The Washington times., 1901-11-03
BIG POLITICAL BETS.
WaRers Are Usually Gigantic Bluffs
without Backing.

There has been little real election bet
| ting yet Most of the bets reported in the
| newspapers have been mere offers or
| bluffs" Men who usually risk money on
| the elections are waiting ID hear what
| Edward NJ. Shepard will say on the stump
about Devery. II he follows the line OF
his speech of acceptance, deals only in
| generalities, and refuses to make specific
promises to root out corruption in the po-
lice and other departments. sporting men
assert that the betting will be to or 5
to 2 on Low next week; while if he starts
off in way that promises to attract in
dependent votes TO him, 1t will be even
money.
Well-knoYn betters say that it is impos-
sible to make any calculations until Shep-
ard is heard from. for at present there is
no real basis Of comparison on which to
figure out election. results. They cannot
see that the city viii necessarily go Dem
ocratic. because in the square party fight
of 1895 the Democratic candidate for Gov
ernor carried it by about $500 majority;
nor can they see that the fusion ticket
will carry the city, because the combined
Low and Tracy vote of 1897 was nearly
20,001 more than Van Wyck's vote. They
must know how the independent vote gem
care 10 put up money in any considerable
amount. and they say they will not know
that until Shepard has shown what he in
tends to do.
'Rlun' betting is plentiful. however
Yesterday morning, for instance, Fred
Feigl came into the Democratic Club with
an announcement that he had $4,000 to
bet "n Shepard. A reporter said: Il am
commissioned to put up a few thousands
on Low, but $4,000 is too much VIII you
split UP the amount"
"Ye-e-s," replied the colonel. hesitat-
ingly.
Well. have 5000 20 place on Low
said the other. and If you will come down
to the City Hait 1T o'clock with your
money, we will grree on a stakeholder
The colonel seeIaed to be painfully en-
barrassed, but agreed. Later. when he
was told that it was all Il joke. he was
greatly relieved, and acknowledged that
If the joke had been kept up he would
probably have forgotten the way TO the
city Han.
Another instance occurred in the after
noon at Tammdny Han. Republican
district leader offered to bec 81, 900 on Low,
and one of Tammany's orators agreed to
cover it. Both produced rolls of money
whether 81 or 800 bills could not he seen
as the rolls We're carefully concealed in
their hands-and began to argue about 4
stakeholder. OF course they could not
agree on one. They had not intended 10
agree. Each cried "BlgH!" and the in
cident closed.
A favorite method of bluff betting is
as follows: Two men agree before crowd
To meet at n hotel at a certain hour and
put up money on their candidates. One is
on hand Oh time. and after looking around
neryously hastens aWSy, declaring that |
the other man has backed Gown. The |
other man. who has been on the lookout |
all the time, then ruShes in. wiz the an |
some way, and shouts. Where is that |
fellow Not here, of course. ! knew he !
was blufiing.' Then he hurries away.
This game was played with great sue |
cess on the night of the gubcrnatOrial |
election of 1898. At p. IN. one Of the Re
publlcan headquarters managers entered |
the Fifth Avenue Hotel barroom and |
shouted to the crowd: where is McCar-
ren tthe Democratic manager? l was
told he was here. | have 10000 to put up
on Roosevelt even Nobody wants 1t?
Wen, $4,000 at 10 to 3. All silent? Then |
5000 at 10 10 I. No Van Wyck money in
sight? Good-by.
Two minutes after he departed, and
while the crowd was still applauding Sen
the watch, rushed into the barroom, ran
TO the middle of the floor, bnd waving his
hand cried nervousy: Here's $4,000 on
an Wyck-even money. NO?-10 to 9
no 10 to no? 10 to 6-no? Then To
and rushed away, his whole speech
occupying about ten seconds. Later the
htpuDlicdn headquarters man started out |
10 look for McCarren and McCarren
started In another direction to look for
Ing Post.