The sun., 1904-05-05
VII, U,PU7SITUp TO The POLICE
READY TO SHUT OFF POOLROOM
>EUS SERVICE, THEY SAY,
r. the Authorities VIII Tell Them where
such Places Are and say They Are
Trying to Close Them-LAw Also
ReouIres Them to Send Dispatches.

irving to Close Them-IAw Also
requires Them to Send Dispatches.
Robert C. Clowry, president Of the West
arm Union Telegraph Company, declared
,e.,orday that his company had no choice
/, the matter of sending racing news to
poolrooms. ,,,., ..,
du,v of the company to render such service
,n ,crsons who demand II u firmly fred
by the law, az our counsel advise me. I.
They tell me that the courts have declared
,hat It Is the legal duty OF the teleg graph
in decent language. that are presented
~ il for transmission; that a public service
CORPORATION. whether telegraph company
ar a railroad company, has no right to be
a censor of public or private morals, that
being the function OF the public authorl-
4 do not believe any fair-minded person
will suppose that the Western Union Tele-
graph Company would willingly become
Ipar,ies to any criminal undertaking.
While We cannot put ourselves In the at
,i,Idc of passing upon the morals of the
veople for whom we transmit messages,
or to whom we lease wires, we are quite
ready to cooperate with the constituted
authorities in their efforts to suppress
crime and we will 60 just "a far in this
direction as, under the advice of our coun-
sci. we are permitted by law to 60.
Whenever those charged with the en-
forcement OF the law will furnish this com
pany in writing with the names of persons
who are engaged in keeping unlawful
poolrooms and specify the places where the
poolrooms are located, and state that they
have decided to take action to close them
to cease the transmission of intelligence
10 such places, we will promptly comply
with such request, even though the public
authorities should prove to be mistaken
aud the telegraph company be thereby
involved in litigation and liability
capt. F. Norton Goddard last night made
this reply to Col. Clowry's statement
The Western Union company will be
Judged not by what 1t says. but by what
|, does. 1t stands condemned to-day on
what it has DONE 1t can only he rehab-
ated by what it shall do. was the first
one to express confidence in the honor OF
the directorate OF the Western Union com-
pany, and am franl, to say that am much
disappointed in the statement by President
llowry. 1t does not bear evidence OF being
sincere.
His remark that he will cooperate with
the advice of his counsel will allow him keep
. counsel for the purpose Of finding out legal
ways in which what the directorate has
already determined on may be carried out,
or to find legal ways in which they may
avoid the doing Of what they have already
1t might be remarked, incidentally,
that there s no word in Mr.. Clowry's state
ment that contradicts the statement that
! made at the City Club meeting last week,
and which is the basis Of the public dis
cussion now going on. He also fails to give
attention to the fac. that the charge stands
that the Western Union contracted to sup
ply racing news to a poolroom and to supply
a man who would help to run the pool
COON.
-Bnt the main point in his statement is
the tinleworn expedient resorted to 80 often
Ivy officials who do not intend to do their
il up to somebody else to supply evidence.
He simply ignores the fact that the foun-
tain head of evidence and information in
regard to poolrooms il right in his own
building
sit is not to be supposed that he is ignorant
that every contract with poolroom pro-
yides that an employee Of the Western
Union Company, called an inspector, shall
have access to the poolroon at all hours Of
poolroom as long as he chooses; 30 that II
MIR. Clowry wants the evidence which he
pretends to demand from the public au-
fhorities all that he needs to do is to send
for the reports Of his inspectors. and for
the inspectors themselves.
He also would seem to wish the public
to understand that the Western Cnior
company merely transmits messages con.
tanning news about the races, whereas
the fact is that the Western Union company
originates the news, and is the purveyoI
of It. In other words, In racing mattert
the Western Union company does q manu-
featuring, jobbing and retail business"