The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-07-19
POOLROOMS WERE CHEATED
BY HEL|OGRAPH FLASHES
Expert Operator Flashed Results Conedera Who Bet Money
Poolrooms-Scheme Was Broken Up Employees of the
Track, Who Used Force OF Arms

II don't know whether there is any truth
in that story about the helicgraph that is
said to be working between the Long Island
tracks and the city. ard beating out the
tickers with the results OF the races" said
a horseman at Delmar recently. but I've
been wondering for years why the wide
awake and cheerful pony grafters around
the way haven't gone in for hack at that
game. The heliograph stunt has been
manipulated on some OF the Western tracks
on several occasions. and for big money.
1T was first worked to beat the San Fran
cisco poolrooms when the horses We're run
ming around the old Bay District track near
San Francisco. The originator OF the game
was chap who had been Signal Sergeant
In the regular army.
He planted his apparatus on mound
that overlooked the stretch and finishing
point Of the Bay District track, and distrib-
uted the news to fash-readers on high
points at long intervals between his station
and the outskirts of San Francisco. Most
OF the large poolrooms were then located
on the edge of the town. The ex-Serseant
OF the Signal Corps with the Set-rich-Quick
appetite look on part OF the crew race
track hanser-on who knew the colors of all
the stables in training. as we'll as the chart.
max rs OF the present day Gn9w them and
1t went on creased skids for nearly the
half OF the racing season. The man with
the knowledge of the colors would catch
with his field glasses the colcrs OF che horse
entering the stretch and going on the wire
with commanding lead. he passed the
geant. who would nash the numler down
his line of stations. The last man on the
line was screened by hedge and clump
Of trees on the outskirts of the town. with
in half minute quick strolling distance OF
nest Of the poolrooms,
THE track telegraphers had drowsy
NJ n Ia 10
poolrooms in those days. taking their own
time at 1t. and the heliograph game often
beat the wires from six :, to ten minutes
winnings Of the angels for his bit. ont of
which. Of course, he had TO make good 10
his associates for their share of the work
and risk. but at that he COPIED out q hefty
pull with his Photograph plan before the
game was punctured.
PooLRooMs GOT WISE.
THE poolroom people on the outskirts Of
town that had been getting the fail from
the players Of the heliograph messages de-
tected the aroma Of a rodent after they
had counted up q punk balance sheet for
several weeks running, and they rut 4
number of fiys On the trail to find out where
the leak was. The sleuths nailed tie hello
graph plant and made much large talk. but
the Sergeant told them to be on their way.
The best they could do was to get him to
agree not to do any more hammering on
the ttlls of those particular poolrooms on
Lie OF the lONU.
Then the ex,serseant extended his sys-
tenn. He planted a man with the receiving
code on top of a tall building not far from
bunch OF the poolrocms in the heart OF
San Francisco, and the winners numbers
were flashed down the line to this fellow
The money handler then scrambled down
to the street in the elevator, stroI!ed into
the poolrooms with bored lock on his man
and laid down big coin on winning things
that the poolroom FOLKS didn't lind CUT
about for several minutes later.
After the poolrooms IN the heart of
San Francisco had paid out a good many
times on long shots that indicated nothing
short Of prescience on the part OF the play.
ers Of them, they. too, got their guushoe
agents busy. and that queered the game 50 |
far as the San Francisco poolrooms were
concerned.
But this ex-Sergeant and his gang OF |
crafty helpers were resourceful people and
they declined to be downed. They extended |
their system again. The eX-Sergeant CON
trived to get one OF his flashers over in |
the bay nearly on Goat Island which is |
located midway between San Francisco and
Oakland. The money-pushers were trans
ferred over to Oakland, which was clut- |
tered with poolroons at that time
The Oakland rooms We're sIapped hard
by that Telegraph Hill mirror be.nro the
people behind the rooms got wise. Get wise |
they did eventually, however. but even th.- J
didn't put the Bay district heliograrG, q
- A..sthees.
Seeing that the game was up on kite
SO far as San Francisco and the con- |
uguouS territory was concerned the
e2-Sergeant of the Signal Corps took In as /
key In big San Francisco brokerage