The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-18
Bets Can Now BE Laid with ''French
Lick" Jones I'm the Barroom of
the Grand Hotel.
BACKED By P00LR00M OWNER
AL BROWN, OF FRENCH LICK, SAID
TO BE THE ''REAL THING"
These Men, 1t Is Said, Are Awaiting
Decision fn the TOomey Case
Before Judge Whallon.

Betting on the races by the handbook
system Is now open to the Indianapolis
sporting fraternity that plays the ponies.
For few days after the closing of Too
mey's poolroom the only way in which an
Indianapolitan could place bet on a race
at any OF the big tracks to wire his
money himself to poolroom in another
city-Cincinnati, Covington, Louisville or
Chicago-but the word has gone forth
among ''the boys that a handbook has
been opened and that action for any rea-
sonable amount of money, at odds only
shade lower than the track odds. can be
secured II the would-be bettor is wise"
French Lick Jones is said to be run
ming the handbook. He is making his head
quarters IN the barroom at the Grand
Hotel and has been doing business there
every forenoon and afternoon. Jones. who
Is well known to the local sporting frater-
nifty, came up to Indianapolis from French
Lick last week and opened his handbook
in a quiet way on Saturday. He has been
exceedingly quiet in his operations and it
is said that he is merely feeling his way"
for a few weeks. with the expectation of
branching out on larger scale If no one
raises q ''roar" and puts him out of busi-
ness. 1t is understood that he has had a
good play on each of the three days his
book has been open. There is a large num-
ber OF men in Indianapolis who find pleas
ure. II not profit, in playing the races, and
there was something doing in that line they
fairly fell over each other In their haste to
place their coin on the sure things"
JONES'S BACKER.
Backing Jones in the venture, it Is under
stood, is Al Brown, who controls the gam
bling privileges at French Lick and op-
crates a poolroom at that place. Jones has
been working with Brown at French Lick
and has also followed the races at the vari-
Gus meets. 1t is through Brown that Jones
gets the information that enables him to
make his book each day. Jones gets each
morning sheet giving the entries and the
odds for all the races and Is then ready to
take bets. In the afternoon he gets the
track odds by wire from Brown, IL there
Is any material change in the betting. and
alters his odds accordingly In order to
prevent being victimized he declines to take
any bets fifteen or twenty minutes before
post time on each race. He records each
wager in small ledger-hence the name
handbook-and gives the bettor slip that
indicates the horse. race and amount the
ticket is good for in the event the horse
wins or finishes as picked by the bettor.
morning. 1t is said. when the results of the
various races are published in the news
papers, and In this way avoids a consid-
cradle expense and some possible compli-
cations in getting a wire service giving the
results as the races are run.
The handbook system has been operated
on large scale in Chicago and other cities
I'm which poolrooms are tabooed but this
is said to be the first invasion of Indian
apolis. 1t Is said also that il Is largely an
experiment and a makeshift to kill time
until the Toomey poolroom case has been
decided in the courts and IL Is known
whether the poolroom can be opened again
Ii is generally understood that if Toomey
is permitted to open his place again an
other poolroom will be started at once by
Heller. Shea and others who have long cast
envious eyes on the Kingston place.
Since ToOmey'S closed many of the
employees and hangers-on of the place have
left the city and it is reported that several
OF them have gone to Muncie. where a
a big business.