The Evening standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1910-1913, 1910-12-26
CITY FOOL ROOMS
CAUSE A STIR

kAUCL "A ~ IN
During the past two weeks there
has been considerable competition be-
tween the pool room of the Forum
saloon on Grant avenue, between
Twenty'fourth and Twenty-ufth street.
and the exchange al the Ogden Turf
saloon on Twenty-fifth street, between
Washington and Grant avenues. the
two places being only u short distance
apart The pool room at the Forum
has laid claim 10 the exclusive wire
from Oakland races, but in some way
the ogden Turf has been marking the
results on their board 4 hole In the
floor Of a room above the Forum, oC-
cupied by employees OF the Ogden Turf
was discovered Saturday evening and
the men were arrested
The men arrested were Carl FarT
and Richard O'Conner. but were re-
leased soon afterward. when II was
discovered that there was no law uu-
der which they could be punished so
long as they had not tampcTed with
the wires over which the reports are
received. and there was no evidence
TO this effect They obtained their re-
ports for the rival exchange by cutting
n hole in the floor OF a room directly
over the pooroom. but it is claimed
that neither of the men were telegraph
operators and that they took the re-
ports only after they had been made
by the announcer.
Details of the AFFAIR involve the
names OF several prominent business
men who are said to be connected
with the exchange located In Black K
Wards Forum saloon on Grant av-
enue, It is also hinted that the pub
llcity resulting from the affair may
be the signal gun for a wholesale cru
Sade against the race track poolrooms
and that this form OF gambling In Og-
den is doomed.
The investigation by the police on.
cials was made at the lnsti-
cation OF Jimmie Dunn. one Of the
proprietors OF the Forum exchange,
IL is claimed that the exclusive fran
chiso for the Oakland and eastern
races was obtained by the proprietors
Of the Forum exchange, and that the
reports cost them about 800 per day
II is claimed that previous TO the
second floor arrangement and tele'
phone service to the Turf exchange,
representatives of that institution were
stationed In the Forum and obtained
the race reports, afterward conveying
them 10 the Twenty-tifth street resort
The proprietors of the Forum are
said TO have become acquainted with
this system and refused To allow the
Turf messengers 20 enter the place.
AS the Turf continued to receive re-
ports, and even more quickly and ac-
curately than before, Dunn and his
associates had suspicious of wire-tap-
ping.
Armed with a search warrant. Chief
OF Detectives James Pender and De.
tectiye Burk went TO the Forum
and went at once to the second
floor. which Is occupied as 4
rooming house and operated by
man named Rogers Rogers Is said To
have opposed the visit of the officers
through the rooms OF the upper floor,
but they were supplied with the nee
essary papers in the form OF u search
warrant
In one of the rooms directly over the
large blackboard on which the races
are marked up. the detectives found
Farr and O'Conner For the use OF
this room the Turf proprietors are said
TO have paid Rogers $40 per week
In some unknown manner the visit ~
the officers had reached Farr, and he
had succeeded in cutting the telephone
from the wall and hid II.
Upon investigation of the room II
was found that a hole about one foot
square had been cut in the floor, after
which the opening had been covered
by a rug. BY lying on the floor with
his ear To the opening man could
hear the reports as they were read on
by the announcer. or even take the
reports direct from the telegraph in
strument II he happened to be an op
orator The reports were then trans
mitted TO the Turf exchange by tele-
phone.
After making their discovery Farr
and O'Conner were taken over To the
police headquarters and the county
attorney was summoned. PrOprictors
OF the Turf exchange also sent Attor-
ney II. II Henderson TO the police de-
partment To look after the interests
oi their employees. Upon acquanung
himself with the circumstances OF the
case the county attorney arrived NJ
the conclusion that. as the men had
not molcstcd the telegraph wire. there
was nothing In the statutes under |
which they could be held and pun
shed On the advice Of the county |
1fTcial. Chief of Police Browning !
therefore released Farr and O'Conner. |
Much excitement followed the an |
of the arrest of Farr and |
1'Conner. and for a time a small-slzed
lot was threatened. Employees and !
patrons OF the Turf exchange descend
ID on the pool room operated by Dunn
md his associates and started free
or-all. but the trouble was quickly
by the police