view raw text
CINCINNATI ANS ON A SWINDLING JAUNT. Handbooks in Southern Cities Are Fleeced in a Novel Manner by Queen City Sharpers. Cincinnati, O., January 4. Since the holidays a half dozen local "hustlers" have returned to the city In "glad rags" and with money they did not possess when they made a journey southward about Thanksgiving Day, Mind now stories are being told of the fleecing of handbooks in several cities in the south, among them Atlanta. Cincinnati, as is well known in turf circles, is a sort of clearing house for racing information, and in this connect Ion the results of the races at Ascot Park and Oakland are transmitted from this city to southern points where they have a love for the sport. The possibilities presented by this condition aroused the interest of these young men and they got their heads together and whispered wise things into each others ears. They produced a code In which "Gin Fizz," "Gin Rickey," "Martini Cocktail," "Manhattan," "Beer," "Cherry Flip," "Whisky," "Highball" and other fancy producers of nonsense meant such and such a horse entered In this or that race at Los Angeles or San Francisco. Then two of the coterie remained here while the others Journeyed south. When the news or the result of a race was received here there was a fast wire bearing the name of one of the drinks sent to one of the group In each of the southern cities to be "worked." and he, with the aid of another was o do the rest. A big killing, which made one of the Atlanta handbooks totter, was made on Druid, which horse won. at Ascot recently. His synonym was "Tom and Jerry." One of the confederates was lounging about the saloon in which this particular handbook was located. He studied the charts and. was busy in other ways. Then the other conspirator entered. From Cincinnati he had received a telegram containing the simple words;j Tom a iui Jerry:" In aIond" voice he asked the lKy in the white jacket fnr one of those seductive .drinks and the other fellow suddenly lost interest In the charts. He produced a big roll and placed it all on Druid. The handbook made good without registering a kick. It was the same at other points. The same game was worked here several months ago. It is not exactly like "first-pasting" a poolroom, but it is a near relation to that method and close kin, though more gentle, than the nse of the sandbag.
