The herald., 1898-11-18
CROkfR'S BIG BETS
TAMMANY BOSS LOST $3.50, 900
ON THE ELECTION
A Victory for Van Wyck Would Have
Melted Him $175, ,0O0-He
HASN'T "Welched"
TAMMANY LOSERS

JOIN SdIEOil. co3oo"
Maurice Untermeyer. er..,............ 20,00o
l.. IL. McCarren. .........,.,........ lo,0uo
| Rank and file. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 500,0O0
| Richard Croker, says the New York
| World, lost in the neighborhood of $3.50, 900
on the result of the election. He will not ad-
nit this, but there is no questioning the
amount. 1t is the estimate of men who are
in Croker's closest confidence.
| Croker will not talk now either of the
election or Of his personal losses. When
questioned on either subject the other day
his invariable response was:
81 have said enough. The election is over
Roosevelt wins and / have nothing more to
| say Any man that quotes me as saying
anything is fakir. l have no regrets or
| any comments to make on the result"
When questioned specifically as to the
amount of money he had lost by the de-
feat of Justice Van Wyck Croker's evasive
reply was;
"Bring me the man who can prove that
| / have bet a single dollar on the election.
1t is impossible to prove it,"
CROKER IN THE BACKGROUND
In the election betting Croker did not
| figure personally. Aa all times he was in
the background. His fgurehead was the
professional bookmaker, "Joe" Vendig
sometimes known as Circular joe" He is
one of the best known figures on the race
| track. He can handle money with the facili-
ty of bank cashier He can figure per-
centages of loss and gain with the rapidity
of an expert accountant.
Vendig handled little more than $780,
600 for Croker. He was nearly month in
placing it all. Much of it was put down
where it would have the most spectacular
effect-in places like the Fifth Avenue hotel
and the Hoffman house. 1t is Nendig's spec
ialty to circulate in such places. He placed
$4,000 in these public resorts. His other
$50, 900 commission from Croker was handled
in Wall street or on the race track. The
total of 100000 was bet at varying prices,
much of it at odds on, so that, had Roose-
welt been beaten, Croiers 100000 placed
through Vendig would have won him about
|$ll5000.
Croker's other betting commission
amounted to about 1000, and was placed
almost entirely in Wall street through Bell
& Co. His winning on this account would
have been about 100000, so that the sum
total of his bets would have netted him
sl75, ,OO0-$ll5,O0O from Vendig and 10000
in Wall street.
Van Wyck was beaten and Croker lost the
$780, 900 which he put up.
NOT A WELCHER
1t has not been paid out yet, for the stake
holders are withholding the money put up
until there is no possibility of mistake
in the returns. Croker himself is satisfied
there is no hope, and last night he smiled
sardonically when a man came to him with
this proposition:
at is said that you have WEIGHED on your
bets. Congressman Odell, chairman of the
Republican state committee, is quoted as
having threatened to cable to your London
sporting friends that you have refused to
pay the bets you have lost-that You will
not concede Roosevelt's election until after
the soldier vote is counted"
Croker's response was as before:
There is no manScan prove have made
a bet.'
Next to Croker, the worst loser on the
election in Tammany hall is John +. Car
roll, who took charge of the executive work
ings of the organization few weeks ago,
after resigning his lucrative cerkship in the