The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-02-03
Financier Of Scheme Worked in
Many Parts of Country Left
Confederates in Lurch.
ONE VICTIM YIELDED s65,O0O.
Men Who Did the Decoying Are in
Jail at Hot Springs and the
Leader Has Disappeared
With a Big Fortune.

Mr.. Barnum's famous ep!sram about the
inexhaustible supply Of suckers aeems
never to become false. Recent disclosures
In Hot Springs of the operations of an or
ganized gang of alleged sprinters goes n
long way to prove that. Mr.. Barnum had
mankind of all ages guaged to a nicely.
The arrest OF the Hot Springs foot racers
brings to light the fact that enc man bet
as much as $4,000 on a single 1tv-yard Dash
between two other men. neither Of whom
could run faster than nine of the ten men
you meet on the street. 1t also tells how,
in one year. the same parties inveigled not
less than twenty people to bet from s2.G00 to
$4,000 on such foot races, the result Of
Wnich was p~rearranged. so that the sucker
could not wiz.
TIL sprinters of the eighties, the ColIlnses.
Gibsons. MOuitons, D,ks, etc, pulled off
many a sweet job, but they were all fast
men, who could break records when they
had 10. Then the most anyone ever heard
some 81, 900.
The Hot Springs men could(not run a lick
on earth. Just the same they managed to
get men to bet three times as much as did
the old fast men of the previous decade.
MILLIONAIRES' CLUB.
e Ins MiI H CLUB, as the crowd ar
posed of three men, George Ryan, the
Moneygrove Kid. and a man from Southern
Illinois named Boatright.
~ mail tldI dlu the EuIUlIlH-
The Kid" was the man that did the talk
Ing. Boatright was the man that produced
Ine money to bet against that of the
sucker" and who eventually got most
The plan was the old one Of this is all
nxeo up and you are in, so that you can
mark" After stalking him out" and get
s shaw well well Acquainted with him he would
with complaints. He was a Splinter who
had won a great deal of money for a club
t msas Up R,1 of sb miblli9naires: But they had
share Of the winnings, and in every way
did him injury. He was tired of it. and In
ms next race was going to .'double-cross''
and throw them down. Could the recipient
OF the letter get any money to bet on the
other man? He was certain to win. as the
writer of the letter was going to lie down
ior pure spite If nothing else.
SUCKER" ALWAYS BITES
Tn letter was shown to the mark" and.
OF course, he bit. Good business men seldom
Ieei that they can afford such a chance tn
maze ia 2 Little sure profit. The principal
Ter from Posey County. Indiana. LAWYER
q country merchant worth some 300
qSs. the Honeygroye Kid put him next TO
springs, where the race was to take place.
ryan was the man he was to back. Law
him bet that, then sent him home for more.
He brought $4,000 more. bet it and was
time. '"'
The race was run. Neither Ryan. to
wnom the suckers man was to lie DOWN,
of MS opponent, could run 100 yards in 10
but both claimed ability to do bet |
;er than y 10, which is worlds record time. !
10 make the time good they were clicked |
oy, 2 slow watch. Ryan broke in front and
ed for forty yards, then fell as il shot. He |
;elgned paralysis. The man Lawlor was the |
1rst one to lift him VI and call a carriage
70 take him to a hospital, even IL he had |
ost 10000 when he fell down. The man
hen. "
Lawlor took a ~six-shooter to the starting |
>otnt- Inc managers had trouble finding a
>stoi TO start the runners by. They Dor
hen. ,
LAwLOR GETS TIRED OF PUMPING.
After Lawlor got roped in and bumped |
hey set him to get even by sending him
tut to solicit busminess. The pigeon always |
becomes the hawk. But he got tired after |
!. Bit. and not finding the business to his
king. turned the Grove up in Hot Springs /,
vhere. they had established themselves for
he winter.
It Is said that during the past year the
made over 500. eco on such events.
y a and the "Honeygrove KID did not
ret much of It. Boatright got 80 per cent
" the entire amount. 1t was he who al
posed as the millionaire. and they say
hat he Is not far from being one.
Ryan and the Kid have been in Jail Mt
Hot Springs for some time. Boatright got
The chain of evidence against them