New-York tribune., 1908-07-17
NO UNIFORMS AT TRACK
DETECTIVES ONLY NOW.
Baker Thinks Bluecoats Cannot
EfectiUely Fight Betting.

absence at the Brighton Beach racetrack yester-
day for the first time since the Agnew w-Hart Id"
was passed at Albany. In their place "e.e %"
| extra number of plainclothes men unoer bieu-
tenant Langan and Lieutenant Van wagner
who have been attached to Assistant Distfio1
| Attorney Elders staff. but who VIII report "
! cantaip Kuhne who in turn will be RESPONSE
| BILE to Deputy Commissioner Baker. lhsPeo.o'
Flood, who has had charge of the police at tne
/ track, in attendance 10 see Ho" 'i'N NV
| order oS things worked.
The change was made, it is said, because the
| uniformed men were not effective in preventing
| violations of the law, and on the peliet tha' ue
| tectives who were not known cohid acoo'iip
| more. A we'll known member OF the 'o'A''
| Club pointed out that as there was ho i""
| against oral betting he could not see the hece7-
sity for the increased activity, and put IL oo"i'
| to the controversy which has risen between
! Police Commissioner Bingham and Assistant
| District Attorney Elder
| EVEN ORAL BETTING LIMITED
| The attendance was quite big as usual yes
| terday but the memory brokers were not oiS-
posed to quote prices to any but tneir par
| friends, and consequently even oral pet'ihs wa"
! to large extent limited. rImor was cuiieii'
| that there would be wholesale arrests between
| the fourth and fifth races and for that reasoi
| there was more less disquietude among lnoso
present, for the reason, as one man put IT.
| have not violated the law, so far as hiio"' uuN
don't propose to be dragged on 10 'he p0'i@o
| station on some trumped up charge'
| Several arrests were made, "Matty MAN
baimer a member OF the Metropolitan Turf AS
| sociation, being one of the victims. ne "S "
dsnant but walked off quietly with the oe'ec-
| tives. .
It seemed to be the general feeling that INC
| methods used by some of the piainciothes hoii
| after making arrests were distinctly illegal o'
| man was escorted to the old betting ring, ana
| after being ordered to hold his hands up was
deliberately searched for evidence tnat ne hao
been recording bets although he pleaded his
right to be taken to the police court before oeihs
| subjected to such treatment. The detective who
/ gave his number as 725, after at first refusing
| to identify himself transferred what he wanted
| from his victims pockets to his own, including
private letter which he would not take the
trouble to read to see that it was private In
| nature.
| Another man named Fisher who arrested
in the field was forced to his shoes, after
| his pockets had been carefully searched. to see
T if he had any betting memoranda safely hidden
away. Still another man, who demanded to see
| the detectives badge when he arrested, was
| threatened with club if he did not come along
without any further argument.
THE MEN ARRESTED.
| The men arrested included:
| William BeardalI, of No. 26 Coney Island avenue
! James Herrick. No S32 Classon avenue Morris
Mannheimer, Sixtieth street and Madison avenue
| Manhattan; David Parker. No. 2O8 Sixth avenue
| Manhattan George Douglas. No. S3 5th street
Manhattan; Joseph Clay, No. 1873 Homecrest ave
nue.; Michael Kessel No. III Macon street; Harry
McGrath, Dobbs Ferry; John Pagan, and Oscar
Mauke, No. 1as Second avenue, Manhattan. All
were released bail
| DETECTIVES BET THEMSELVES
| The principal development yesterday in con-
/ nection with the investigation by the Kings
| County Grand Jury of the conditions prevailing
| at the local racetracks the report that evil
| dence had been brought forth to show that a
! number of pIainclothes men sent down to the
| track to suppress betting had not only failed In
| their duty. but had been engaged in wild rush
| to get bets down on their own account.
| 1t was also said that great mass of evi-
| dence had been brought before the grand jury
that no indictments against the ''men higher
! up would be handed down before next week.
| An important part of the testimony said to
| have been given before the grand jury yester-
| day by two bookmakers that all the book
makers at the Sheepshead Bay track had been
compelled to pay the Coney Island Jockey Club
privilege of obtaining advance information but
at the time with the understanding that
| IL they did not pay they would be expelled from
the track, thus making the S12 in effect a
| license fee.
BINGHAM SHIFTS 1T.
| Commissioner Bingham turned the whole sit
uation over to Deputy Commissioner Baker and
Inspector Flood before the grand jury yesterday,
disclaiming for himself all responsibility for the
enforcement of the law in Brooklyn.
In regard to the change in the police arrange
ments at the track which are believed to be a
| of Wednesday, Deputy Commissioner Baker
gave out the following statement yesterday
| All the uniformed men at the racetrack will be
removed to day. Under the direction of Lieutenant
Joseph F. Langan, assisted by Lieutenant Jacob
Van Wagner, from thirty to forty from the
detective bureau will be detailed to take charge of
the racetrack situation, suppress the gambling and
enforce the provisions of the Agnew-IIart law
Lieutenant Langan has been selected 10 command
the squad of detectives who will have charge of
| dence of Assistant District Attorney Elder and
has been doing some work at the racetrack for
the last week. He is familiar with the methods
| which will obtain the results desired by Mr.. Elder
| Lieutenant Langan will report daily to Captain
| Kuhne who in turn will report to me.
| believe the uniformed cannot do effective
| work / have considered the plan Of withdra wing
| the uniformed policemen and substituting the de-
construction would be put on my action Therefore
up TO the present time the uniformed have
| been kept at the track
WON'T ADMIT POLICE FAILURE
MT. Baker refused to comment on the order is