The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-12-15
'BROLASKI EXPOSE
OF GAMBLING GAMES

Washington, Dec 14.-With sup
porting cast OF reformers galore, both
men and women. Henry Brolaski of
Monrovia. Cal. who professed to be a
reformed race track gambler, was the
star feature of hearing today before
the senate judiciary committee In
Southport OF the Burkett bill TO pro.
hibit the transmission of race track
betting odds over telegraph or tele.
phoDe lines. He told now the public
is mulcted by bookmakers at race
track by poolrooms and by handbook
makers.
MI BrolaSki in most candid and
picturesque fashion, gave details of
the gamblers life and showed the poor
chance OF returns for money invested
which is given to the gambling public
He vas one of the owners % MeXi-
can track that was regarded as the
basis of gambling operations In the
United States and wac put out OF busi-
ness at the instance 'of the department
OF state through negotiation with the
Mexican government.
Brolaski is now seeking to have
tracke in which he has no interest
Otdil WIN III ike manner.
Has Wide Experience.
Introducing himself as having been
gambler, poolroom proprietor. book
maker upon race tracks and a hand.
book maker. Brolaski said he had
worked In his line in St Louis, Chi
caGo, Fort Worth. Robey, Atlanta.
Charleston. s, OK New Orleans, San
Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, La
tonia. Louisville and Bennings tracks.
and had had q years experience He
roughly estimated that there are now
in the United States between sixty
and seventy poolrooms. and that fifty
of these are in New York city.
He calculated that there were in
operation nearly 1.510 handbooks.
which he declared are the incentive
that make the unsophisticated gamble
on the horses. He gave at length de-
tails of methods employed b. race
track bookmakers. poolroom operators
and handbook makers He said that
In New York city there were at least
100000 handbook and poolroom play
ers, and that the evil was growing
daily,
Take Money OF the Poor.
The play that Is handled by the
head books and poolrooms.' said Bro.
iaski, is usually from class OF peo-
PIE that can I'll afford 10 lose, and their
bets average from fifty cents up. The
man OF family will take chance and
lose his rent money; the clerk viii
take chance and lose his board mon
ey; the girl Will take q chance and
Use money that she should eXDend on
herself. 1t is the ereed for more mon
ey and the gambling fever that be-
comes inoculuted into their system,
and 1t is growing all the time"
Brolaski condemned the ticker serv.
fee of the Western Union Telegraph
company or subleased lines as D. great
evil that should be stopped 1T is
service giving the results and the
prices as they finish, he said
Pointing out the poor chance given
the better for return of any part of
his wager. the witness said that In a
poolroom the percentage against the
player would run from 20 10 $50 per
cent and ina handbook the percentage
Was from FIVE to IL per cent
No Chance to Beat Game.
A player had that much the worst
Of it 10 start With, Brolaski said
and there was no possible chance 10
beat the game
Common sense will tell you that
from five per cent up will eat up
any mans capital IL taken out six
times day he declared
There IS only one means" said
Mr.. Brolaskit Hof putting this evil out
OF business effectually, and that Is by
the United States government enact
ing law prohibiting the transmission
of poolToom and race track iuforma-
ton over telegraph or telephone wires,
either openly or In cipher, and by
having those laws enforced after they
are passed: also prohibiting the use
OF the mails TO newspapers that pub
hSh race track prices or results.
He said he could describe to the
committee cases with which he had
personal acquaintance where men had
become absconders and thieves on ac-
count of the poolrOom and handbook
evils, He spoke of the so-called gam
blerS' war, now i'll progress in Chicago.
caused by poolroom books aud hand
book factions. Probably 25 dynamite
bombs have been thrown at gambling
houses in the fight between these two
factions, he said,
Must Stop PooIrooms.
Rev. .. II Miller of New York, sec.
retary OF the Reform Bureau, said
that race tracks had been put out Of
business in New York under the
splendid leadership of Coy Hughes,
but that all OF his efforts and those
OF the reform elements would come TO
naught unless transmission OF infor-
nation used by poolrooms and hand
books were stopped
Senator Clark. chairman OF the judi
ciary committee. asked that An argu.
ment be submitted on the subject OF
the constitutionality OF legislation ad
vocated. He said most people were
agreed as TO the moral side OF the
matter. and that there could be no
question of the right OF congress to
stop The transmission Of racing news
through the mails. but there might be
a question Of regulating the lines 10
that extent.
A number Of women from New York.
New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the
City Of Washington interested in tenn.
perance and anti-gambllDs move,
ments. spoke briefly.