The San Francisco call., 1896-01-10
Ed Corrigan's Move More Success
ful Than All the Machinery
of the Courts.
DOOM OF THE BUCKET-sHops.
The Ingleside Track Managers Lease
the Only Wire and Thus Prevent
the Results Being Known.

The downtown poolrooms were .open
yesterday, but they did no business. The
action taken by Director Corrigan of the
Pacific Coast Jockey Club has done more
than the police and the courts have during
the past six weeks IN trying to break up
those objectionable institutions.
1t is an earnest fad with Mr.. Corrigan to
prevent betting on foreign" books. He has
always advocated that no man could pos
sibly be given fair chance for his money
if he wagered it at any place but the one
where the race took place. He is not
radical in this idea, but he explains while
a man may get "a square deal" upon
some races, many OF the races are finished
many minutes and the results known
miles away from the track by the 'for-
eign" booksellers before the bets are
placed and these "foreign' booksellers or
hookmakers who already know the result
then accept or refuse money offered them
as wagers, according to whether the bettor
Is placing his money right or wrong.
This Is calculated to injure racing, and
it is the aim of the Pacific Jockey Club
to elevate the sport-make it what 1t
should be, clean and exciting amusement
for the public not a means for irresponsi-
bic agents to fleece the public.
When the Pacific Coast Jockey Club
gave its inaugural meeting about a month
ago, it refused to allow a score or more of
gamblers 10 open books at the track. They
were an undesirable element and were
calculated to bring racing to the level OF
purely gambling Monaco. These men
opened rooms downtown and asked that
they be allowed to have wire from the
track TO their downtown rooms. The
association refused the permission, and
for time the gamblers were in a quandary
as TO how they would get returns to be
announced in their rooms. They found
way. The Western Union had a wire from
the track for ordinary news purposes, to
give Eastern and local newspapers neces-
sary information.
1t was not private wire, hence any,
body at the track was enabled to send anv
message presented. Therefore. while the
association frowned upon private wires
direct to poolrooms, the proprietors OF the
latter institutions could dicker with the
telegraph company to rewire to them from
their downtown office any message sent
from the track.
This was kept quite secret for time,
and 70 throw veil of mystery over the
proceedings, the pool men claimed that
the news of the races was first wired from
the track 20 Stockton. and from there sent
here. OF course, this was untrue
The Jockey Club has had a couple of
weeks 10 think the matter over, and they
hit upon the right method TO do away
with the poolrooms. They simply leased
the only line from the track, and the
Western Union is no longer in position
to accommodate their erstwhile poolroom
customers.
The result OF this new move was ap-
parent yesterday. The poolrooms on Ellis
street and in "Pauper" alley were unable
to do business. They were left in the
dark as to the odds which were being laid
at the track, but they made odds of their
own on all the horses, including those
that were scratched at the track. This
caused confusion. Worse than that. the
winner OF the first race was not known
downtown until after the third race was
run.
To fully understand what hardship
this is to the poolmen, it must be ex-
planned that the men who invest tha
halves and dollars in the downtown
houses have but little wealth, and thev
depend largely on their chance of win
ming in the first investment, so as to place
their capital in subsequent races. Re-
celvlng no returns, then, from the first
race, until the last one is run crippIes
them financially and causes them to wait
penniless and inactive during most of the
day, when they were wont to do business.
To give veneer of legitimacy to their
business the poolmen yesterday stated and
stamped upon the tickets they sold that:
"Commlssions are placed in San Jose"
This is as big a fraud as the former claim
that the money was placed in Stockton.
But they had to make some effort to pro-
tect themselves in the claim that they are
doing a commission business, and that all
moneys placed with them are laid at the
track or in some city where betting on
horseraces is not prohibited.
Jerry Driscoll, the poolseller, was yester-
day convicted by Judge Joachimsen of
violating the pool ordinance, and was SEN
fenced TO pay a fine of $500 or be impris-
oned in the County Jail for $50 days. The
defendants attorney gave notice of ap-
peal and paid into court $500 as bail
money.
A jury had been summoned for 2 o'clock
to try the case of Gilbert Blodes, proprie-
tor OF the poolrooms frequented by women.
but as Blodes signitied his intention OF
waiving jury the yenire was discharged
and the case set for trial tomorrow.