Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-06
LAW BEATERS

H HE yellow pro-vice newspaper pub
lished in this city contains a
subtle suggestion or hint to the
sports and gamblers who have
been warned by the state of California
that they viii no longer be permitted
to debauch young men and interfere
with business and economies in this
state. eff the Otis-Walker bill holds
good, and betting is shown to be i'm
possible, a winter meeting probably
will be run off at Tia Juana, sixteen
miles from San Diego, Cal, next win
ter. PLANS ARE ALREADY UNDER
WAY"
This statement, published in the col
umns of our contemporary. may be
regarded and accepted as an announce
ment that arrangements are being
made with a view of defeating the
purpose of the anti-gambling bill. The
scope of anti-gambling legislation
should be broad enough to meet the
case and prevent the gamblers from
hoodwinking and laughing at the
authorities and the authority Of the
state Of California
1t would be well if there were ex-
plicit legislation which would end at
once and for all time all shuffling,
lodging, double-dealing and eva
sion Of law. If it were made a felony
to transmit racing reports and quota
tions of the betting odds over the wires
of the Western Union and other tele-
graph companies the problem would be
solved. An evil cannot be checked
thoroughly while powerful contribu-
tary source and feeder Of that evil is
allowed to battle the efforts of the re-
formers.
The Western Union Telegraph COM
track gambling in North America than
have all the gamblers, touts and tip
sters and hangers on in the country.
Pool rooms are dependent for their
very existence on the Western Union
service and the skill of the Western
Union operator who is assigned to this
special work" Pool rooms cannot be
conducted without wires and without
an expert to transcribe the telegraphed
messages, so that the news and the
odds may be posted for the Information
of gamblers. Why not make a legal
provision for the arrest Of the manager.
superintendent and chief operator of a
telegraph company which aids and
abets violation of law, or leases a wire
for such purpose?
Why not make it a felony to trans
NIT over the telegraph or telephone
wires news that has anything to do
with betting, for instance, racing form,
tips and odds quoted? AS long as it is
not unlawful to send betting news,
gambling information, over the wire,
the public may be fooled by being used
as the fasteners were used, as in the
case Of the infamous Gutenberg track,
in New Jersey. At Gutenberg an al
legged race track was kept in opera
tion all the year round. In summer it
was dusty; in winter it was muddy. A
few old skates were kept in the stables.
Every day new handicaps, etc., were
announced. The entries were the same
old bunch of Weary Raggles horses,
cards under new and surprising names
In summer they scuffied along amid
clouds of dust and mosquitoes. In
winter they plowed their way through
a slough Of mud that was stickiest and
meanest at the home stretch. But the
Western Union telegraphed diligently
the news of this spurious race track,
and gambling on the strength of the
Gutenberg annex to the glue factory
was conducted in pool rooms and bar
rooms all over the United States. We
only need to think of Gutenberg to
realize that just as surely as there is
racing at Tia Juana, handbooks will be
made on the streets Of Los Angeles,
and the spirit and purpose Of the
anti-gambling legislation for which
Arthur Let's and other splendid citi-
zens fought so gallantly, so nobly
and so strenuously, will be set at
naught 1t is evident the anti-gam-
bling law must be supplemented by
one forbidding telegraph companies to
lend it's services to the gambling
interests Keep the Tia Juana gam
bling hell OFF THE WIRES and its
power for mischief making will be ex-
ceedingly limited.