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WILL HOLD PROFESSIONALS IN CHECK Governors of New York Racing to See to It That Betting Law Is Obeyed ObeyedThe The New York Sim discussing the matter of speculation iu connection with the coming revival of racing ou the New York tracks says Ever saysEver since it was announced that racing under the Jockey Clubs supervision would IK resumed at Belmont Park on Decoration Day the big men of the turf have been considering carefully the problem of betting which has been pronounced legal by the Scudiler decision in the Paul Shane case subsequently affirmed by the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court in Brooklyn now pending be ¬ fore the Court of Appeals AppealsAlthough Although speculation between individuals is not a violation of the antibookmaklng law and it is within a bettors rights to record his own wager made with a person who lays odds and accepts oral Ixts it was learned on excellent authority yester ¬ day that when Belmoiit Park opens the lid on betting will be tightly clamped down It will be the aim of the turf governors to have the track policed iu such a way that any attempt to revive professional gambling by known bookmakers will be quickly suppressedPersons suppressed Persons who are under the impression that they will find the usual line of professional price makers either on the lawn or iu the old betting ring are doomed to disappointment Vnless a race track patron can find somebody he knows it will be im ¬ possible for him to make a bet Vhatcver specula ¬ tion goes on will be of an oral nature for cash wagers prohibitedWhen will he strictly prohibited When Shane wns arrested at Belmont Park Terminal last June accused of violating the anti bookmaking law it was charged by the sheriff and district attorney of Nassau County that he openly laid odds on a certain horse accepted a bet iu money together with a written memorandum of the transaction from the bettor and when the horse won be pniil the full amount of the wager as soon as the adjustedShane ofiiclal red lx ard was adjusted Shane was ordered released by Justice Scndder in the Supreme Court on a writ of habeas corpus It was set forth that the mere laying of odds and the acceptance of a private wager was not a viola ¬ tion of the law prohibiting bookmaking with or without writing also that in accordance with the ruling of the Conrt of Appeals in the Iambriv case it was not a crime to make a bet with a layer and record the same sameIn In his argument for the release of Shane which was sustained Surrogate Graham showed that the Legislature had aimed the new law entirely at lK okmaking socalled which had been defined by the Court of Appeals as the laying of odds com ¬ bined with the recording of bets by persons who solicited wagers from the public as a business businessAs As rulings by the Appellate Division are con ¬ sidered good law until upset by the Court of Appeals the racing associations are preparing to hold meet ¬ ings under moderate conditions at the same time being determined to prevent wholesale gambling by professionals as far as possible To conduct betting on a business basis it is admitted that wagers must be recorded but whether such methods will be allowed cannot bo answered here hereIf If full advantage of the recent court decisions should be taken it would be possible to permit plenty of speculation To illustrate what is believed to be an entirely legal method of procedure it is pointed ont that A as the layer could quote 2 to 1 against a horse without showing the odds marked on his program to the bettor B as the bettor could waper 10 and could write on a prepared slip Twenty to 10 on Horse with Layer So and So Badge number 711 711If If the horse won the Ivettor could collect his winnings from the layers friend or clerk with whom the written memorandum had been deposited with the amount of the wager For purposes of iden ¬ tification the number of the bettors badge of ad ¬ mission could be shown In other words the busi ¬ ness of recording wagers would bo transferred from the layer to the bettor bettorJust Just when the Court of Appeals will hand down a final opinion nolxidy identified prominently witli the turf seems to know It is taken for granted that the racing associations would readily wel ¬ come an opinion from Albany before Belmont Park opens in order to have the law determined for the present at least The turf governors however are determined to disarm the enemies of racing by start ¬ ing off with the lid down and in order to bring about such a state of affairs It is believed that betting will be under rigid supervision Many supervisionMany former Imokmakers who operated in the betting ring while the PercyGray law was In effect have passed on into other walks of life Few of them could drum up bank rolls witli which to come back But It is known that other professionals are ready to do business if the bars are let down Op iosed to persons who have become notorious as race track operators the powers that l e are just now puzzled as to how they can proceed It lias been suggested that a censor be appointed with full power to place objectionable speculators under the ban If this plan is decided upon ami the racing asso ¬ ciations can get away with it much good may result If the professionals however gain the upper hand and begin to do business on the old lines it is freely admitted that racing as a sport will be placed in jeopardy From the outset therefore the turf governors intend to light against the gambling evil in all Its forms It will be a hardship to get a bet down and that means a freezing out of the general public publicTwentyfour Twentyfour patrons of racing have subscribed 100000 to provide attractive stakes and purses also to meet possible losses at Belmont Park Jamaica mil Saratoga This is excellent proof that the bet ¬ ting element will not be asked to contribute No revenue will be taken from private layers of odds and the entire success of the revival of racing will depend upon the money taken in at the gates itacked by the 100000 subscription fund Bitter opposition to a renewal of the sport is ex ¬ pected In fact enemies of the turf are beginning another crusade already But the men in charge of racing believe that if they are successful In their plan to crush public gambling the sport will gradu ¬ ally come back to life Wlmi the Ives IMKI law was rcHaled racing seemed as dead as it has been since the fall of 1 10 But a number of wealthy patrons subscribed a fund reopened Morris Park and proceeded to huild from the bottom just as the sub ¬ scribers to the Owners Fund are trying to do now
