The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-04-06
GOSSIP OF The RACETUACK
FRIENDS or RACING CRITIC'SE
A~GNEW-HART BILLS,
In the Interest n POolrOOms, Many say
-Bookmakers' Lawyers Declare Pro-
posed Law Could Not he Enforced
Plea for the Turf by an Australian,

York are Ill confident that the Aqnew-
Hart bills will he defeated In the Senate A.
Albany when a final vote Is reached next
Wednesday. Men who have made n study
OF these bills say they discrim mate In favor OF
the pOolrooms In such q way that In the event
u their passing city gambling dives would
spring up In greater numbers than ever be-
fore. Men Identified with the racing game
say they have proof that the poolroom syndl-
cate has spent thousands OF dollars In the
present fight aga inst the tracks and thai the
syndicate has also imposed upon well meaning
persons who have been unusually Energetic
IN helping the crusade along.
w G. Percy. the Trainer Of the Percy-Gray
law and a well known lawyer ot this city,
has pointed out that the Agncw-llaft bius
are wholly in the interest OF the poolrcoms.
Mr.. Percy has shovnkhat the bills providethat
A keeper OF a poolroom under the proposed
legislation would he guilty Of 4 misdemeanor
and would be snblect ed TO a fine In a police
court, while a hookmaker operating at tho
track would be guilty Of a felony II he regis
tered wagers and would be sent to the peni-
Tertiary for not more than one year. Mr..
Percy has pointed out that In the case OF
poolFoom keepers because OF their way OF
conducting business under cover II would be
q dialoult matter TO secure the necessary evil
dence, while at the track boOknskers could
be apprehended easily II they continued
their present methods.
In short, Mr.. Percy feels sure that the pas
aRe OF the Agnew-Hart bills would do more
harm than good, for the reason that they
would destroy a vast industry, while they
would not put a stop to, but rather would
increase poolroom gambling evil which
the Jockey club for eight months In the
year has practically killed for several seasons
by withholding the necessary information.
Former Chief NJ Police william S. Deyery,
who knows something about poolrooms, also
has expressed me opinion that the AgneW-
9sTt bills could not have been framed for
better results than those desired by the room
keepers. Deyery says that II the bills PASS
there will be poolrooms and handbooks In all
paTtS Of New York city doing business on
The "a ces run at tracks in other States. Devery
says the Jockey club did more In the last
two years to Kill the poolroonls than anybody
else and that In :etaliation the poolroom men.
led by professional reiormers from other
States. have worked up me present sentiment
against racing.
n necessary the names Gi scores Of pool
room men who were forced out Of business
BY the Jockey Clubs viglu'e can be pro-
NuI0ls lOI lNtHt lltll NFlt 'bllhNllEA . 'HAH
10 the tracks where they made book in the
Held or in the backline. II is u fact that some
OF these men. whose names are known. opened
their rooms last November and have done
business all winter on the Hcv Orleans races
but are prepared TO hoo. 1T Auueduot on
April IS unless the Agn6V-ttlrt bills become
law.
Racing men point to The additional fact
that all OF the court eases made out against
the tracks since the enactment Of the Percy
Gray law in 1895 have been backed by pool
room men. more particularly by Peter De
Lacy, whose attorney. the late BENJAMIN
~steinhArdt, spent wears in fighting the Jockey
Club. Men can be found to-day who say
that De Lacy has been the relentless enemy
NJ the tracks for twelve years and ia in the
thick OF the present struggle. a statement
oft repeated but so far undenied by DE lacy.
In discussing the probable results Of the
proposed new anti-betting law few have
taken the trouble 10 secure the views Of some
Of the leading bookmakers, These men in a
majority OF cases have consulted counsel and
have been advised that while the Agnew-
Hart bills cover racetrack speculation with
the provision that the registering OF a bet
constitutes a felony It may be a difficult
matter. when the courts are asked TO decide,
to produce conclusive proof that bets have
been made.
What is a bet?" said George Considine, a
~bookmakeT. yesterday. "Will a Magistrate
or a Grand Jury decide that a bet has been
made II no money has been put up and the
man who backs a horse to win receives no
token In the shape Of a ticket from a book
maker? As | understand IT, a man who bets
on the races. or in other words Oh a horse TO
.-t. l. not Ifahla 10 aTraaf and prpanpUrtnU
under the Agnew bill, but a bookmaker who
writes down a bet is guilty OF a felony, In
this case the bookmaker simply bets that a
horse does not win. Then why should he
he more liable than a man who backs a horse
10 finish in front,
In my opinion the proposed law would
be a farce, for the reason that II could not be
enforced. IL would destroy the splendid
system OF speculation a. the traces where
the public IL protected against loss, but 1t
would not prevent betting between indi-
viduals, which would bring into the game
dishonorable men who would swindle persons
right and left. No matter how you look at
the matter il seems as II such a bill would
do all kinds Of harm. You cannot stop bet
ting and gambling by such legislation. The
people who insist upon playing the horses
will have ample opportunity TO do so II the
tracks close up
Richard Garfield, who pleaded guilty 10
the charge Of keeping a gambling house here.
where millionsires lost their money, was fined
$1,000. said another ~bookmaker, n didn't
90 10 jail. But this Agnew bill would Jail
anybody who marks down a bet on bis pro-
gramme at the Tacetrack. Does anybody
believe that a jury Of American citizens
would send a man TO the BlackWellis Island
-- -a. l..
made q bet on a horserace and recorded IT,
should the bill pass. would As much care he
enacted in enforcing il a. glove fights, boat
races and other outdoor events which always
cause betting, as Al the tracks"
Such a bill would throw more than fifteen
thousand men out OF employment. % said
Timothy d. Sullivan yesterday, II would
ruin many 4 mans home and welfare besides
destroying millions Of dollars Of property
and depnving the metropolitan public Of R
harmless outdoor amusement. There Ia not
a popular demand for the suppression Of
racing and betting, and | believe that the
bill will be beaten when the legislators realize
what harm this measure will cause"
A visitor here last week was W. A. Craven
Of Australia, for twenty years Deputy Speaker
ofthe Victorian Parliament. Mr.. Craven said
that racinR in Australia. a. In En- gland. France
Germany and other foreign countries, is viz
tually under the auspices Of the Government
and that betting Ia not only l~egalized but
INDUCED in by persons Of all classes.
Australia has not escaped the reform
wave which, II Seems, has been sweeping
over the world, A" said Mr.. Craven. Pro-
hibition and war on betting have claimed
the attention OF the people and the legisla-
tive bodies Of Australia for several years,
MI - H-H