New-York tribune., 1906-04-17
POOLROOMS MUZZLED.
Continued from first page.

have been justified. 1 never had any doubt of
its success.
The story in The Tribune this morning ex-
presses my views accurately and in succinct
form. We wish TO minimize the betting evil
by preventing minors and irresponsible persons
from betting on the races This can be done
now IL is up TO the Mayor. Commissioner Bing-
ham and the District Attorney to enforce the
law. IL Is obvious that poolrooms are open. and
private citizens have shown that they can be
shut. Now. the police ought to take immediate
steps for the enforcement of the law.
The opening of additional poolrooms to make
books on the Aqueduct races was the indirect
cause yesterday of a rumor that Commissioner
Bingham had resigned his office. The story said
that Fire Commissioner O'Brien. acting as an
emissary from Mayor Mcclellan went to Cen
eral Bingham with certain instructions for the
Police Commissioner, who, II is said told Com
missioner O'Brien that he would take instruc-
tions only from the Mayor. Following this meet
ing it was reported General Bingham resigned.
This the latter denied last night
Every line of the story is false" he said.
Commissioner Bingham treated rather indif-
ferently and even f1ippantly the story of the
opening of additional poolroOms
That is good news for some people" he said
Asked whether he had taken any extra pre-
cautions he refused to answer
He was then asked if he going to use the
power he had to that these poolrooms are
closed.
Il am going to save a little power" answered
the Commissioner and then, after thoughtful
moment. he went on. You know. 1 have got to
arzSst the newsboys after 10 o'clock at night
and another thing is that have to look after
the boiler squad"
FEW OUTSIDE wAGERS MADE
The local poolroom men had planned to do a
big business yesterday, the opening day Of the
season on the metropolitan tracks. The total
amount of the wagers offered was probably
much less than the sum of the bets they had
ever received before on similar day since the
Croker-Dwyer fight on the local poolrooms about
ten years ago
In that war between the racetracks and the
poolrooms the poorooms won because the West
ern Union Telegraph Company led the fighting
to maintain the racetrack news service The
company was then collector and distributor
of the service TO the poolrooms. Last
year it abandoned it's racetrack news service.
Since then the National News Company has
been the principal collector and distributor of
raCetrack news to poolrooms.
The news of the local tracks however, has
been furnished to local poolrooms by about five
news syndicates. AS each of these news syndi-
Gates is striving TO become the dominant factor
in collecting and distributing the racetrack news
to the local rooms. they not likely 10 work
together TO get the Jockey Club TO sanction the
old method Of sending out news from the race
tracks under it's Jurisdiction. If the syndicates
cannot easily and quickly obtain news for their
subscribers the poolrooms will close their doors
and the handbook men will be in control of bet
ting outside of the racetracks-
Some of the large downtown poolrooms ceased
business early yesterday afternoon More will
rrohobIy follow suit to-day. unless the habitual
oo1roon, PLAYERS are satisfied TO ignore the local
races and eonfine their betting TO the Western
races.
No service yesterday would have been almost
as good as the service from Aqueduct. as fur
nished to the poolrooms. Some poolroom men
made Yesterday racetrack news Tor thelr pa
irons The manufacturing of such news Is the
sir,nlest task in the world provided the persons
engaged in the work have a good knowledge
about how TO do it successfully II the makers
of this fake news can get the result OF race
they want in fairly reasonable time the patrons
think the fake news is genuine. Should these
poolroom men be able TO continue TO serve UP TO
their patrons fake about good as the
genuine article the betting business of their
rooms would not suffer much Until the war be-
tween the poolrooms and the Jockey Club is set
tied the majority of poolrooms will strive 20
keep their patrons from going TO the racetracks
bv trying 10 satisfy their betting mania with
fake news together with little genuine news
SYNDICATE HARD HIT.
The syndicate acknowledged last night that
few more days like yesterday would probably
result In many of the customers OF the syndi-
Gates closing their rooms and increasing the
number OF bookmakers at the tracks.
The action OF the Jockey Club was not the
only cause for complaint from the syndicate
men. The news service from Memphis and Nash
willie was many minutes slower than usual and
the delay at those tracks was said 10 be due 10
order having been issued by the racing
sociations controlling those tracks that no news
messages about any race must be sent out
lier than fifteen minutes before the running