The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-11-24
THE TIMES: RICHMOND Va SUNDAY, NOVEMBER "a 1901
HIGIY MORAL SMIRCH ON VIRGINIA
ISAT LAST A THING OF THE PAST


back sadder. but wiser, and often imam
cially ruined young men.
This tremendously wicked little apology
of a. settlement at the south-end OF the
Long Bridge, historical in location and
closely associated with the heroic deeds
of men who fought like gods. but regis
tered in the Recording Angels book as a
sInirch OF immortality. grew from q. few
rudely-constructed shanties to village
Of half hundred fairly large. substan-
tially-hult frame houses. with all thirst
facilities and the necessary secret en-
frances and exits. From a flag station
it acquired the dignity and importance OF
a regular stop" on the route to moral
destruction
THE EQUIPMENT.
The permanent population Of the place
Increased from less than d dozen men to
at least a hundred souls, including both
genders.
The gaming dens were pretty COM
Portable. especially when the investors
were winning, and a. few rounds or
high-balls. cocktails and gin-fzzes, bra ced
UP by excitement over the turn of cards
and the roll of a wheel. dimmed the
crude effects of the furnishings. There
were quarters for private parties, as well
as for the general push Exclusive
gamblers were nicely accommodated In
proportion to tho amount Of long
green they could produce.
1t was about eight years ago that q;
firm known as the Jeneses purchased a
piece of property alongside and estab-
lishet1 a race-track. While the track,
the grandstanti and other accessories
were arranged fairly well. the racing
events were vicious. Indeed, the place
acquired a broad reputation for the num-
Der of cheap horses entered. Very few
animals with records worth considering
40, I,,, no two, oil
THE VICIOUS RACING.
Jackson City. thus reinforced by the
racing fraternity and all the forms OF
gambling known on this side, became
paradise for sports of all classes. Spe-
cfaI trains had to be run TO accommodate
the crowds from Washington. and the
array of gay colo7s and loud clothes hud-
died into the grand-Stand left no question:
that sporting blood was there IN great
quantities Pool-roons sprung up like
mushrooms. Returns from other cities
were chalked UP on blackboar6s, being
received by wires Topped in direct from
the tracks. Money changed hands
swiftly. and any number OF small sal
aired youngsters and department. clerks
in Washington lost their jobs. The rae
ing continued all winter. Bad weather
never stopped the fun. Even snow had
only the effect Of diminishing the at
enthusiasts, with their last available doll
lar. could be seen trembling, with excite
ment and shivering from the raw blasts
sweeping over the Potomac as the horses
were cruelty forced around the track,
sometimes in snow.
UGLY FORMS OF CRUELTY.
It was rot infrequent that horses with
their hair clipped to prevent showing the
1.erspiration We're put around the track
of md o.
their feet and legs into Z. bleeding mass
and producing the keeneSt pain to the
poor brutes. But the spectators seemed
TO care not for that. Their blood was up,
the spirit of gaming and the fire of bru-
tally were as prevalent as any seen at
a bull-liSht in Madrid. On went the
races up went the announcements Of the
results and some faces glowed with a
consciousness OF having won. while
others dropped in detection and SUNK
back to Washington to brood over their
losses
There is not always honor among
thieves. This was true in the cases Of
more than one of the pool-roon proprie-
tors. In one instance that leaked out, a
shrewd game was worked for a while by
which one pool-room robbed another.
TAPPING THE WIRES.
This was done by means of tapping
the wires.
Two men, experienced in the electrf-
cians art. traced the wires leading to one
of the Inol-rooms from one of the big
race tracks. They got into a boat and
went out to a. point on the Long Bridge a
which the wire touched. Telegraph in
struments We're fixed. and the wire was
cut and so placed that the returns from
the track could be received by the man
in the boat, transmitted to his pool-room
several minutes ahead of the message to
the original place. In this way the men
getting the tips first would rush into the
other pool-roonl and make bets on "surc
things" always carrying of the stuff
fore it was discovered when the tap
pers' were sent to prison.
There were brawls and fights and rob
berries reported almost nightly. and so
Infamous became the place that finally
the Legislature Of Virginia. took an in
terest in it and broke 1t up by passing
the Alanpin anti-gambling law.
A LITTLE MONTE CARLO.
When the race-track was abandoned
a greater part of the crowd was kept
away from Jackson City and the village
settled down into little Monte Carlo,
without the spectacular features Of the
race-tracl1.
About five years ago a conflagration
swept away the village and left only a
few OF the dens as remnants of a gamb
ling resort hardly secondi to any in the
United States.
Since then the place has been ION the
bum and now there are hardly a do
zen houses, some of them bar-rooms.