The Washington times., 1921-08-21
Commissioner Heeds Appeal
Of Many Wives and Mothers
Who Say Horse Race Leeches
Are Stealing Their Incomes
Daily. az .,
The handbook evil is being crushed

The handbook evil is being crushed
in the District.
Under orders of District Commits.
sioner Oyster, "a special squad of
plain clothesmen are making whole
sale arrests of handbook operators.
During the past two months, more
than 100 men have been arrested On
charges OF taking bets on horse
races. While none of the accused
men have been brought to trial in
the District Court. II il stated the
cases will be called in the early fall.
Investigations by the police who
have thrown out a dragneUfor hand
book operators have shown that the
vii exists in many Government de-
partments, office buildings, barber
shops, near-beer saloons, and other
places.
Evil Is Wide i'm Scope.
It also has been learned that many
women clerks, stenographers and sec
retaries play the races daily with as
keen an interest in doping out the
ponies as the men players. The ex-
tent of the handbook evil is shown in
the fact that the police have found
tnaI III Ut lilt NapANols lut
House and Senate office buildings, the
navy yard and Government Printing
Office.
II has been estimated by the police
that approximately so per cent of the
people living in Washington daily play
the races, placing their bets with the
operators of handbooks who make reg
ular visits to places where the bets
can be laid.
Then, too, many bettors who have
accounts with the handbook men make
their bets over the telephone, the OPP
orators having private numbers
known only to their patrons. 1t is
as easy for a man about town to play
the races in Washington through the
scores OF handbook operators as it is
to buy an ice cream soda.
Organized Raid Squad.
One Of the first acts of Commits
sioner Oyster was TO organize a
squad of plain clothes men to make
raids on the handbook operators. The
Commissioner learned that the hand
book evil was flourishing particu-
larry In the First police precinct.
Detective Sergeant Thomas Swee-
ney was directed to lead the squad
detailed to make raids on operators.
The others in the squad are Detec-
tives Mcsser and Fowler, the latter
of First precinct.
Because the detectives were known
personally to many of the hand
book operators, II was found at first
rather difficult to play the races with
them. But the police overcame this
obstacle by employing several men
not members of the police depart.
ment who were unknown to the
handbook operators.
Trapped With Marked Bills.
Most of the handbook men taken
into custody were trapped with marked
money. Giving the agent several
marked bills, the police would direct
him to place a bet with the money
with the operator. Immediately after
the agent" placed the bet the oper.
ator was taken into custody and locked
up. The marked money found on him
with racing slips, Will be used as evi
dence in court.
The handbook man is always plenti
fully supplied with money. one mr.,
rested near the Navy YacI several
months ago had more than $4,000 in
his pockets.
When arrested the handbook men
soon get the $4,000 bonds necessary
for their release.
Hard TO Jail Them.
The handbook men in the past have
generally defeated the police In the