Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-08
HONOR AMONG BETTING MEN
RESPONBILITY OF AN EN-
PLoYER FOR HIS AGENT.
Commissioner in Debt to Bookmakers
for $50, 900 for Recent
Losses.

NEW YORK, July 8.-Bookmakers and
betting men are Of two opinions concerning
the default Of a betting commissioner at
the Sheepshead Bay race court Friday for
sum said to amount to $4,000 due to
bookmakers for bets made on the credit of
wealthy physician who has figured
through the spring az q speculator on a
large scale.
The facts as stated, by tho creditors are
that the commissioner. who was author
lied by the physician through a long period
OF time to bet and pay and collect in the
name OF the principal. made bets through
two days. July and 4. and after meeting
losses aggregating $4,000. failed to appear
for settlement on July s. The creditors
have not yet learned whether the bets
actually were made for the physician, who
has been absent from the city for about
two weeks. but the belief was general
among them yesterday that the doctor
knew nothing Of his agents actions on the
two days. Their Idea Is that the commits
sioner. presuming on the credit that his en-
ployer had. bet on his own account and
being unfortunate in his operations on the
first day tried to recover his losses and went
further into debt in his employers name
on the second day.
Question Of Responsibility.
The question raised by the betting men.
as to the responsibility Of the employer for
his agents actions. In several cases very
similar, men who are known as profession
al bettors have accepted the responsibility
for their agents xagers In their name. and
the rule OF the betting ring agrees with
this. The custom governs only far as
the individuals concerned are willing to
comply with 1t, for money SO lost cannot be
recovered at law, though the loss to the
bookmaker Ii as real as II he had paid out
the sums involved. He counts on the pay
ment OF the debts to offset other payments
that he must mako to winners and the
transaction, except for the profit made
through the manipulation of odds, or the
percentage In the betting book, results In
theory in making the bookmaker act sim
ply as stakeholder. who retains a per-
centage OF money that passes through his
hands for his work. With the professional
betting men, these debts must be paid as
failure to pay destroys the bettor's credit
and outlaws him.
Honesty Generally Prevails.
The case is unusual only in the amount OF
money involved. as though "welch:ng" on
the American turf Is by no means as COM
mon as it is in England. the case has nu-
merous parallels OF comparatively recent
date. The most notable instance was where
a bookmaker without a moment OF hesita-
tion. paid $4,000 In betting debts that an
without the boOkmakers knowledge by US
Ing his name. Among the professional bet
tors the custom is law. and. though there
have been many instances where men with
credit have trusted to chance and become
''welchers'' through their failure to pick
winners. nearly all of them have settled IN
full when they were able to obtain the
money for payment.
Among the big operators Of the Metro
politan turf are number OF men who al
some time or other have been unable to
meet their betting obligations. and who
technically were ''welchers," but all OF them
paid In full when fortune gave them the
chance Whether the ethics of the race
track will appeal to the physician involved
in the latest WEIGHING case with such
force to induce him TO take up the S:sb.-
go In markers" distributed through the
Sheepshead Bay betting ring remains to be
determined when the sporting doctor learns
the full details of his agents betting spree
and hears the bookmakers argument TO
his responsibility. Should he refuse to pay,
there will be absolutely no penalty attach
ed to his course except in the opinions OF
het ting men