The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-09
PHONE BETS ON PONIES
CITY SPORTS CAN CALL CUMBER-
LAND OVER LONG DISTANCE.
'He1Io, Gus, Ten on Twilight" May Be
Talk After POOlroOm Opens
Syndicate Tells of Plans.

With a real Monte Carlo at Cumberland,
where faro. roulette, poker and horse races
can be played without interference by the
police, the gambling fraternity of Indian
apolis and vicinity will again glory in an
unmolested prosperity, and to-day all the
"gamesters are wearing on their faces
smiles of happy anticipation.
BY the plan Gus Rahke has In view, ac-
cording to his statement, it will be possible
to make bets at Cumberland without leav-
ing Indianapolis. long distance telephone
will be placed in the Cumberland office and
a man will be stationed at the end of the
line to take bets as they come over the
phone.
In Indianapolis an employe Of the Rahke-
Jones syndicate will stand at the local Of
flee of the long distance telephone company.
where he will receive the money which cus-
toners may place over the telephon. Or if
that plan fails the money will be turned in
70 the telephone exchange and there col
lected by Rahke after the days business is
over.
Possibly telegraph company may later
be formed for the purpose of sending money
from this city to Cumberland. and if such
corporation is formed 1t will be known
as the Indianapolis and Cumberland Tele-
graph Company. The plans of the firm of
Rahke & Jones have all been carefully gone
over and every possible way to evade the
law has been pointed out by an attorney
employed by them. Provided the citizens of
Cumberland do not object TO the telegraph
company and a faro game, a general OPEN
ing will be giveri and all the gamblers in
this city will be made welcome in the new
found home. The only drawback to the
plan is the car service at present afforded
between here and the hamlet.
PLAN A GRAND OPENING.
The interurban cars are run on a schedule
which will not permit a person to remain
in Cumberland later than 10 o'clock at
night. but it is believe dthat different ar
rangement can be made with the traction
company. provided the business there is
good enough to justify 1t. I'VE don't ex-
pect to do a land-office business at the
start" said Gus Rahke yesterday. "but we
will be able to make living and if the peo-
pie only leave us alone we will promise that
Indianapolis will not be infested with gam
blers.'
The idea is t5 make Cumberland the
headquarters for 1.-THE gamblers and in that
way place the business on such n basis that
no person who does not wish to gamble will
be even tempted into the game.
Many OF the residents OF Cumberland,
Rahke says, are in favor of the proposed
scheme. as they believe 1t will do the town
much good from: commercial standpoint
but the preachers are opposed TO such
move.
The Rev. Frank Bachelor. of Blunton,
Ind, who has been conducting a series of
meetings in the Cumberland Baptist
Church, last Sunday begged his congrega-
tion to take sone steps toward stopping
what he termed approaching ruination %
and he suggested that the grand jury be
forced TO take some action.
In the meantime the work of preparing
the place for business goes on and workmen
are daily putting; in the fixtures purchased
new by the promoters.
When the news reached Indianapolis last
night that in the House of Representatives
in Washington yesterday Congressman Gil
lett, of Massachusetts,. had introduced a
bill to protect anti gambling laws from null
lification througE interstate gambling by
telegraph. Gus Rahke was shown the dis
patch. The king of gamblers only re-
marked, "Gillett is after me-"