The San Francisco call., 1899-03-08


an absolute prohibition upon book
making and pool selling in this city has
won an almost universal tribute of
praise and commendation from those
1,-bo have the welfare of San Francisco
at heart. The evil of Ingleside had
grown to such appalling proportions
that the citizens of this city dreaded
that reform was impossible. Clergy
men had preached in vain against the
curse of the race course. Police Off
cials had reached that stage where they
were powerIess to do anything more
than record the tragedy of lives
wrecked by the racetrack Merchants
were forced to suspect their most trust
ed employees and to employ detectives
10 shadow men and women that before
had been above suspicion.
The records of the State penitentiaries
were telling new stories of crime con-
caived at the racetrack. The Morgue
found many a suicide led to self de-
str1ction by the allurements of the
bookmakers. Homes were being
wrecked and the private detectives of
the city were reaping a harvest in the
shame of those who had fallen beneath
the seduction of the booksellers. When
there seemed no possibility Of remedy
the Supervisors stepped in and placed
an absolute ban upon the degenerate
snort that has thrived at Ingleside.
The action of the board taken on.
Monday afternoon was the topic yester-
day of general comment Lawyers DIS
cussed the possibility that too drastic
a measure had been adopted and the
gamblers might call into question the
oF
ordinance. Merchants and business
men were unanimous in their opinion
that the first step in reform had been
we'll taken and that the people of the
citv. irrespective of class or occupation,
will give unqualified support to the
Supervisors in their crusade against
the great evil
There is reason to believe that the
prohibitfve ordinance was not alto
pether q. surprise to the gamblers of
the racecourse. Ed Corrigan ana ms
fellows tried their game elsewhere be-
fore they began operations in this city.
They thrived in Chicago until the ruin
they brought in their tracks compelled
the authorities Of that city to expel
them and stop their crime-breeding
nractices. Men and women had been
snort had been sacrificed to their greed.
They had existed as legalized agencies
Of crime and the people Of Chicago re-
belled. The Master Of Hawthorne"
was forced to seek a new field for his
manipulations and he chose San Fran
cisco.
Certain members of the army of gam
blers that followed Corrigan's lead have
been indiscreet enough to boast that
they had paid for municipal protection
against adverse laws. These men knew
as we'll as any one could tell them that
they were debauching an honest sport,
but they claimed that they had pur-
chased immunity from official interfer-
ence. The race course was given over
to the gamblers. and the black record
which The Call has published was the
result for the people of San Francisco.
When the race course gamblers made
their boast that they had given coin
for protection, they also declared that
they had, by agreement, protected
themselves from any interference with
their scheming traffic. While they were
disturbed they were not surprised
at the action taken on Monday by the
Board of Supervisors. Corrlgan and
his fellows have anticipated in this city
the rebellion that was created by their
operations in Chicago
In anticipation of the inevitable
end of their manipulation in this
city, the gamblers of Ingleside have
united with the gamblers of Emery
VILE in scheme for mutual protec-
ton. Very early in the history of the
great evil of Ingleside a compact Of
IL Ia4
gan and the gamblers of the Oakland
track In substance this compact
provided that in the event of acci-
dent to either track the managers of
the other would extend every posi-
BILE privilege and courtesy to their
associates. This simply means that
if the authorities of San Francisco
crushed out the race track evil in this
city the gamblers of Ingleside would
be welcomed with their horses at
Emeryville.
The schemers of the local track are
now boasting of the existence of this
contract. They allege that they have
in the past bought the protection Of
Boards of Supervisors, but they will do
nothing now to prevent the full force
OF the legislation which has received
every commendation except their own
They say that they will go to Emery
willie and concentrate their vicious sport
on the Oakland track. If this threat
is carried out, and from the develop
rments of yesterday it seems less a
threat than an unwelcome alternative
of the gamblers, San Francisco will be
freed from the greatest evil that ever
visited the city.
The members of the Board of Super
visors who voted to abolish bookmak-
ing and pool-selling TOOK their ac-
+ion after full deliberation. They
saw no reasonable way of tenn
porizjng with the evil and decided
10 XIII il. They will stand by their po-
sition next Monday and will complete
the legislation that means the end OF
Ingleside. The Supervisors peleVe ina