The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-03-24
BOOBIES GET MONEY
Blacklegs Find Victims at
Benning Track.
FROM ONE FOOT TO THE OTHER
District Police on Hand 10 See that
Law Is Not Violated by Squad from
New YOrk-FedrraI Government
Lends Aid Through BugIer, Who
Is n Marine in Full Uniform.

With the assistance Of a corps OF Pink
erton detectives. some of the detectives
from the department of the District of
Columbia, squad of police. headed by a
captain-bicycle police, mounted police.
and ordinary patrolmen-the Washington
Jockey Club was able to open its spring
meeting at the Benning race track yes
terday.
The attendance was not very large and
men were much in the majority. but
there were enough victims present 10
keep the long lines of bookmakers busy.
Indeed. they We're so busy making book
that they had seant time TO pay attention
TO the ambulatOry features Of the sup
posed law under which they are oper-
atiIg, and only twice or three times dur
ing the afternoon did the police evince
enough interest in the proceedings to ex-
claim. mildly; Gentlemen. you must
move on.
When this was said TO a buokmaker.
either he OF his clerk or his sheet-writer
would shift from one foot TO the other.
and business continued swlmmingly, while
the police moved on.
AS usual. It was fine day for the
bookmakers and bad day for the pub
lie. The latter crowded the street cars
after the races, many Of them fortunate
il they had enough 10 pay their fare.
The bookmal1ers went back in taxicabs.
automobiles, and carriages.
The wet weather which set in unex-
pectedly rather upset the calculations OF
the wise ones" as 10 the picking Of
winners. and as the winning of horses
known as frank outsiders was one Of
the features of the racing In mud yester-
day. the boOkmakers Jared unusually
we'll
All calculations as to form" and as to
the improved breed Of horses" which is
one OF the strong links in the chain of
apologies for horse racing. were upset
when it was found that there had been
hours of rain before the starting of the
first race The race followers who filed
the cars going out 10 Benning for the first
race looked almost as gloomy as the
weather as they caught a glimpse Of the
swamps and marshes that surround the
race track. for the ground was covered
with water. The faces OF the bOOkmakers
were cOrrespondingly happy. for after all
there may be such a thing as form.
and when the public has some chance 10
reason, instead Of guessing. as to which
horse win win. the bOokmakers' profits
grow smaller.
FavOrs the BOOkies.
But yesterday the bookmakers had no
cause 10 complain. The race track was a
sea Of yellow mud, and any man who was
able to guess which horse could wade
through it first was entitled to all of the
money he could win, But from the size
OF the fat rolls Of yellow bills-almost as
yellow and as dirty as the mud through
which the horses had raced-there were
few guessers good enough to take away
any money from the bookmakers.
It was noticeable that there were
mighty few OF the faces OF welI-knowr
business men seen in or about the grand
stand yesterday. The sportins- element
predominatGd hugely, and people wore
their old clothes on account of the cheer
less weather, so that It was pretty sod
den and gloomy throng. There was only
a sprinkling OF women about the grand
stand. and these. for the most part. were
not of class that are usually associated
with public gatherings Of a high class.
There were one or two members OF
the House of Representatives and a Sen
atOr or two at the track, but even they
did not look quite happy, or as II they
were having good time. One Congress-
man, who had been watching the second
race with some enthusiasm, thinking his
horse had won said:
H. a man has about as much
chance TO pick winner here as he
would in a race across a duck pond"
or course no arrests were made The
bookmakers were too busy. The police
who were all over the place. seemed
much more interested in prying over the
shoulders of the crowd to get a look
at what the odds were. than in maintain.
ing order or enforcing the gaming laws
and Il was only at very long intervals
that in a half-apologetic tone one of then
would say:
Gentlemen. please move about"
Then the bookmaker would shift hi.
card of prices into his other hand and
say:
IAN right. Cap" and in the sam,
breath. Come on, boys, what'r you bet
ting?'
Marine Blows BugIe.
To be quite sure that everything wa.
under the sanction OF the law. and tina,
even the Federal authorities do not lool
askance at this public gambling. tn,
Washington Jockey Club has obtained ;
United States marine to assist it in. get
ting things started. In full uniform of tn
United States Marine Corps, this soldie
comes solemnly forward and rings tn,
'saddling BELL" and when this is done
grasps his bugle and blows a call sum
moning the horses TO the post
II seemed to be so well understood tina
there would be no interference with tn
bOOkmakers and their trade of winning
the money of the Washington men an,
women who wanted to bet that there wa
an unusual number Of the fraternity II
line There were about seventy of tn
''peripatetics"- only they stood pretty still
for men condemned to wander. Anon,
the first fifty of the elite among the gam
blers were ]. Lyons, l. Moore, T. b
Alexander. w. Davis, n. F. Mullen, A
Chinnick, J. j. Leslie. S. Leon. johnson
d Leon. f. lilly. NJ. Storms. A Schissler
A. Krauss. B. Coehrane. H. Price. 2
Reno. John Blake. f. Vogt, l. SoIoman
NJ Maxey, J. Brady, A. Stoefel, C. Z
Jones, +. Michaels. A. Schslenger, JOSEPH
Todd, J. Hammersling, John Litchenstein
Hirsch, Worth & Co.. II. Ford, w. A
Lennon. Ed Austin, II. NJ. Marks, Be-
Davis, Tom Murphy. and number o
others who put only one name for identi
fcation on top of their betting sheets
such as Kessel. Cobe, Nell, Spencer
Fitch Rpdar Mics paa Otfc opd 60 -,