Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-23
MAY CLOSE GATES
OF SHEEPSHEAO BAY
professional Betting" Must
Be Stopped or Events Will
, Be Run Off Only in Pres
ence of Club Members
and Officials.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

NEW YORK. August eff what is
known as professional betting cannot
be prevented during the fall meeting OF
the Coney Island Jockey Club at Sleeps
head Bay the gates will be closed to the
public and the stakes will be run on In
the presence of club members and OFF,
Gals. At a meeting of the executive COM
mittee of the club-Schuyler L. Parsons,
J. H. Alexandra, F. r. Hitchcock. RI. B.
Duryea and Cornelius Fellowes--held in
the Windsor Arcade today the following
resolution was passed:
Moved and seconded, That the autumn
meeting be run of with eleven days rae
ing, emitting the two Fridays, commence
ing August % and closing September II,
with open gates. provided all professional
betting can be stopped. Should it be
found impossible to stop professional bet
ting the gates will be closed to the public
and stakes only run of"
The committee decided to hang up five
hundred dollar purses for the overnight
events and to run the rich F'uturity next
Saturday. 1t was reported, but the re-
port was not confirmed, that the above
resolution was the result of instructions
received from W. X. Vanderbilt, the pres
ident and principal owner of the Coney
Island Jockey Club track. After the
meeting Mr.. Parsons said:
Will Enforce Law.
The Coney Island Jockey Club intends
to enforce the law rigidly in accordance
with the views of the Kings county au-
thorities If our patrons do not support
us in this policy we will close the gates
of the Sheepshead Bay track and run of
OUT stakes We ara not going to equivo-
cate about trying to stop betting. We
mean to use every endeavor to stop bet
ting absolutely and if these means fail
we will adopt extreme measures. The
law forbids professional betting, and we
going to enforce It, Even oral bet
ting by bookmakers will be squelched."
1t was learned afterward that the Pin
kertons would receive instructions to pay
particular attention to the members of
the Metropolitan Turf Association, the
bookmakers organization, and that If any
of these so-called professional layers
should be caught in the act of accepting
oral wagers they would be led to the
gates and permanently barred. AS the
Pinkertonss know all of the professionals
who generally operate on the big tracks,
it was the belief tonight that there would
be practically no betting at all at Sleeps
head Bay. Several members of the Nets.
when they learned of the new plan shook
attempt to do business. Others declared
that nobody could prevent them from
making wagers Of an oral nature with
their friends. and, for that matter, no
body could catch them in the act. 1t is
a foregone conclusion that the public will
have little or no chance to speculate un-
der these new conditions, which means
that the attendance will fall off to a min
1mum
Not Relished by Horsemen.
Horsemen at Empire City did not relish
the news a little bit. They said that the
decision to kill betting at Sheepshead Bay
would be big thing for the poolrooms
and the handbooks. for people would re-
main away from the track and place their
wagers In the city. They also declared
fshat in view of Judge Gaynor's recent de-
c1sion that cash wagers could be made
and also recorded except by bookmakers
who made business Of accepting bets 1t
was up to the authorities of Kings coun-
ty. not the Coney Island Jockey Club to
deal with so-called professional layers.
Other men interested in the turf predicted
that the day was not far distant when
racing would fall into the hands of the
wholly in the interests Of the poolrooms
all over the country. Several race track
stockholders said that it was too bad
that the Coney Island Jockey Club had
not decided to let the professional bettors
shift for themselves. A well known law
yer who did not care to have his name
mentioned. said he did not blame the
Coney Island Jockey Club for its stand
In view Of the fact that the officials
might be indicted for maintaining a dis
orderly place because Of the known pres
ence of professional gamblers on its
premises.
Dwyer Will Enforce Law.
1t was only natural after the action OF
the sheepshead Bay people had become
known TO find oct what would be the
policy of the Brooklyn Jockey Club, which
VIII hold meeting at Gravesend after
the session at the bay So p ]. DIVER
was asked what he intended to do.
Why. race. of course" was his prompt
reply. II intend to have the law en-
forced at my track. but If any persons
auences L do not mean that I will hold
club over anybody's head. for I do not
oeiieve in such a policy. ! intend to con-
quot a meeting strictly within the law
ana i have offered liberal stakes and
purses for the horsemen. AS far as bet
ting Is concerned ! shall issue orders to
my patrons that the law must not be
concerned. let me say that they are no
oookmakers any more. There are ex-
bookmakers who visit the tracks and bet
among themselves. but they conduct busi-
ness In such way that it is almost i'm
possible to detect violations of the law
believe that any man who accepts a cash
bet and records 1t should be arrested and
punished to the fullest extent Of the law.
II | should catch anybody doing such
q thlng INV track 7 would have hin,