The New York herald., 1921-07-02
Sudden Switch in Betting
Nav Drive Odds to 2 to !
at Ringside.
SPECTATORS 'STUNG'
Golden Mirage Fades Away
as Canny Crowds Refuse
to Pay Graft.
TICKETS ARE SLASHED
Demand Slackens for $40, $50
and $40 Seats, Even When
Reduced.

place this afternoon over In Jersey
City bumped into queer angles of the
sporting situation that Is engrossing
New York as much as New York ever
permits itself to be engrossed. First
OF all, tickets for the head on COLI
sion of Cave Man and Artists Model
we're dropping in price all over town,
while visitors by the thousand poured
into the city from every State in
the Union, from Canada and even
from steamships just arrived.
Second, and even more curious, the
betting odds on Dempsey receded
strangely but palpably, persons with
Dempsey inclinations showing no
zeal whatever to back their gladiator
at odds that were prevalent only a
few hours ago. On Tuesday or
Wednesday it was to l on Demp-
sey against Carpenter. Yesterday
Carpenter spectators were in great
luck to get to /, had to go in search
of to 2, and found in no end Of in.
stances that they could take to l or
leave it. There may be new squirt
OF confidence in the champion. but
sporting persons of mathematical
habit were opining last night that
it looks like no more than 2 to / in
real money against the French sol
der by the time the gong sounds this
afternoon.
Curious slump In Price.
AS for the first oddity, IL could not
be otherwise than remarkable, when,
with at least $4,000 folk arriving from
out of town TO attend the fight. and
with perhaps 100000 more here at
home who have been supposedly eager
10 take part in the Jersey adventure,
not all supplied with the pasteboards
bearing the real and only genuine sig
nature OF Tex Rickard the price OF
bona fide tickets siumped. At twenty
OF the big hotels. all Of which were
fairly jammed last night with fight ex-
cited crowds. hundreds of persons who
had delayed getting tickets sought for
the indispensable credentials; yet on
the streets. in the doorways OF Broad
way. in cigar stores and in other
rendezvous OF the speculator gentry
prices were being cut-cut hard.
At two places in Forty-second street
between Broadway and Eighth avenue.
in two more places In Broadway and in
several other booths and upon many
street corners spectators. not so gay
and care free as they were week ago
when they saw a golden mirage arising
above ,Boyles Thirty Acre swamp. we're
putting the knife to rates OF admission
and their own JOY in life. Tickets priced
formerly at $50 we're being offered at
s45. $40. and az low even as $40. Tick
cts labelled $40 were going dull at $50
and s25. The $50 and $50 tickets were
being hawked earnestly at reductions Of
20 to 30 per cent This was true over In
Brooklyn and IN Jersey City and New
ark as well as in Manhattan.
$4,000 10 $4,000 Biggest Bet.
The biggest single bet placed yester-
day in Wall Street was $4,000 against
$4,000 on the champion. About $50. 900
came In to the betting commissioners dur.
ing the afternoon In single lump. and
IL was said to come from the Dempsey
camp at Atlantic City. This was very
quickly grabbed up at odds or "a 70 I.
after which the odds on the American
went back again TO TO /. Another
$50 900 offered by Dempsey piungers at
. TO 1 was not attractive enough for
supporters OF Georges. and. while some
OF II was covered. there was still large
amount available when business ended
for the day.
r. c. Fabb. who has handled innu-
merable betting campaigns for James vs.
Ball & Co.. estimates that the total
money placed on the fight In the hnan-
olal district Is approximately 100000,
including yesterdays wagers. The
largest Individual wager placed In Wall
Street SO far as can be learned was that
Of $4,000 on Dempsey 10 win at odds
OF ~ 10 I and 70 l. This wager was
made by q member Of the Consolidated
Stock Exchange.
The two big ticket agencies. Nc
Brides and Tyson's. heard the rumor OF
ticket cutting by the privateers Of the
game Investigated and found the tale
was true. II was denied az each of these
large agencies. however that either was
cutting prices. They were holding tick
cts. they said. for the face price and the
usual advance.
But IL - true that the street pirates
are stung." laughed the manager Of
McBride's Acting according 10 their
hunch they accumulated bunches OF
high priced Tickets. especially the So
SD and so kind. and now they find
there Is no Wild market for their wares
Even the demand for the 80 tickets has
slackened and We have plenty on hand.
BY arrange ment with Tex Rickard we
are holding them on sale until II o'clock
Tomorrow morning.
The spectators are losing their