The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-09
LUCKY BALDWIN STORY
HOW THE GREAT HORSEMAN WAS
TOUCHED" BY A CLEVER RUsE.
Backed Strangers Opinion of His
knowing 1t Was n Joke.
Washington Post.

Lucky Baldwin. two and a half millions
of whose Mdas-made gold went up in the
flames of the gaudy, garish Baldwin Hotel
in San Francisco. used to race a pretty
good string of thoroughbreds on the Chi
cago tracks, said a correspondent from the
city by the unsalted sea the other day
after the confiagration. "He didn't have
any use for the New York tracks. He swore
that the New York handicappers top
weighted his horses out of pure deviltry
just because they thought that he, Lucky
didn't want the purses or stakes but that
he was in the racing business for hygienic
reasons; and he finally declined to race any
of his high-class runners on the Eastern
tracks.
Lucky was a good deal of a character
around Chicago during the racing season.
While he was close-fisted to the point of
parsimony in a good many respects, in
others he was an aged Jubilee Juggins in
improvidence, and as reckless in throwing
away money as any Coal Oil Johnnie He
had a failing for burning up money on his
horses. No matter in what company they
were entered, nor how far they were out
classed at weights and distance, Lucky
would bet on em to win, anyhow He had
good ones in his stable but, then, there
were other good stables. too. and Lucky's
horses couldn't always slip into soft spots
But Lucky figured it that each and every
one of his nags was a word-beater, and
he'd bet them whether the price was
to 100 on or 100 to l against.
AT that Lucky Baldwin was always a
pretty smooth old proposition, and if there
was any particular in which he was
more noted in Chicago than in others, it
was what / might call his absolute I'M
touchableneSS. Lucky had a reputation as
1t man who positively would not surrender
to a touch, no matter how scientifically the
same was engineered that was the heart
break of the brigade of well-dressed touch
ers who inhabited the hotels of Chicago
during the racing seasons. The racing re-
porter OF my paper was telling us one night
about Lucky adamantine countenance
when he was listening to the carefully-re-
! hearsed tales of touchers when one of his
hsteners-a new reporter on the paper, a
man from the coast--chimed in.
" w hat you say about Baldwin being the
hardest OF living propositions when it comes
to touch is quite true said he. He's
got the same reputation on the coast. Now
L don't know Luck Baldwin personally.
never happened to run across him when
was in San Francisco for when / was out
there he was spending most of his time
mere in the East with his string of run
ners. But I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll
Hbet you 500 to S20 that, tomorrow afternoon
at the race track, III successfully, touch
equivalent that shall be worth only 81 in re-
turn: Am I on?'
reporter. That's like getting So in a letter
for me. You're good thing. But you don [
know what you're going to stack up
| against.
An right said the new reporter, I'll
go out to the track with you, and you can
| see me make the touch
The next afternoon the racing reporter
and the new man went out to the track to-
gether The new man was got up in pref
" hefty style-long, tan coat, top hat, pat
| n ICn naV tor fotA rrln afn
ing tOgs from top to bottom. On the third
finger of his left hand he wore a ring-a big
| sparkler in middle and Il bluestone on either
side of it. 1t was phony goods the ring.
" Where did you get that bum ring
! asked the racing reporter of the man with
whom he had bet
The man who was going to successfully
touch Lucky Baldwin smiled
" Bought it on Clark street this morn
! ing for 70 cents he said.
when the two men reached the track
the racing reporter went into the press box
to attend to his work, and the man who was
going to dig 5000 out of Lucky Baldwin made
for the betting ring Two races were run
off before the racing reporter saw his col
league on the paper again Then the latter
turned up in the press box and piucked the
racing reporter by the arm.
Come on down into the betting rirg,'
said he and lose that $25.'
THE racing reporter followed the r
man. Now, in the race that was about o
be run off one of Baldwin's horses was en-
tered The bookmakers didn't figure that that
TO win, and so they laid 20 to ] against the
nag. The man who was going to touch
Lucky dragged the racing. reporter over
within seeing distance of Baldwin, who
stood chewing an unlighted cigar on an out
side circle of bettors.
Here goes said the new reporter and
he rushed over to where Mr. Baldwin stood.
9 Sir said he. stopping directly in front
of the Western Croesus L don't know who
not but / know that l am not. I've just
lost 81 600 betting on the favOrite in the last
race and that tapped me for to-day; L
haven't time to get back to my bank before
the next race. and | have a chance TO win
my money back and a good deal more by
| playing Mr.. Baldwin's horse in this race to
win. Luckys horse simply can't lose this
race, and he's 20 to l in the betting. This
ring pulling the same from his finger hur-
riedly is worth $500, and 1t IS a good deal
more valuable to me on account OF ITS as
sOciations Let me have $40 on II until after
this race. i want to put the money on Bald
wins horse and Baldwin's horse can't lose.
In the remote possibility that Baldwin 5
horse does lose the race, III redeem the ring
tonight upon my return to the city
THAT was a star play. The reporter from
San Francisco knew Lucky's weakness
when it came to his horses Moreover, his
makeup was great and he had a very per-
suasive con manner lucky slzed MN up
carefully chewing on his f1reless cigar.
g DO you think Badwin's got such a cinch
with his horse?' Lucky asked after MN
ute'S pause. - .
. 'Baidwin's horse will walk in said the
newspaper man. -,
Lucky reached into MS trousers pOChet'
dug out a big wad of hundreds, peeled TWO
of them off and handed them TO the news
paper man. taking the ring in return with
out more than glancing al the bit OF jewel
~. The newspaper man thanked him pro-
fuseIv and returned in triumph to the rae
ing reporter who saw the whole thing. IRE
racing reporter with WoeDegone couhle-
nance handed out the $25 he had lost.
.Baldwfn walked over to the bookies as
soon as he had delivered up me w IN ex-
change for the phony ring and In nVe MIN
utes he had spread enough money around on
his horse TO win the race to knock the
nrice down to . to 1. A lot of big bettors
noted this and suspecting that there was
10 he something doing on BaldWins horse
plunged on the nag themselves, and the
horse went to the post second choice in the
race PaIdwin's horse won the race gallop-
ing by six lengths, and Lucky cleaned up
81. 000.
directly after the race the two newspaper
men hunted UP Lucky In order to return
the 5000 and make an explanation. The news
paper man who had made the touch told
the story to Lucky, and the latter grinned
good-humOredly.
newspaper man. handing over the mills.
I'll take back the bum ring.
baldwin handed him back the ring, grim
ming.
You can keep the two hundred he said.
Your hot cinchy talk about my horse gave
me nerve to bet enough on him TO win a
dozen thousand. and YOU can call the 500
your rake off. if you like. But I'll say this
for you You're good.
BERNHARDT on VESUVITS.
Globe TrOtter Hears of Her Foot
in