Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-14
ENGLASDS TURF TROUBLES
swindling Done on a Large Scale in
the Early Seventies.
CLEVER. BUT RECKLEss WORK
GsnE Of ManIpuIators Operated News
paper snd Bank of Their own
and HeavI1y VictimiEed =
Rich French Couptess.

In a recent article written by Alfred Al
nson in the London Sporting Times, the
pink un." the great turf frauds which
caused a sensation inN England in the 10s
we're retoId and have since revived other
stories OF q similar nature. Mr.. Allison
writee IN this interesting vein:
In cieverness OF conception and reckless
daring in perpetration the great turf frauds
OF the EOS we're probably the most remark
able IN the history OF swindling as assoc
ciated with racing. They were bstter known
as the De Goncourt frauds from the fact
that the chief victim was a wealthy French
widow OF that name. what makes them
more remarkable Is the fact that the per-
petrators managed TO suborn Scotland Yard
to such an extent that four of the leading
detectives OF the day were subsequently put
on trial for aiding and sbetting the swim
dlers to escape Justice. Both trials occu-
pied many days and resulted in revelations
which created the greatest interest through
out the country, especially in sporting cir
cles. The prime schemet' was the notorious
henry Benson, one of the most extfaordi-
nary criminal freaks Of the century.
Among various schemes and methods
adopted for avoiding the stringent provi-
sions of the betting house act was that OF
offering by circulars and other means ia
~cilities for discretionary Investments. The:
we're all more or less the work OF. swim
dlers. When the principals were exposed
and things got too hot for them they sim
ply changed their names and the venue Of
their operations and started in fresh fields.
Kurs = NstursI nIu
Prominent. among others advertising
from Edinburgh was a firm who traded UNI
der the name OF Gardner a Co, and 1t
flooded the country with its circulars and
messages OF various kinds. The head and
CHIEF of this enterprising body was a
natural genius named William Kurr. He
was a man of about rs years OF
age and would have passed as a sue
cessful and honest young farmer. Nature
had been kind to his face, for he had not
enough honesty in his whole composition
TO i~mpregnate a house fly. On the con-
trary, he was q cunning, courageous scoun-
drel-a man OF intense energy. resource and
ability. He was the son Of a baker and
when only u years old he was fulfilling the
duties OF clerk on the Southeastern rail-
way. Twelve months OF this employment
was, however, enough for his youthful en-
ergies and he took up a berth as clerk IN
q money lending company called the Gros-
vsttpr Investment trust. This in due course
collapsed. Kurr then returned to his old
love OF betting, or, rather, cheating. and,
as he frankly contested, he devoted the
rest of his. life TO living on his Wits by
swindling and plunderlng thef public
Gardner & Co. seems to have been-a part
Of the machinery for carrying out this pro.
gram.
Excellent, however. as we're the profits
OF this firm, they did not fiji the cup OF
Kurr's ambition. The British Isles were
too limited and the legal veto possibly too
stringent to allow of the full development
Of the firms ideas. They wished 10 spread
their net on the continent and to gather
in some Of the wealthy birds ripe for pluck
ing abroad. Fortune was with them at this
juncture, for they saw the advertisement
OF a person looking for a situation who
possessed exactly the qualifications they
needed. After negotiations they secured the
services OF Mr.. Young the author OF the
advertisement.
Henry Benson =. Real SwIndIer.
Now, II they had gone seriatim through
the ranks OF all the dead wrong 'uns' from
John O. CIRCUITS house TO Lands End they
could not have pinched a more useful addi-
tIon to their ranks. for in the person of
Mr.. Young they had secured Henry BEN
son, who became one OF the most notorious
criminals OF the latter end Of the last CEN
fury.
IL was after Benson's engagement with
the firm that Gardner & Co. got seriously
to work and started operations on the con-
tinent. The first brilliant effort in this
direction wal the issue OF a paper which
bore the name of Sport. This journal had
bat one number. though the one circulated
was described ss.No. T3.' 1t was published
Ia Edinburgh. only 800 copies being printed.
This paper was represented to be the prop
erty OF = Mr.. Montgomery a gentleman
who was lauded to the skies in its pages
Tor his noble efforts to put the English
turf on q sound basis, Mr.. Montgomery
was but one Of the numerous aliases as
sumed by Benson in steering amid the rocks
and duicksands which crowded the way In
his stormy passage through life, ,
Mr.. Montgomery was represented az
a man who by his knowledge OF turf mat
ters and unique method OF getting informa.
tion was enabled to make fabulous fortunes
out of betting. To judge by the praise Law.
lshed upon him by the editor Of Sport n,
was a sort of walking encyclopedia OF stabI,
secrets. a hackers wade mecum. and al