The Washington times., 1904-06-18
GAMBLERS WORRY
TO GET RACE NEWS
May Quit Business If Fa-
cilities Don't Improve.
METHODS USED AT TRACK
News Filters Into Poolrooms in Poor
Shape to Protect Owners
Against Loss.

NEW YORK. June Is.-Though re-
ports persist that a subsidiary company
is soon to be formed for the purpose Of
handling the poolToom business recently
abandoned under the pressure Of public
opinion by the Western Union, nothing
up TO the present time has been done
along that line.
A few poolrooms are attempting to do
business. but they are having many
difficulties. Profits have dwfndled 70
almost nothing.
Makeshift arrangements have been
resorted to for the purpose of supply
ing news required by %poolrooms. Ex-
pense at the present time is great. and
results far from satisfactory.
Unless a change for the better is
soon accomplished. the business that
once enriched such men as THE" Allen.
Peter DeLacey and James Mahoney,
and which now yields most paItry in
comes, will have to be given up en-
tirely.
Race Reported as Run.
Under conditions before the war be
tween the Western Union n proprie-
tors Of poolrooms resulted in fatal pub
licity. it was possible for crowds tina
then congregated in poolrooms TO know
that a race was under way as soon as
the starters flag had fallen. The pro-
p~rietors Of the gambling resorts were
protected to such extent that the smart
est confidence men in the ountry sell
dom peat them.
Now. all that is changed. Promising
to keep faith with the public. the West
ern Union has refused to lease a wire
from any race track. The messages must
go through regular channels, though as
much expedition as possible is the or
der.
Passed Along by Phone.
When there is no long delay It will be-
come necessary for a message to be sent
outside the track. after which II is pass
ed along to p%oolrooms by telephone.
Gamblers have also found II impossible
TO lease a telephone from within the
tracks. All manner of bride have been
offered for the purpose Of obtaining
what will approach instantaneous SER
vice, but without avail.
The most expert telegraphers n line
men In the country lave been sent t.
nhe track 70 devise. If possible. some
means of c~ircumventing race officials
and he telegraph company. Attempts
have been made 10 string so-called In
visible wires. but the ATTEMPTS have
failed.
Relay of Agents.
Unable TO do better. poolroom men
have banded. n now employ a relay
of agents for the purpose Of getting
racing news from tracks. Robert Pin
kerton. under Instructions from the
Jockey Club. embarrasses poolroom men
70 the best Of his ability. and the re-
suit is that their methods change fro.a
day to day.
From the misnamad free field rum
ners carry news TO other men waiting
nTnIEnna Tho a bot 80 u.-NNH ~ ~
kerton discovers what is being done.
when another plan is resorted to.
saturday messages were tossed over
n fence back of the Gravcsend bet
ting ring and were caught as they
Tell That plan was continued until Just
before the last race. when IL was in
terrupted by the track detectives. Then
the general entrance was used. those
going out X NJ effort 10 return.
Direct Wire and Phone.
As near to the Gravesend in~closure as
possible n telephone is rented and a d.
rect wire into Manhattan is maintained
during the entire afternoon. At the
Grayesend end of the wire there sits an
operator ready 10 transmit all messages
brought to him by the runners He
sends away names Of the horses. their
riders, and weight carried by each, and
conditions of track and weather.
Then as soon as bOokmakers at the
rack post odds against horses entered
in n race information Is either tossed
over the fence or carried out through
the free field entrance. Use Is made OF
the cheap Enclosure for the reason tina
little ottentiOn is paid TO hat part OF
the rack and because il costs less,
agents Of poOlroom men having to pur-
chase a ticket every time they enter.
No return checks are permitted.
Fieet-footed young men waiting out
side the track seize the message as St
UAan nu~a- Nhn 80 -. - L. -
cot, and lose no time IN getting Il TO the
telephone. But, try as they will, the de-
lay resulting from this method Is never
less than five mirdtes, and it frequently
happens that fifteen minutes are lost
through unavoidable accidents.
Much Time Lost.
1t is most important thai no time be
lost IN giving a description OF the run
ming of the race. But the same involved
method OF getting the information to
the telephone must be followed. That
makes IL necessary for the poolroom men
to close betting on a race at advertised
post time. II that is neglected some
sharp confidence operator is likely to
beat their agents and be able to place
a wager on a horse that he knows has
won.
In New York news is spread by means
OF telephone, various poOlroOms getting
service over wires which exist i'm spite
of efforts made by Commissioner Nc
Adoo to have them all torn out. But
again. tho service Is not direct. and time
Is lost. Often the odds are received ga
the pOolroom. followed by the mmedi-
ate announcement that betting Is closed.
All this means that the poolrooms can
not do a safe business, and stu allow
time sufficient for wagers to be made.
Their expense are much greater than
before. while the amount Of money
handled is hardly a tenth or what II was
six months ago.
Stories are told that pOolrooms are
.reopening all over New York. and that
they are doing a more profitable bust
ness than ever before. All such stories
are exaggerated. Comparatively few
rooms are open and there seems TO be
little probability OF the others being able
TO do business in the near future. Com
missioner McAdoo Is right when he
says that there is less public gambling
In New York at the present time than
before In a score Of years.