New-York tribune., 1904-09-18
HOW CROOKS ARE KEPT OFF RACETRACKS
TASK WHICH 1T TAXES MANY DETECTIVES TO PER
FORM-SOME EXPERIENCES

Possibly Il Is not exagSeratio1 TO say that.
outside OF the Cars domains. there Is place
thoroughly policed 50 systematically guarded
against the powers that prey one Of the race
tracks under the Jurisdiction OF the Eastern Jockey
Club And If IS equally true that we're this not 50
there would be nc place on the continent where
the life and property OF a citizen would be in
greater Jeopardy. To the crock whether he pa
OF high or low degree-a suave confidence man OF
4 rough and tumble thus-there IS. obviously, no
more aIlurfng field theoretically. for the practice
OF his profession than that offered by one or the
Enclosures where thoroughbreds are raced No
where else than on a racetrack is money! power
e1 incentive 70 crime-so loosely and iavishly dis
PLAYED; so tantaliziugy Haunted within the ap-
parent reach OF greedy fingers No steel gratings.
no burgIarproof wtckets. such safeguard the
cashiers in every bank separates the bOokrnaker's
cashier from the thousands OF persons who swarm
around him every afternoon, jostling him. bump
ing him rubbing elbows with him constantly The
capital OF hts enployer-krOwn TO the talent as
his ''banlroIT'-is contained IN an ordinary tin
box reposing on the top or a high stool The
nve-age bookmaker's bRnkrou that is the money
he takes with him 20 the track every day amounts
20 from $4,000 10 S5.O0d and IL consists OF bills
varying in denomination from 81 to 1900. The
number OF bookunakers doing business every day
in the ring OF the local tracks IS never less
than sixty. and more often the number will ex-
~esd a hundred At the very lowest estimate.
therefore 100000 virtually IN small bills Is toat-
ing loose for four hours each day IN 4 space
easily encornpassed within half acre Law-aoid-
t,s citizens occasional patrons OF racing. have
often wondered why preconcerted attempts at
robbery have been made Many citizens. less
lavv-abiding. have frequently attempted them None
Of them in recent years however, succeeded The
latest attempt on ambitious scale was that AT
a Chicago track. where. at given moment dyna-
mite cartridges were exploded in the betting ring
by an organized gang OF thieves. The purpose. OF
course was to stampede the ring and to steal
the cash boxes before order could be restored
Not n dollar was lost Only few OF the would
be thieves escaped. From every nook and corner
OF that shed Pinkerton men materialized sud
denly as though Aladdin had rubbed his wonder
full lamp and wished for them
1t IL extremely doubtful whether such a plot
could even be carried forward on a local track 20
the point OF exploding the cartridges Certainly
no group OF self-respecting ''cra es with reputa-
tiOns to sustain would think OF attempting such a
thing. Every day there is a force Of detectives.
ranging in number from two hundred 70 hve hum
Gred thrown out through the various Enclosures.
and the stock in trade of the individual members
of this army in their knowledge of the big
and little crooks. of the land their ability de-
tect them they attempt to ply their trade, and to
identity them at headquarters when that be-
comes necessary. This force costs the Jockey club
or the racing association that is holding meeting
at least 5000 a day. Robert Ptnkerton is nOninalIy
at the head OF IT. and he is at the track nearly
every day to see that discipline and vigilance do
not become relaxed. but, being q good captain. he
has surrounded himself with able Heutenants and
upon these devolvss the responsibility OF seeing
that the law IS not broken and that pockets are
not picked TwO-thirds OF the detective force in
fact all those that not stationed at the va
r4Ous entrances IN plain clothes and unless
the racetrack patron IS personally acquainted with
them he has no way OF knowing that they are not
merely amateur racing like himself
Il would no doubt be a good deal OF a surprise
II not shock. to the occasional frequenter of the
course to know that from the moment he aIights
from train or surface outside OF the main
entrance until he reaches the grandstand or the
clubhouse he has run gRntIst OF detectives
that an inventory OF his visible assets has been
made and mentally tahulAted and that his status
IN life has been accurately estimated Just out
side the entrance three men In plain clothes are
stationed each day. and beyond the tlrnstfIes
another line Is thrown across the walk leading 10
the stands. These men between them possess rs
commemorative mental rogues' gallery as could
Ia found outside of Police Headquarters: each
knows personally hundreds OF law breakers and &
Is bold or lucky. crook who succeeds in getting
bv them Captain Haus and Mr. Butler are at tre
head OF these plain clothes" men, ard either one
or the other is constantly on guard during the rush
hours at the main gate.
IL must not be inferred that because no band of
organized crooks would attempt a raid on the
the strong boxes OF the boOznakers that there are
not plenty OF Individual thieves and confidence men
that VIII not take chance OF pulling or a tohFs
AZ the track captain Haus says that tho number
OF nen--and uomsn-sportedt by him saS turass