New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-20
CORNER In RACING NEWS
POLICE TRICK At TRACk.
McAdoo Tests Poolroom Use OF
Western Union Wires.

Rv caustne suddenly TO be filed by his de-
tectives at the Brighton Beach racetrack nun
dreds of telegraph messages addressed 10 MN
self and Others. Police Commissioner McAdoo
yesterday made a practical and dramatic al
tempt to discover whether the Western Union
Telegraph Company is acting in good faith as a
common carrier or. alleged in certain quar-
ters is giving preference to poolroom exchanges
in transmitting news from the track
Intense excitement was caused at the track
late in the afternoon by the unforeseen and
mysterious action OF twelve detectives under
Police Sergeant Cohen, Of Inspector Brooks's
staff. For a considerable period they virtually
took possession OF the Western Union wires.
and deliberately hurled message after message.
all addressed to COMMISSIONS McAdoo, at
the heads of the bewildered operators.
Not a hint of such a procedure had been
given beforehand. and when the strange spec
tace was witnessed of stranger after stranger
fling telegraph messages addressed TO the Po-
lice Commissioner. the widest runors were
afoat instantly.
Later IN the evening at Police Headquarters,
in Mulberryst Commissioner McAdoo gave out
the following statement. TO which he declined to
make any addition:
To verify statements made 10 as to the mode
OF transmitting racing news from the racetracks
and as 10 whether or not the Western Union TeIe-
mon carrier and without preferring one sender
Client for certain space of time @ Keep the wires
nav not yet had fun report fta on 5ae
do VIII have anything to say about It. TINS IN In
the enforcement OF law.
A detective in Sergeant Cohen's party last
night described the work at the raeetrack as
follows:
Under orders from Inspector Brooks. Sergeant
Cohen and dozen men went down TO the track
in the telegraph and telephone booths left them
to watch the horses rnnnlns the serseant with
stepped up to the window OF the Western Union
telephone booths and stay there Sergeant Cohea
told The enploye wnG was taking the mess messages
that he had large number Of messages that he
came IN the mean time The man 1' to whom he spoke
asked If he meant to monopolize the Western Union
You can call II what yos please" said the ser
now Uitbout anv otbsr conine SaroTa fem
The clerk began taking and fling Cohen's mes
Gals at Headquarters. and was doing so when. az
se boo ioS W 81 ns Of fe o. men ks6t 09
by the Gordon OF policemen back of Cohen they
could not reach the window. One OF them whose
name is Harry Gibbons, and another. named Flood.
whom have often at the track. tried TO throw
other clerk inside took the messages they threw
over. and as IL seemed to Cohen. began fling them
and take hts messages first
messages, that he was only messenger boy and
bunch OF Hundred teIegrams Which ''S were taken
and filed. apparently in order. and dispatched /
before t9setheT with them but al q them viii
them so that it viii be possible 10 tell f hey were
sases were all on numbeTed rs and rs nS cohen Psd
for all OF them.
The racetrack news service furnished by the
big poolroom news exchange OF this city was
put to a severe test by the Police Commissioner.
On July 10 there was printed in The Tribune
detailed description OF how the racetrack
news gets tba md
the poolrooms The wires at the track must
not be clogged.- said the big pOolrOon syndi-
cate. and TO Keep them clear the lesser syndi-
Gates must be annihilated. Commissioner Nc
Adoo apparently decided that he would take a
hand at this humiliation game by wrecking
the system OF the poolroom news syndicate Al
though he caught the representatives Of the
syndicate mapping, his efforts did not cause the
slightest perceivable ruffie in the smOothness
Of the system.
How futile were Commissioner McAdoo's
efforts 10 disrupt the system was shown clearly
last night by remark made by a person who
visited several poOlrooms on Manhattan Island
yesterday. The person was told about what Nc
AdoO had done
why. the Brighton service was fine to-day"
said he 1T was quick a flash and deco
fated with vivid descriptions But the news from
the Western tracks was slow a mule.
There must have been somebody smashing into
and trying 10 break up. the Western news ser
vice. / wonder If McAdOO had a hand in it,
How long Commissioner McAdoos messages
were in transit could not be learned last night.
The syndicates do not depend messenger
boys any more than they can possibly help.
They get close 10 No. 195 Broadway. the
Western Union Telegraph Building. as they can.
To test the QuiCkness OF the race track news
service Of the syndicate it is said be necessary
TO lease a room near Dey-st and Broadway, and
have the messages sent from Brighton. Fort
Erie or any other track 10 that place.
An alleged poolroom proprietor said last night.
speaking about the filing of messages by men
sent to Brighton by Commissioner McAdOo:
I think McAdoo wanted to satisfy his own mind
on three points about the racetraCk news bureau
system OF collecting and distributing the news
One was: do their messages have first call over
oil others Another Can any person estab-
lish a pOolroom news service%' and another was:
us II possible by the Of novel methods TO break
up the news service?