The Washington times., 1904-07-20
POLICE SHUT OFF
RACE TELEGRANS
Choke Wires With One
Hundred Messages.
A TEST OF IMPARTlALITG
McAdoo Didn't Mean to Cut Of Legit-
innate Business, His Sec
rotary Explains.

upon one OF the lldtCclS WIS OLVlleu sAAlo
a pile of kilograms. six inches high, was
laid on the window sill
Curious Messages.
Begin sending these at once and rush
them"" commanded the biggest man IN
the bunch. The operator looked at the
first dispatch II was addressed to Il
police captain in Brooklyn and read:
The weather is awful hot down here
but there is no rain in sight"
The message was handed over to an
operator and another was opened. 1t
read:
I've lost my hat. but what do I care"
A third revealed the mystic informa-
Horse is lame! How are your
What does all this mean2" asked the
manager, in wonderment-
His Not to Question Why.
Go ahead and send EN-" was the
gI-uff retort Wen pay for en-
So in a few moments the operators,
half a dozen in number, were flooded
with these queer dispatches Soon the
cat was let out of the bag when this dis
patch, addressed 20 William McAdoo, 300
Mulberry Street. was uncovered:
First wire has just been completed
and Is now filed.
This was signed by Henry Cohen. who
staff of Inpector Brooks. The three other
parcels had beer undOne by TINS time
and 100 kilograms were waiting 10 De
sent over the wires.
Wires Clicked.
1t was shortly before the running of
the first race when the wires were chok-
ed in this manner and the agents Of the
poolrooms began 10 cluster around the
men who were grouped in such a man
ner in front Of the receiving window
that nobody else could get within arm
length OF it,
The poolroom agents all had the usual
kilograms 10 file. containing opening and
closing odds. weights. jockeys, and other
details. One Of these hustlers. John Glib
bOns by name. a s.X-fOoter. pushed his
way among the men in front OF the
window and thrustiug bunch OF dis
patches into the hands OF the manager
cried:
Rush these. viii yer?"
who are you pushing growled one
OF the Big Four.
Mix-Up AveUted.
who are you, anyway" snapped Glib
bons Il looked ike a naix-up. when
suddenly a small man era bbed Gibbons
by the arm and whispered:
They are ell cops and they've got the
wires choked with a lot Of fake tele-
grams so as 10 freeze you guys OUT"
The news travelled like wild.ire among
the poolroom agents. who were soon
surrounding the telegraph office hand
ing in dispatches The detectives, with
Cohen handing IN the kilograms one af-
ter another. did not bulge The man
"
a minute filed the DISPATCHES as they
were received. no mater from what
source.
In a Panic.
In short order the poolroom men were
panicsuicken. Some of them rushed out
OF the track 10 neighbOring telephones,
but In each booth they found a man,
said 10 be a detective. Others went
post haste 10 Coney Island 10 wire their
information. Some threw their dis
patches through the transOm window Of
the Office upon the telegraphcrs' desks
The police numbered their dispatches
from Ia 10 pa. and believe they can tell
whether any legitimate business inter
Ielcd.
we were sent down here" said one
Of the sleuJhs. TO file dispatches IN or
der 10 find out whether the Western
L niOu shows preference Tor pOOlrOOm
stuff We have timed all dispatches sent
by Us and have simply acted under or
drrs. The kilograms We're prepared by
Us before we reached the track
More Men Needed.
III the cops are going TO send teIe-
grams every day said ii poolroom
agent why the telegraph company will
nave 10 get more operators. that's all
We VIII continue 10 file news and the
company must send II or be- response
BILE"
II was said that many Of the dis
patches sent by the sleuths contained
Biblical quotations OF some length. The
cops quit wiring after the fifth race had
been run. While they were at work In
spectOr McCusky was enjoying IN,
races from the clubhouse balcony.
The evening newspapers naturally were
late IN getting their race news on ac
count OF the fake teiegrams The only
explanation that officials Of the WesterG
Union Telegraph Company could make
ia the afternoon was an unprtccdcnjeJ
rush OF business. Colonel ClOWry's sec
Rotary said in response 70 an inquir,
that no new orders had been given by
the company regarding the transmission
Of news from the racetracks.
A Lot of Business.
Superintendent Brooks Of the Easter
division sad.
I'VE simply had a lot Of business DOVE
there today and there was little dc
lay"
What caused the unusual amount o
business asked the reporter.
"Oh. ] can't talk about that" said Mr.
Brooke. THAT isn't FOR me 10 say"
The wire chief upstairs said:
We got more business there tOda,
than we could handle for a little while
We didn't expect such an amount on
DAY Ike today and 10 Overt6Xed our IA
~ilitics We got Strengthened out later
however. What caused IT. Oh. 1 CUES
II vas d busy day al the track after all
McAdOO's Explanation
D. explaining his promotion &c IA
business OF the Western Union Tele
graph Company, Commissioner Meade
made the following statement last even
ing:
40 verify statements made 10 me a
20 mode Of transmitting racing new
from the race tracks and as 10 whethe