The Indianapolis journal., 1903-10-29

attorney, Elmer Anderson, he made the fol-
lowing statement: while this place Is
known as a poolroom. and while everybody
knows that people come here every day to
bet money on the races at New York, Chi
cago, St. Louis and Latonia, or wherever
the ponies are running, for that matter.
nevertheless / am telling the exact truth
when / say that We do not take or register
bet. Every cent Of money that passes
over the counter to me or to any of my en-
ployes is taken in the same manner that the
Western Union takes money; IL is trans
mitted at a given rate. We do not make a
cent out of the business that is done in this
room every day other than to collect tolls
for sending money or such other messages
that we are asked to send every day.
The fact that We have room of our
own, a poolroom, as it is called, does not
bear on the case at all. 1t Is simply mat
ter of convenience. If we wanted to take
the trouble we could walk over to the
Western Union Office every day and send
money messages over the Western Union
wires for our patrons.
BETS SENT TO COvINGToN.
This office of the National District Tele-
graph Company Is employed by John A.
Payne. who operates poolroom in Coving-
ton, KY, to send him such wagers as In
dianapolis people want to make on the
races. We have been in Mr.. Paynes en-
ploy for several years. as well as in the en-
ploy of firms in Louisville, Nashville. Tenn.
Columbus. o.. and elsewhere. We have
wires in our room here which run directly
to Paynes place of business. Every bet
offered us is sent over the Wire to Payne to
be taken or refused as he may desire. If
more money is offered TO Payne through us
than he wishes to handle, he notifies us and
the wagers are refused. Frequently he has
refused to accept propositions and We have
notified customers to that effect.
This Office of the National District Tele-
graph Company will send messages for
anybody. at any time, TO any place in the
world. We will send a message to Broad
Ripple or a cablegram to st. Petersburg,
Russia. We are telegraph company at
the disposal OF our customers. Our plan
of doing business in this city is to provide
every day the entries of horses at the prin-
cipal tracks in the country and TO post the
odds on these races as they are laid by the
bookmakers doing business at the tracks.
They are there for the use of the customers
of the National District Telegraph Com
pany. If anybody wishes to make bet on
the American Derby or the Suburban or a
co lmon selling race, our information is at
his disposal The customer could walk over
TO the Western Union Office or to the Postal
office and send his bet 70 any poolroom in
the country IL he desired. That is nothing
to Us. If the customer wishes TO use our
wires for the purpose that is his affair.
We are ready to accommodate him, provid-
ing Payne or any one else TO whom money
is sent is is willing to accept the BETS"
OFFICES OF THE COMPANY.
F. ]. Douglass. assistant manager OF the
room, said: THE National District Tele-
graph Company was Incorporated under the
laws of Ohio in 1900. The main Office is in
Cincinnati, and Louis A. Ireton. of that
city, is president of the company. The
company has offices in Columbus. o., Gin
cinnati. Covington. KY, Lexington, KY.
Birmingham, Ala, Evansville, Ind, and
a number OF other cities. The company
was organized as any other telegraph COM
pany to serve the public. We send mes
sages of all kinds at the request OF Gus
toners. For messages less than 100 in
number we receive 25 cents: more than
100 and less than 100. Is cents; and over
i0sJ, ID cents message"
William Iron. proprietor of the Kingston
said: 81 have no interest whatever In the
poolroom. as Ii is known. 1 am the propri-
etcr of the house which rents a room TO
the National District Telegraph Company,
and / receive my rent from this company
the same as any other proprietor. Custom
ers of the company spend their money at
my bar IL they so desire. That is the extent
OF my interest in the concern"
Elmer Anderson, attorney for the Ma
ticnal District Company. said: There is