Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-03-17
POOL ROOMS
To Be EXPOSED.
SAYS FIELDER
Batenan Prosecution Will In
VoIve Other Prominent Men,
Attorney Asserts.

An unusual story Of an alleged fake
horse-raclng- betting scneme operated
in Atlanta, in which the uninitiated
were heeced of thousands of dollars,
viii be unfolded before the grand jury
tomorrow morning when it considers
charges against J. y. Bateman. former
justice Of the peace and member of the
Atlanta bar arrested at Miami Fla
last Monday
Frank Rathleuter Of Kigore. Nebr.,
who alleged he was heoced Of $4,000 in
| fake pool room, on the third floor Of the
| building at Il IL Whitehall street, is
the prosecutor.
| According 10 T. B. Fielder retained
/ by Mr.. Rathleuter the prosecution viii
| be far reaching, touching several places
| In the South and North, reached" by a
grapevine Of alleged fake wires running
! from nowhere into pool rooms, where
| the unwary are tipped to the very best
! horse on the card that day. Mr. Fielder
/ said the prosecutions would not be linn
| ited'to Mr.. Bateman. but would include
| some ten or twelve more or less promi-
nent men, whom, it Us alleged, are in
| the conspiracy.
| To Georgian reporter Mr.. Fielder
/ gave the result Of an investigation ex-
/ tending over two weeks, in which pri-
vate detectives were used.
This thing will open the peoples
eyes" he said.
"Game Simple One
The game is more or less a simple
one. Bateman has been doing this
thing a number of years, and Rath-
Ieuter is not the only man who has been
| swindled. We will present reliable wit
ncsses tomorrow morning VINO have
been taken in in the same way and UNI
Ger the same circumstances" said Mr..
Fielder
The result OF the investigation of
our private detectives convinced us
Bateman was in with the gang at Mi
ami and later Investigations have PROV
en- he is rather an old hand at the game.
"Rathleuter met him at Miami. The
acquaintance became to be a little in
innate, and Bateman enticed him to a
place similar TO the one that was op-
Grated in Atlanta. one of the gang, a
Mr.. Brown, formed a partnership with
Rathleuter. They were to share their
winnings on the horse races. Rath-
leuter's first bet was $4,000 He gave
his personal check. Very naturally, he
won. The exact winning was $3.50
The next step in the game was to
question the validity Of the check They
told him if il was good-that is. if he
got the money for u-they would de-
liver him his winnings
Check Cashed in Omaha.
"Rathleuter went to Omaha. Nebr..
and got the check cashed Brown. who
represented himself to be "a stock bro
ker Of ST Paul Mimi. went with him.
They returned TO Atlanta. and Brown
| induced Rathleuter to go TO a place
here. operated by the same folks. They
did so. Brown tipped his companion
off to a horse that was sure-and being
partners. induced him to bet the $4,000
cash and the $500 he had won at
Miami. The fake wire was touched,
and it was arranged.
The next very natural step was that
Rathleuter lost Brown. his compan-
ion, told him TO so to Kansas City and
wait for him; that he would go by St
Paul and get his share Of the losses and
bring them there to him. Suspecting
a frameup, RathIeuJcr investigated
Browns connections at st Paul.
whereupon he returned to Atlanta, and
Bateman's arrest followed, as "a result
Of the investigation of the private de-
tectives
we viii produce witnesses who vii!
show that such a place was in existence,
and others We're taken in in the same
game a. was Rathleuter Before Rath-
leuter started his investigation. the
place was equipped like regular pool
room, ticllers, instruments, telegraph
operators and the blackboard. 1t was
all cleaned out before the detectives
could look it over, but this doesn't af-
feet the case.
"Bateman is the king bee Of the
bunch, who operate at Palm Beach
Miami and several Florida resorts, At
, lanta, ST. Paul. Kansas City. and prob
, ably through the East
We will produce evidence so strange
as to be hardly believable, but beyond a
doubt unquestionable'