Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-04-06
ATLANTA IS NOW
A SPORTY TOWN
Races, WhiSkGy, Etc. at the
State Capital

Atlanta, Ga, April 5.-Many Allan
tans who never heard about suc1
things until accounts of them are pub
lished in the newspapers have been
surprised, perhaps shocked, to learn
that there has been going on in At
lanta just about as much betting on
horse races and other sporting events
as there was before the practice If
bookmaking was illegalized and de-
clared a misdemeanor
The"hand books as they are known
are, if anything two or three timessas
numerous as were the old time pool
rooms. They have regular places of
congregation at central points in the
business section of the city, usually
the hanging out places of idIers and
loafers, but where even business men
and workers go at times to indulge the
practice of putting little money on a
prospective winner.
just Move, Ihen Keep GOing.
The extent of the practice was first
brought to public notice through re-
ports made to the police department
by citizens who came into contact with
it, along with the request that it be
broken up. The police have promised
to break it up, but so far no arrests
have been made, and the indications
are that the crusade will result, as
have others in the past, in making the
hand bookies" move their stamping
ground to more secluded and less pub
lie places.
But the hand book" business has
been going on in Atlanta ever since
the regular pool rooms were closed,
and not a case has ever been made.
So it comes back to the proposition
that there is always way of getting
around the law if any considerable
number of persons want to do it.
Similar statement might be made as
to the prohibition law Almost, if not
quite, everyone who was in the habit
of drinking in barrooms before the
prohibition law went into effect, now
has a club in which he can go and get
any kind of drink he wants.
Liquor Gan BeHad.
This fact also was brought to the
public attention during the week as
result of an investigation of the clubs
by the Police committee of council. t
was found that there are certain clubs
which We're organized and intended 70
be no more and no less than barrooms
And while it is true there are certain
classes which do not have their sub
stitutes for barrooms and who must
get their supplies through blind tigers,
at least in one instance the club under
Surveillance was found to be a grade
or two worse than the old time bar
room, in fact, it was pronounced
questionable resort, and the Police
committee recommended that council
revoke its license.
Clubs were found which either col
lect no initiation fee or dues from
members or which accept an l. 0. Z.
for these obligations One of these
was ordered closed by the Police COM
mittee, and it was stated there are
others on the list under investigation
with regard to which similar action
may be taken
There is still another game with
reference to which the city has taken
no action, possibly because there is no
city ordinance dealing directly with
it-dealing in cotton futures.
BucketshOps Yet Existing.
Several years ago the legislature
passed the Boykin act and made it a
misdemeanor to deal in futures on any
thing; not only putting the bucket
shops out of existence, but also future
trading on the part of cotton men who
wanted at times to hedge"
Nevertheless, it is pretty well known
that those who want to buy or sell
cotton futures have had comparatively
little trouble in doing it. Those in
terested know just where to go and
just what to do, just the same as does
the man who wants to put money on
a horse race, or the other fellow who
may want to drink a dry MARTINI
or other cocktail before dinner
About all that legislation appears
to have accomplished is to have driy-
en- these enticing little practices in
to more secluded places.
Then along comes a wave of reform,
takes off the cover, looks underneath,
stirs up things for the moment and the
cover goes back on just little more
securely
Just like the automobile laws which
are violated with impunity, until there
are one or two killings, whereupon the
police get busy and number of per-
sons contribute fines for time to the
citys support.
Very Prevalent.