Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-08-01
$1OO, 100000 Taken
By Base Ball Pools
Yearly, U. S. Finds
Federal Probe Discloses
Inadequate Laws Aid
Operators.
By LEMUEL r. PARTON.

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
NEW YORK, August 1.-The base
ball pools, doing business in virtually
every large city in the United States and
In many smaller cities-row the object
of Federal prosecutions here--have, IN
their is years Of almost unmolested OPP
Grafton, gathered enough money to build
the Panama Canal several times over.
On the basis Of known returns to the
pools now under Government investiga-
ton here, $10O, 1000, 900 is conservative
estimate of the annual takings Of the
national string
State laws, Federal officers say, are
Inadequate In nearly every State, and
even these have been applied only IN
oesultory way. The steadily increasing
winnings stack up against the old
Louisiana lottery gleanings like the pyra-
mids alongside shoe button. Tne FED
eral prosecution. which has resulted In
tre arrest of William j. Pringle OF
Albany and william G. HoWarth ot
New York City, will rest upon evidence
that the pools have engaged In inter,
state operations, or that they have used
the mails in transacting lottery business.
Evidence of fraud would constitute an
additional ground of procedure.
Prizes are Large.
Thomas r. Cook, assistant United
States attorney for the southern dis
trict Of New York, said today that sew
erai insiders Of the big pools had til-
dicated their willingness to turn States
evidence and that there was every
reason to believe the resulting prosecu-
tions would lift the lid on nationwide
activities returning stupendous profits.
So far the Federal probe has CEN
tered mainly In Albany, Rensselaer,,
Schenectady, Troy, Binghamton and
New York City, 1t has been found
that the business ramifies into New
Jersey and Pennsylvania and into YER
mont. Massachusetts and other New
England States, while some Of the pools
In this section have business connec-
tions as far West as Peoria, Ill. The
Great Eastern pool. operating out OF
Schenectady, announces weekly pay
ments in prizes totaling $107.500. Prizes
announced by other pools, whether ac-
tually paid or not. range from $4,000 up.
"Of course, we don't know whether
| these prizes are actually paid or not"
said Mr.. Cook, but We have abundant
evidence that the annual receipts reach
many millions. For the most part, the
pools distribute their literature and
| tickets along railroad lines. by express,
or by using members OF train crews.
| One of the men now under arrest Is an
engineer on the New York Central Rail-
road Albany Is the heart and center
OF the business, on account OF its rail-
| road and river transportation, and its
! situation with regard TO surrounding
| States
They usually take some name which
| conveys the suggestion that this is q
legitimate business mems organization,
One concern Is known Az the National
1 Automobile Association. and Is supposed
| to be an automobile club. Winners are
allowed to choose either automobiles or
cash, accepting 10 per cent less If they
/ take cash.
0facials Accused.
"A certain number OF teams are list
| ed for the plays, and the play Is on the
| total number of runs for the week. We
are getting letters in increasing number
| from all YER the district giving us in
| formation on which We are checking as
rapidly as possible. MANY of these let
| ters charge city offlcials with completely.
one OF them received today accusing the
sheriff Of an important Upstate town
OF being in profitable collision with the
| pools.
"Twenty-six weeks of the year are
given to the operation of the base ball
pools and the remaining to plays ON
the stock marEet, with prizes paid for
guessing the winning number of IA
transactions and other stock market
figures. Negroes ratronize the pools by
the thousands, one of the biggest oper-
ators being Harlem negro"
The New York Society for the Pre-
v>ntion OF Crime. founded by DR..
Charles II. Parkhurst, has been inves-
tigating the pools for several years. and
Is now engaged In an aggressive drive
against them MFR Cook said the Gov
ernnent's prosecution had been taken
entirely on its own initiative. but that
Iit was cooperating with the agents of
the society.