Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-13
01l-d.t'Su
BETTING RING RAID
At JAMAICA TRACK
Twelve Arrests Made by Plain
Clothes Men-They Weren't
Gentle, Either.

NEW YORK, OCTOBER l3.-lHe poiiCe
drove 1900 layers of odds and oral bettors
from the betting ring at the Jamaica race
track yesterday.
Two mounted policemen rode spirited
horses into the ring and then there was
circus. The horses pressed into the crowd
bumped against and threatened to tram
pie men or. at any rate. to stamp on their
toes. The spectators fed like sheep.
The bettors' flight was fastened by
dozen policemen on foot, who pushed along
the laggards, crying Get out OF here!
When the forcefu eviction ended the
police horses had won in a walk. ZOO
men were huddled on the lawn and. were
ordered: stay here or get off the
grounds
Twelve Arrests Made.
While the excitement was at its height,
plain clothes men arrested George Rose,
owner of the Arcadia race track, one of
the wealthiest layers Of odds in the coun-
try; Tom Shaw. a horse owner and So
called bookmaker; Rod Mcmahon. resi-
dent of Buffalo. Handicapped and a COM
mission broker. and nine others VINO the
police charge, were clerks Tor the Dig
dealers in the Odds
The plain clothes men were not gentle
II, making the arrests. They walked up
to groups of men, grabbed the man in
have you got In your clothes?' and
went through his pockets after evidence
that he was receiving and recording
bets in violation of section 1856 OF the
penal code. The twelve prisoners were
bundled into patrol wagon and taken
to the Jamaica station house. The ar
rests were made without warrants.
1t was the first day of racing In Queens
county this year: 1t looked so black Tor
racing In the spring that there was no
meeting at either the Jamaica or Aque-
duct track.
Raid Was Expected.
Police Inspector Thomas J. Kelly, Dor
ouch inspector of Queens, said he made
the raid on his own initiative and that he
is determined to clean out any betting
ring, old or new, in his batliwick. In
spector Kelly is the man whom Mayor Nc
Clelan appointed police inspector at large
the day before Commissioner Bingham re-
signed.
The raid was not unexpected in Jamai-
"a. The early trains had scarcely ar
rived and racegoers had hardly obtained
their programs when rumors spread that
the police would make arrests. For half
an hour there were number of confer
ences between the betting men. These
talks so delayed the opening prices that
instead of quoting the odds before
o'clock, the usual time. 1t was not until
quarter of an hour later that they were
posted.
During these conferences friends OF
Sol Lichtenstein and Tom Shaw said that
they would not offer odds for fear of be-
ing arrested. But later the atmosphere
busily engaged ten minutes before the
first race was called.
While the betting men were discussing
the subject whether to conduct business
or to be merely spectators, report was
had demanded that each bookmaker give
nm 500 for protection. Several of the
bookmakers said that they had heard
such reports, but they would not be
shaken down..
1--WE have not given up a cent to date,
so why should we begin at this track?'
one of the layers said to a reporter for
the World 1--WE are not violating the
law and are merely accepting oral bets in
accordance with the courts decision
Attributed to Politics.
Other racegoers said politics had COM
PEELED the raid. that 1t had to be made
after William NJ. WINS declaration that
Justice Gaynor would like to smash the
anti-betting law.
INSPECTOR Kelly had another explana-
ton. Said he:
after talking with Deputy Race Com
missioner Boorum decided that men had
no right to gather in a place where In
former years they INDUCED in betting and
I determined to clear them out
Were you instructed by District Attor-
new De witt Of Queens to make the ar
rests and clean out the betting ring?"
"Well," was the reply. latter 1 had de-
termined to take such action the district
attorney told me he thought the crowd
should not be allowed to congregate In
the betting ring.
Does this raid mean that the police in
tend to stop all betting?"
mo" Kelly answered under the de-
cisions of the court men may bet between
themselves; but no man who makes
profession Of accepting bets will be al
lowed to continue to do SO. And every
man whose business it Is to lay odds on
or against horses Is professional bet
tor"
why were the arrests made caring the
third race and not before?'
Busy Getting Evidence.
Because my men we're busiy engaged
in obtaining evidence which would war
rant placing men in custody. They watch
ed the men who were accepting bets and
their clerks and when they found they
had sufficient evidence to make a charge
Of receiving and registering bets they ar
rested them.
At the Jamaica police station 1t devel-
oped that surprising number OF real
estate dealers had been arrested. The
twelve prisoners. all charged with re-
ceiving and recording bets. described
themselves as William Gallagher of No.
300 Putnam avenue. Brooklyn, a clerk;
William McDermott Of No. 20 Rivington
street, New York, a salesman; Joseph
Quinn of Buffalo, n. y. a clerk; Nat