The Washington times., 1909-12-14
URGES ABOLITION
OF HANDBOOK BETS
Former Bookmaker Asks
Senate Committee to Pro
hibit Sending Results.

That the greatest evil existing today
to the American people is the racing
handbook and pool rooms was the testl-
mony presented today 20 the Senate
Committee on judiciary 10y Henry Bro
Iaski, a reformed gambler ard book
maker. who appeared TO urge favorable
action on the bill introduced by Sena-
tor Burkett. prohibiting the transmits
sion over interstate telegraph wires OF
racing information.
"The handbook business" Brolasld
testified. "is the first initiative Of the
unsophisticated to gamble on the
horses. The percentage against the
player winning in handbook is from
q TO 10 per cent; i'm pool-room play it
runs from 3 to $50 per cent.
Thousands In New York.
"In New York city there are 100000
handbook and pool room players at a
low estimate. The play that Is han
died by these places is usually from
"a class of people who can in AFFORD to
lose and their bets average from 50
cents upward.
Handbook proprietOrs accept bets
from minors Of both sexes: messenger
boys are used to a great extent in this
business and there is only one remedy
OF putting this evil out of business ef-
Iectually-that is by enactment Of a
law prohibiting the transmission OF
pool room and rack track information
over telegraph or telephone wires eth
er openly or IN cipher, and by having
these laws enforced after they are
passed; and also by having a law
passed prohibiting the use Of the mails
Ito newspapers that publish rack track
prices, or results"
Brolasd presented several exhibits
among them a list of pool rooms and
FrHfF 10 azfo foHf - n.rs.fs
ne was personally acquainted.
Let Public Gamble.
I'VE let the public gamble with
us" continued Brolaski. referring to
the bookmakers. but we are on the
INSIDE and know the tricks I have
lost $4,000 in two days, and I have
'wOn 100000 on a single race"
But what is a poolroom?" asked
Senator Nelson
well, this would make a fine pool
room" answered Brolaski. and the
Senators looked up i'm surprise a
ticker could be placed in that corPer
= telegraph instrument there, and q
list OF horses and prices on that
Wilbur F. Crafts, superintendent OF
the international Reform Bureau
made the opening speech. He had
not gone Ear when Senator Nelson
thep-' Mlnn-) interrupted with.
What Is a PoolroOm?
Let somebody explain this. never
saw horserace and would like to know
the modus Operandi. What is a poo
froom2 How is business carried on il
"A pooiroom? what IS a bookmaker2
Crafts answered that he knew al
about IT, but preferred that some othe
speaker make the explanation.
Senator Clarke CRep.. Wyo) asked
whether nearly an the states Gid no
prohibit betting on races
~They do, said Crafts ''but the lana
are Ineffective. The gamblers, BY rs
ing the telegraph wires. do the betfinl
~ other states than those IN whicf
DR.. @. T. Tufts. secretary Of the Re
FORM Bureau on the Pacific Coast, toll
how the bureau working through Sec
retary OF State Knox and Presiden
Diaz had suppressed race tracks Jus
across the line in Mexico.
Now For Reform.
He explained that Henry BroIaskl
who had been interested in one Of thes
tracks. is now an active agent Of tn
. reform bureau Tufts said that r. II
Williams. owne- Of fifty poolrooms o.
the Pacific Coast. had boasted that tn
millennium would come before Congress
passed a bin barring race track betting
information from the telegraph AM
telephone
YOU don't accept him as an author
fity, do yOUT asked Senator Clarke
Tufts said he did not.
The Rev. .. r. Miller. secretary o
the reform bureau. disclosed a. grca
scheme to make Havana the Mont
Carlo Of the Western Hemisphere.
."CUba IS wide oDen for gambling
I he said. They have a national Iottery
Now a syndicate proposes to make HaV
ana center for racing and other gamh
ling, and 20 send the odds by Telegram
20 pOolrOoms In the United States The
would debauch our country"
The Rev. A. $. Gregg. correspondent
secretary Of the bureau. said the figh
Of Governor Hughes against race trac
gambling IN New York was IargeI
uullihed by the fact that by telegrap
gambling was made possible on race
IN other States