The Washington herald., 1908-02-23
GRAFT In RACING
Turfman Says Politicians
Are Not In 1t.
ACCUSES OWNERS OF HORSES
Declares They, with the Small Fry
Politicians, Policemen, and News
paper Men, Are Always Getting "A
Rake-Off from the Man Who Runs
Track-HOw Magnates Are MuIcted.

Talk about graft in politics" said a
horseman in an interview printed in the
New Orleans Picayune. as he crossed
his legs and spit furiously half way
across the room. missing the cuspldor
by at least an arms length. racing on
half mile tracks has got II backed of
the board. You don't know what that
word means until you tackle one OF
these hy-by-night affairs They are the
unadulterated
The biggest grafters on these tracks
are the owners of the horses. You see.
TO make one Of these tracks proper YOU
have 10 have horses. Keely might
have been able to run his marvellous
motor without electricity or anything
like that. but you can't run horse races
without horses. You've got to put up
with lot, too.
These NUTS are always broke. never
have a sou. and all the time seem 90
think II you're running the track that
you're Wall street magnate without
any clearing house certificates. That
reminds ME OF one horseman who is
track in New Orleans ! won't mention
his name because he's too clever a guy
70 be shown up in print.
Cost Him Five a Week
We'll. before he became famous and
had more than one horse 70 his name
he was a great booze holster. drunk
every day in the week and twice on
]
little tracks myself. same as I am now.
and every Saturday night he would
come over TO my Office and say. To-
morrowS sunday Those words cost
me $3.50 apiece, fo= 7 handed him five
dollar note every Saturday night You
see he was a wise guy, and although
he didn't have any string OF mis- own
he stood well with the rest of the
bunch. and he could work EN- up so
they would leave me If ! made him sore.
so always pOnied up
One Saturday night 7 missed him.
lie failed 70 come around to touch me
as usual. I thought il odd. but did not
say anything 10 any one about IT, The
second Saturday came and went and
Sun he did not come around. I began
TO feel alarmed and sent one OF my men
out 20 locate him. He came back and
Jones 10 make IL easier) has been
pinched for being drunk and they've
sent him UP for sixty days I counted
out $40 and went out that night and
spent II on Che strength of being rid of
him for So long a time.
Then in line with the sra fters come
the small Try politicians. One Of them
is in need OF a new front. and thinks
that inesmuch rs | am running a race
track and he has been elected TO serve
the people wei. he can 60 IL better in
a now suit Of clothes. and I'm the fell
guy. They all take 2 fall ont OF me.
There's the police department They
have 20 get theirs or else anybody can
come ont and rob nv bookmakers at
their leisure. and they'll never be ar
rested. That usually costs from $50 10
800 a day. OF course. this couldn't
happen I'm New Orleans
Reporters Do 1t, Too.
Last but not least come the news
paper men. the kind that will take my
money and roast me in the paper the
same day. Whenever q green news
paper men-I mean by that one that
has never had any experience on a
trPck--is sent out TO report the races he
secs so much money changing hands
that he feels it is his duty to get some
of the change. He don't come up and
ask me for IL. He fools around the
paddock until he gets a chance to roast
The track. and then he turns loose No
race track can stand being roasted in
the paper The first thing TO learn 10
be successful in the racing game Is to
give the papers the best OF IL. They
can do you more harm than anything or
anybody else.
After he roasts me for a while 7 go
around 20 him and say: What horse
Go YOU like in the next race?' He
usually has no choice. but picks the
favorite. Then / say: Wait minute
TIL ] see # / can't fix you to win a bet
! go over TO a bOOkmaker and get him a
ticket which reads 10 to 0--the favorite
whatever the name OF the horse may
be--to show I take this over and hand
81 10 him. Usually he never looks at it
until he gets over ii a corner by him
SELF. watch him. If his face beams
when he sees 1t / know he is a three
dollar man: il ne treats Il as an ordi-
nary occurrence know he is a FIVE dol
lar man.
There is an old saving. Give man
enough rope and he'll hang himself
This Is the way play the game. l tell
him 10 come around every day and win
bet for So or 81. according to the man
lie comes regularly for about two
weeks Then he begins to think that
he IS not getting enough am making
TOO much and he too little. He decides
he VIII have TO touch me up again. So
he begins 10 roast me.