New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-06-01
BELMONT TRACK
DRY FOR HEARST
WOMEN SLEUTHS
Ordered Whiskey at Pub
lie Bar, but Detective
Interfered.
SPORTING WRITERS
SAW VOLUNTEERING
Testify That Bookmaking Is Lost
Art in Park and Journals"
Charges Unfounded.

n klUOly noIluHN Splrll ruleu nv 'hc
John Doe inquiry yesterday, before
Justice Scudder at Mineola. to investi-
gate "The Evening Journals" charges
that gambling and other disorderly acts
were all the rage at Belmont track.
Neither Arthur Brisbane, Of "The Jour
nal" nor any of his employees was on
the STAND at yesterdays hearing; there
fore there were no harsh words against
the racing park.
Miss Elizabeth Van Thuysen and
Helen McClay testified that they went
70 the track at the instance of "The
Journal" 1t began to look as if
something real mean was about to be
said about the place when they testi-
fed to having gone to the bar and or
dered whiskey and soda.
"A white man served us with the
drinks, but we did not drink them,
Miss Van Thuysen said. This relieved
the tension considerably; and il sagged
completely when Michael Malone, a de-
tective in the employ of the track,
came TO the stand and told how he
saw the two young women order the
drinks, but stopped them from drink
ing them.
"Thev were just about to. drink
them" re said land told them they
couldn't do it. as it is one of the strict
est rules of the racing association that
women shall not drink at the bar. but
only in the dining room. | have a
fixed post by the bar TO see that the
rules are carried out"
This whiskey and soda testimony OF
the two young women, sent at the in
stance Of "The Journal" was the only
hint Of an unkind word against the
racetrack. John II. Carl, a contractor
Of Bald Gin, had the most idealistic view
Of the racetrack.
9TH 3 was hardly anything done a
the track that might not be done in {
church he said.
For the rest. most of the witnesses
were the sporting writer's of papers
other than "The Journal" Joe Villa
of The Evening Sum-" said that he haC
beer. al through the crowd in thu
grounds. clubhouse and paddock anC
saw odds quoted, soliciting Of bets
or actual betting. The most he saw
was tho passing of slips of paper bear
ing nc noranda of bets. This had beer
declare lawful by the courts.
Ed CIrley. Of "The Journals" part
ner in journalism, "The New Yorl
American" answering questions cate
gorica :, said he saw no boOkmaking
girls or women drinking. no soliciting
Of bets, public quoting Of prices moi
any other of the acts reported by Mr.
Brisbane's crusaders and denounced il
Mr. Brsbane's editorials.
George Herbert Daley, sporting editor
of The Tribune, told of the investiga
tion he personally had made and OF
his conviction that the conditions al
the track were clean and lawful in
every way.
"In my capacity as a newspaper man
to get all the facts, it has been neces-
sary for me 10 make personal investi-
CATION" he said, land | can consci-
entiously say of my. own knowledge
that there is no such thing as open
bookmaking there as that is defined in
the court decisions.
9TH y, ls betting on the oral system
but ! never heard any one solicit wag-
ers. There is no gambling. If there had
been | would have reported it in my
paper. ! have looked into this matter
and have had the advice of lawyers as
to the court decisions and the facts
and they assure me that there is nc
evidence that would stand in the courts
Of anything that is unlawful.
There are handicappers who study
the physical condition of the horses
past performances, weights, and sc
fort and they make their reports tC
the cwspapers, and this to a certain
extent establishes prices. But they arr
not the men who lay bets. There is
nothing under cover. Everybody knows
there is betting but there is absolutely
v,,th1sc hOplro oh onA I erloH IL
say this under oath.
"Boo kmahing, as | understand the in
depreciation OF the courts, is the public
laying of bets to all corners at an es
tablished stand. 1t is a scheme where
by man who runs a book always ar
ranges a percentage in his own favor
from Two to twenty per cent. No sucl
| scheme is possible at the Belmont tract
| now, because as things are going OIL
| there no one has enough public play u
1 make a round book; that is, to get il
| enough bets on all horses in a race t.
| insure his own percentage"
| Charles T. Bronson, of "The Times.
/ sid had special instructions fror
his paper to watch for and report an
! violations. He saw liberal betting, h
said, but no public gambling. In orde
20 bet now, he said, a man must estab
lish p credit and be known to be abb
to pa. The betting is conducted u
most part simply by memorandum
handed from man TO man at the races
TO he paid afterward somewhere else
Of think this complaint" said Vincen
/ T-canor. of THE Evening World" "wa
/ hciously overdrawn. overwritten an
| 0 ermanaged. ! have been struck wit
| difficulty of making bet, an
| ! We often been sorry for visitors VIII
| s. ant to speculate and find it impossi
l BILE TO do so. Unless they know SOM
one they can't place a bet. A maj