The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-23


SCARED THE HANDBOOK nan
crowd TAas rnsushs They'd wen OIsatet
Opee HIS su6erinss. Fl
Il reckon no ono loves . handbook
man. said the occasional player. but
the meanest trick I ever saw handed TO
one was at Boston not long ago. There
was steepleohase here at tho Bay. and
after the overnight entries had been sent
out some one added horse called Knight
Of Harlem.
II was In Boston at the time. and when I
went downstairs for breakfast at my hotel
q friend tore up to me and whispered:
Got sure thing from sheepshead to-
day. It's knight Of Harlem. in the steeple-
chase; added starter, and my friend Wires
TO plunge the limit
4 don't want any Of the jumpers.
said I. And never will play horse ex-
Dept at the track, where can see him,
know the Jockey and watch the betting.
don't throw my money away blindly.'
THAT Knight Of Harlem tip soon spread
all over Boston. By IL O'Clock every hotel
waiter knew 1t and was trying to whisper
It to you. The bellboys ooughed know
ingly and tried TO pass 1t along. The bar
keep told me he had sure thing. and
threw Knight OF Harlem at him. The
street car conductors handed II to patrons
with transfers. In spite Of myself caught
the oontagion, and about the time for the
first race I drafted around to q barroom.
where the handbook man In Boston can
always be found.
.The jumping race was the second event
on the card. and Just before tho first race
was called big fat man pushed his way
through the crowd and tried to hand the
handbook man roll Of bills ON Knight Of
Harlem.
II don't want no Knight Of Harlem
said the handbook man, nervously. Least
ways. not that much. What Is there In the
rolli'
Only five hundred said the fat sport.
Take It and give mo just half tho closing
odds. Great Heavens, came over hero
from New York to play knight Of Harlem.
thinking could get my money down with
out trouble. And now I've only found ons
handbook man In town who will take 20
much as hundred. Boston u . fine town,
I guess not
We'll, tho handbook man finally agreed
to take hundred, but said he would have
to pay OF at only half the closing odds,
and his limit, anyhow, was 10 to I.
you ought to have seen the money roll
In on Knight Of Harlem. That poor hand
book man was simply deluged. He couldn't
refuse the dollar bets Of his regular clients
for fear he lose their patronage for good.
SO he took in about $50 In small wagers,
en IN
waiter. cook, clerk, bellboy and loafer
around the hotel got down his little bit on
Knight Of Harlem.
y joined the general throng with hve
dollar bill just to see the fun, though I
didn't expect the mutt would win. Just to get
in on things Hap Ward. the comedian, who
had sent in ten dollar wager, hired ono Of
the bellboys to 60 around to the telegraph
Office and get the result Of the race. He
fixed 1t with the boy 80 that when he re-
turned he was to hand the real result Of
the race, on a slip Of paper, to Ward, but
at the same time was to announce loudly:
Knight Of Harlem wins, at IS to 1, by
seven lengths
As the time for the race came near
the handbook man began to get very ner-
vous. There were thirty or forty people
loafing around the lobby and the bar, all
Of whom had played Knight Of Harlem,
and they were going to watch that hand
book man until the result came In.
.Two or three times he went to tho
Mushroom, but half a dozen men were
inclined to wash up bit at the same time
There was some drinking to pass the time
away, but every one kept watching the
handbook man and he knew something
would happen to him II he tried to WEIGH.
aPretty soon the bellboy came running
In, and before he got through the hotel
one to hear:
Knight Of Harlem wins, BY seven
lengths, IS to L.
Say, the shout was like a Comanohe
yell The fat sport commenced to buy
wine, and he bought for every ono In the
room. His check was nearly $50. Even
the chambermaids who had played 20 cents
or dubbed together to place a dollar on
tho hot tip ventured down into the lobby
to see what tho commotion was all about
When they heard the racket they COM
| menced to quarrel among themselves over
the division Of the profits.
And the handbook man7 II ever you
saw pitiable exhibition Of humanity II was
he. You have seen tho cartoons OF the
common people crushed under the octopus
Well, that is faint description Of the vo In
I that mans face.
You know my limit Is only 10 to H. he
kept repeating. And you must all allow
me time TO make settlement. Anyhow
you must wait for the official published
prices.
SWELL wait, all right, said the fat sport
Iwon t mind sitting up all night with you
for my thousand And he turned to order
more wine.
Meanwhile Ward was sitting calmly
by, with folded piece Of paper in his hand
So keen was his enjoyment Of the scene
before him that he didn't open that paper.
II waited. expecting every moment to see
him get up and announce the mistake.