inventor, being
given the number ffty-eight. The ODDS
had another part of the book, and by
means of an index could be found
in an instant. Another smaller
book, with similar numbers, was
fully indexed to signal the scratches.
Both books are curiosities in their way
and show genius on the part o. their in
ventor. Kuerdal admitted that Messrs.
Schwartz, Driscoll and Corbett employed
him, and that he received his nav
from Jerry Driscol. A new idea was
hit upon, and Saturday the rooms had the
betting and results rewired from the East.
Yesterday the track management cut off
the Eastern rooms, and the downtown
rooms, taken off guard. were all at sea.
The odds at the track were postad