The sun., 1908-12-20


ld<sa ssmellne hoasas d Nsv Ysfh
tough game, ! q Gan T tsIi yculs s'o ~s
The rooms uBed TO be WIdA open here
once, weren't theyf' asked the Western
'sure. EIikei But that wss when New
YeEk Tas q live town and things was
Tf Tnn vide open, Did you ever hear Of
KSonIe,, KSse De Lazy ssy Jerry Mshoney, Butch
In the old daysP Why, Butch Thornpson
ran sthe biggest room in this country
right on Broadway twenty yaaka a1o.
II was called the White Elephant and
stood almost eCroes the otreee nom tho
Imperial Hotel. It was Q big joint and
t1rse hundred men, ueed 70 60 In there
of the tracks. II did : great business
on duttenburg and Gloucestey In the
winter time. and thsre never was any
trouble. The White Elephant. friend.
was twice as big as the place you jusi
lefa What do you think Of that7
and 9s SioP SSRS ST. busy nftsS r. Thils though
Leyein. Honest John Kelly, Jimmy
Wakely, Mahoney and others lodged the
law by opening What was called 'cofnnais-
eion Offices They profeesed to take
bets on the horses at track odds and then
wired the money to supposed agents ct
the tracks. This scheme worked for q
while. but 1t got 90 raw that the brass
button guys raided everybody and killed
"How did they work It after thatp' the
western man wanted to know.
Why, under the belt OF ooursei' ex-
claimed the capper with laugh. "The
bold guys either had a pull with some
politician or did business behind steel
door,: But the best scheme wss. the
guy got an office In some skyscraper and
put loud sounding name and business
title on the door. Then he notified his
clients that he would take bets. They
telephoned what they wanted and IL he
didn't care to handle all OF their bets he
Just laid few OF the biggest OF with
'Sther guys who were doing the same
know a feller who had pull and he was
running twenty five Of these phone rooms
downtown, handling all kinds Of coin,
until jerome got wind OF it and made
hun skiddoo. But he's built up the old
business again over in Brooklyn.
There's n good play In some Of the
stock brokers Offices. know Arm not
far from Fifth avenue and Thirty-fourth
street which is handling as much money
on the races as on Wall Street Just now.
They only cater to the big bettors, though,
and do everything on credit. They pay OF
the next day on closing track odds.
In short, they conduct a big handbook
and cannot be interfered with. Hand
books' Why: they're ell over town.
You can find 'em in ginmiIls. hotels,
billiard rooms. variety stores and even In
the street. know fellow who's been
making handbook within a few yards
of the Brooklyn Bridge for a year and
there's another who handles bets in front
OF an uptown newspaper bulletin board
xrh fhe &c -
Both OF these guys have been pinched.
but they had nothing on EN-. People
who make pike bets-a dollar or perhaps
five spot-like these handbooks, but
the guys operating 'em won't take more
than $25 at the most. and then only on
favorites. They have 1t understood with
you too that you can't get more than
that may be quoted at q longer price in the
track odds published the next day. That
Is why the good solid bettors will take the
trouble TO 60 over to Jersey for real
action which you got this afternoonl'
They were under the Hudson River on
ern man looked at his watch .
'Goshl' he exclaimed. Il haven't had
my dinner and I've got q box party at the
theatre. didn't know II took so longI'
What do you care about thati' laughed
the oapper. you won some coin, didn't
your
sOf course did, = was the reply. "but I
don't care about that. WANTED to have
some funl'
sFun, chr" calculated the poolroom
plugger. "It wouldn't "a been no fun,
friend, u you'd lost that Roeeben bett
Eh2 You'd a. been hollerin' yet! So
I'm glad you wonl Go again?''
sLet me know when there's something
real good" was the ready response, @and
III see about it. As the Western man
said good-by and jumped into taxicab
tho capper looked after him and sneered:
"He a tenderfoot, chr Why. he's one o.
them wise ones that knows the gamei
You bet be won't 60 again with mol Why,
I'd lose the job II / brought one Of his kind
over to the game every day. The boss
wants suckers. and I'll take good care
In future to dig 'em up.
Racing was Killed In New Jersey nearly
fifteen years ago, but It Is evident that
betting IN certain parts Of that State ID
very much alive.
aThey may pass laws which will close
the racetracks everywhere In the United
States" said o well known gambler yes
terday, "but IL there's racing In Canada
or Mexico there1l be betting with hand
books or in poolrooms In every large
American city. So they might as we'll
let the tracks keep open