The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-12-15
SENATE HEARS ALL
ABOUT GAMBLING
Race Track Follower Tells of
Evils of Racing Game
TICKER SERVICE RAPED
Testimony Is Given Before Committee
Relative to Bill Which Proposes
To Prohibit Wire Transmits
sion of Betting Odds.
TICKER SERVICE RAPED

Washington, December 14-With sup
porting cast of reformers galore. both
male and female, Henry Brolash of Mon
rovia, Cal, who professed to be gano-
Ter upon race tracks, was the star fea-
ture of hearing today before the Sen
ate Judiciary committee in support Oh
the Burkett bill to prohibit the trans
mission of race track betting ODDS over
telegraph or telephone lines.
Mr.. Brolash gave details of the
gamblers life and showed the poor
chance of returns for money invested
which is given to the gambling public.
He was one of the owners of Mexican
track which was put out of business at
the instance of the department OF state
through cooperation with the Mexican
, government He is now seeking to have
tracks, in which he has no interest, dealt
with In like manner.
Brolasld said he had worked In his line
in st. Louis, Chicago, Worth, Roby, At
lanta, Charleston. 8. c., New Orleans
San Francisco. Los Angeles. Latonia'
Louisville and Bennings tracks, and mad
had q years experience. He roughly estl-
mated that there were now in New York
between 50 and 60 pool rooms. He cal
culated that there was in operation hum
dreds of handbooks. He said that In
New York city there were at least 1oo'-
600 handbook and pool room players ana
that the evil was growing daily.
TieLar , Hreat Evil
Brolaski condemned the ticker service
of the western Union Telegraph COM
pany or sub-leased lines as a great evil
that should be stopped
Pointing out the poor chance given the
bettor for a return of any part OF his
wager. the witness said that In pool
room the percentage against the player
would run from % to $50 per cent, and
in a handbook the percentage was from
5 to Is per cent. Common sense Will
tell you that from per cent up VIII eat
I'D any mans capital If taken out six
times day." he declared.
There is only one means" said Mr.
Brolaski, "of putting this evil out OF
business effectually, and that Is by the
United States government enacting a
law prohibiting the transmission of pool
room and race track information over
Telegraph or telephone wires and pro-
hibiting the use Of the mails to news
papers that publish race track prices or
results"
He spoke of the so-called gamblers
war, now in progress In Chicago. caused
by pool room books and handbook fac
TONS There had probably been 20 dyna-
mite bombs thrown at gambling houses
in the fight between these two factions,
he said.
Race Tracks Killed.
The Rev. o. r. Miller Of New York,
secretary of the reform bureau. said that
race tracks had been put out OF business
in New York under the SPLENDID leader
ship of Governor Hughes" but that all
of his efforts and those of the Reform
league would come to naught unless the
transmission of intelligence to pool rooms
and handbooks was stopped.
Senator Clark, chairman of the JUDI
ciary committee asked that arguments
be submitted on the subject of the con-
stitutionality of legislation in this re-
spect.
A number of women from New York.
new
of Washington spoke briefly.
After the hearing had concluded Sen
ator Nelson said:
sT am still in the dark about some of
these matters. I thought pool room
was a place where you played game
of billiards. Now, ] want to know just
what the operation Is in laying a bet, as
you call IT.
He addressed this question to Mr.. Bro
laski, saying;
sYou are the bookmaker and am the
player. What do DOR
Everybody laughed. but Mr.. Brolash
instanced a possible play, taking a race
in which there was eight horses.
Bet Is Explained.
"Now, suppose you want to bet on King
Barley Corn, priced at to l. You give
me IS and I give you ticket which
reads 10 to s. II the horse wins you get
SO and your IS In addition. making SIS
In ALL"
"But what If King Barley Corn does
not winf' asked the senator, then what
| do I get?'
you GET" replied Brolash, 'the ticket
as a souvenir"
.~rhe play that is handled by the hand
books and poolrooms." said Mr.. Brolaski,
'is usually from class OF people that
| can Ill AFFORD to lose, and their bets
average from 80 cents up. The man OF
family will take chance and lose MS
| rent money: the clerk will take a chance
and lose his board money; the girl will
take a chance and use money that she
should expend upon herself. 1t is the
creed for more money. and the gambling
fever that becomes inoculated into their
systems, and it is growing all the time"
| He said he could cite to the commit
tee cases of personal acquaintances
wherein men had become absconders,
| drunlxards and thieves on account OF pool
rooms and handbook speculators-
Report Called Ridiculous.
New York, December M-Police Com
missioner Baker said tonight that the
testimony given at washington before
| the Judiciary committee OF the Senate
concerning gambling IN TINS city was
| ridiculous.