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WHY LOUISYILLE STOPPED 1 . SHERIFF BULLITT WOULD HAVE A. RAIDED CHURCHILL DOWNS DAILY. I J o .1 J. All Overtures for a Test Case Rejected by s the Jefferson County Official Full J Facts of the Case. I I Sheriff A. Scott Bullitt of Jefferson County, Ky., j lisis established si precedent that is apt to cause j trouble at any time. It seems to have shaken 1 the "whole turf structure to its foundations, judging -1 J. from private telegrams received here from New 1 York and California. President Graingers letter to the State Racing Commission is as follows: Louisville, Ky., October 12, 1007. State Racing 1 Commission Gentlemen: I am in receipt of the t inclosed letter from the sheriff of Jefferson County I relative to the fall meeting of the New Louisville Jockey Club. In view of the position taken by the , sheriff the Board of Directors of the Jockey Club lias this day decided not to hold a meeting this fall, and hereby surrenders the dates granted by the s State Kaeing Commission. While the Louisville Jockey Club believes that 1 it has chartered rights under which it can legally conduct high-class racing, as it has done for the , past thirty-three years, it docs not purpose to sub- ject its patrons to annoyance and arrest. Charles F. Grainger, President. There is said to be nothing but polities behind Sheriff liullitts move against racing at Louisville. lie was appointed by Governor Beckham last summer to till out an unexpired term and his tenure of ollice lasts only live more weeks. Tor that ren-sou the Louisville Jockey Club did not think it worth while to light for what, in Kentucky, are its chartered rights. If Bullitt had a year or two to serve the Louisville Jockey Club" TOuimiifve called Ids hand with excellent prospects of beating him, it is believed, because the Kentucky legislature has done everything to legalize wagers made on a , race course, though prohibiting betting in poolrooms. Sheriff Bullitt ignores the legislature and announces he will not differentiate between betting in one place and another. The sheriff refused to arrest one bookmaker and make a test case. He refused to permit the eastern system of betting, the Benning or walk-around system, Paris mutuels or pool selling, and said that he would make arrests as fast as he or his deputies could find any persons making wagers on the races. The suggestion made by Mr. Bullitt that an injunction be secured by the Jockey Club was put aside, "as the clubs attorneys said no court would enjoin a sheriff from arresting persons that he believed were violating the law, and rather than try to hold a meeting where daily raids were the principal feature of the meeting, It was declared off. Sheriff" Bullitt is the first peace ollicer in Kentucky who lias over expressed any doubt about the legality of betting on a race track. The legislature has always legislated witli a view to permitting it, and its recent act creating the Itacing Commission, shows that there lias never been any intention in Kentucky to interfere with racing, wlille tlie laws against poolrooms are severe. The Kentucky legislature has always drawn a sharp line between betting in poolrooms and on a race track inclosure. Furthermore, the charter of the Louisville Jockey Club granted by the legislature, permits betting, and for thirty-three years this right has not been questioned. Mr. Bullitts term of ofliee expires as soon as the vote at the election of November o is counted and a certificate is Issued to the sheriff elected then, and it is not believed liere that whoever may be elected that any attempt will be made to interfere with racing here. The officers of the Jockey Club would have been willing to try the case out in court, could the daily raids have been obviated, but were unwilling to risk the possibility of bloodshed. What action Governor Beckham will take regarding Sheriff Bullitts manifesto is a matter the answer to which will be awaited with intense interest by all turf lovers" throughout the state. The Kentucky Bacing Commission, or, rather, the law which created it, was made after consultation with the states chief executive. After the legislature passed the bill which made the commisison possible, the governor was empowered to and did appoint the members of this body. According to the general understanding, this act, more than anything else, appeared to legalize racing or to recognize its legality. Colonel W. E. Applegate, who is one of the stockholders of Churchill Downs, makes this statement: "The present authorities at Louisville dont want any racing, and we are not going to oppose them i in the stand they have taken. We know what our legal rights are, but would be foolish to -make ! a tight for them at the present time. At the same s time, it would be a mistake to go on with the ; racing with the sheriff determined to make trouble. The patrons of the course, and many of them have : been steady visitors at Churchill Downs for a decade, - would be subjected to annoyance, and many would stay away from the track, fearing trouble. . That sort of a meeting would not be satisfactory t the public or to the track -owners. I favor a i transfer C the dates 1o Latonla, not as the La tenia Meeting, but let all plans made be gone through with right here. I have not spoken on the e subject with any of my associates, but am satisfied J 1 . A. I J o .1 J. s J I I j j 1 -1 J. 1 1 t I , s 1 , , that President Charles Grainger and General Man- ! ager Matt Winn did just what was right." i The list of stahles at Churchill Downs is: A. J. Gorey, five, New York; John W. May, r six, New York; L. V. Bellow, four, New York; ; Noble, seven, Toronto, Can. ; Lee Darnaby, eight, Richmond, Ya.; Nugent Bros., six, St. Louis, Mo.; James V. Davis, six, Chicago; E. Corrigan, forty-one, Chicago; O. L. Hill, seven, Norfolk, Va.; C. Ferriss, Jr., three. New York; W. II. Fixer, sixteen, Latonia; C. K. Greenwood, two, New York; William Gcrst, twelve. Nashville; II. J. Harris, four, Latouia; .T. 15. Lewmaii, live, Latonia: J. T. Williams, leu, Latonia; P.. J. Nolan, live. Latonia; It. F. Guthrie, live, Latonia; William Frey, three. Latonia;. I. S. Gordon,- two. Nashville; W. T. Woodard, six. Latonia; S. M. Henderson, eight. Latonia: J. C. Milam, twenty. Latonia; George Hendrie, ten, Toronto, Can.; W. K. Moore, six. Danville. Ky.; Sallie and Lechleiter, ten, Louisville: T. Combs, six. Louisville: James Arthur, six, latonia; K. M. McCloskoy, six, Louisville; Tom Brown, two, Latonia. Racing Commission Meeting. Uxington, Ky.. October i L A special meeting of the State Itacing Commission .will be held here tomorrow morning to consider the application of the Latonia .loekey Club for .an emergency extension of the meeting that is scheduled to close tomorrow. The local -members of the commission decline to say whether or not they will vote for the extension. Edward Corrigan. who has forty-one horses in training at Churchill Downs, left for Louisville tonight. He had expected to race there, . but now that the meeting has been declared off. be will keep the horses there until about the middle of November ami then ship to New Orleans. Mr. Corrigan has sold only live of his thirty-nine yearlings. He has decided to keep the others and trainer Peel has been breaking them at the farm track. . Hopeful at Latonia. . .. Cincinnati, 0., October 1-1. Under existing conditions there will be no definite news relative to a continuancuf-of-the-raeingv-at-Tsntonia-- utHlKifriSt-time Tuesday. If the Bacing Commission sanctions a continuance, entries will be solicited from horsemen tomorrow afternoon for -"Wednesdays racing. The probabilities are that if racing is to continue, the entire Louisville program book will constitute the basis for the racing conditions here. Individual messages to members of the Itacing Commission were sent by numerous prominent horsemen praying for an extension of the racing here.
