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BENNINGS OPENING TAME, RECENT BETTING DECISION SCARES BOOKMAKERS AND CONFUSES PATRONS. Oxford an Easy Victor in the Columbia Handicap Miller Rides Three Winners Four Favorites Win. Washington, D. C, November 10. This was :i strenuous day for Bennings. It was not alone one of anticipation ami expectation, but it was one of oiulurcment. That is, it was of that sort for the layers of odds. Rumors were prevalent from daylight until the time came for the races to begin. First one would be that things had been smoothed out, then another would follow quickly that Major Sylvester and his band of Ilawkshaws would swoop down upon the bookies and haul them to the dungeon vile. This had the effect of making the days sport dull and ineffective. There were plenty of the booking fraternity on hand, but few of them were willing to take the chances that Billy Davis did, when he offered himself as a subject for the test case between the authorities and the Washington Jockey Club. Davis came out. of the fray scathed but with a sentence of two hours. This was simply a nominal sentence, but Supreme Court Judge Stafford let it be known that future offenders would not get away so easily. In fear that there might be a raid of some sort by the authorities few of the booking contingent wanted to take chances. They stood around before the races and it seemed a case of dare between them. They had been marshaled together at noon and instructed as to the mode of procedure by Boh 1inkerton, but each one seemed to wait upon the oilier. When it Dually came time to start proceedings about seventy-five bookies took places in the ring. They did not have any stools as formerly. The chairs were nowhere in sight and the layers had to stand about the former bettiug ring and simply deal with people that they knew. They did nut dare to exhibit any prices and contented themselves witli simply showing them to persons who sought the information. This sort of betting was all right for the regulars, but for the general public it was all wrong. Few ltcls were recorded during the afternoon, except where the bookmakers knew whom they were dealing with. They refused to take any markers and whatever speculation there was was confined to the layers themselves and their friends. The feature was the Columbia Handicap, but it was run over a track that was heavy and holding Jimmy McLaughlins gray horse, Oxford came home an easy winner. Despite the fact- that he had the top weight of 12C pounds he made all his own pace and won very easily. It seems certain that the public of the capitol city will not stick to the sport of kings unless open betting prevails. Today there was not more than about 2,000 people on the grounds. An hour before the opening race there was scarcely 500 poo pie on hand. The late trains brought big crowd. however, and by the time the stake was run the assemblage was respectably good. Both ring manager Cavanagh and Bob Piukerton predict things will be all right in a few days. I was their idea that the reformers would not interfere and that the racing will go along undisturbed until the appeal to the highest court is decided. If this is so, it will be only a short time before tin sport is again in full blast. However, many of the fraternity are alreadv packing up and others are ready to get back to New York. There is not muck, to be gathered here, even if the laws should suit the jockey club. Time lias already been lost that" otherwise would have been valuable. The meeting could have been transferred to 1iinlico, but the date for doing that effectively has been passed.
