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LAW IS BEING IMPLICITLY OBEYED District Attorney McKclvay Reports to Governor on Conditions at Saratoga Albany X Y August 13 Governor Suler has received a long letter from L B McKelvay district attorney of Saratoga County in which that official says saysXow Xow that the racing season at Saratoga Springs is well under way I have deemed it proper that there should be submitted to you a report concern ¬ ing general conditions existing at the track and the preparations which have been made to insure the just and proper enforcement of the law This I do because 1 know you are deeply interested in the situation as indicated by your previous letter to me As I wrote you in reply to yours of July 23 adequate preparations were made by the district attorney and sheriff to prevent violations of the law both at the race track and in other parts of the village All persons even suspected of any Intent to open a gambling house or similar place In this town were called before the district attor ¬ ney and police commissioner and carefully and posi ¬ tively warned that any attempt at gambling would meet with severe treatment I think I may assure you with a considerable degree of confidence that there is not a single gambling house open in the vil ¬ lage of Saratoga Springs and there will not be during the racing season which is now on onTo To prevent the violation of the law relating to bookuiaking and gambling the sheriff has designated u large number of special deputies who were in ¬ structed to meet at my office on the morning of August 2 I then in plain and simple language interpreted the laws to them as I understood them and instructed them in the proper performance of their duties They are now at the track actively engaged In their work and no violation of any kind has reportedI been reported I have also appointed a number of special de ¬ tectives to personally represent me at the track and whose duty it is to report to me everything that goes on onIn In addition to this the Pinkertou Detective Agency has a large force of men at the track and in several conferences with Mr William Plnkerton and with the officers of the association arrangements have been made for the convenient and satisfactory cooperation of all these forces j At jAt this time I acknowledge our appreciation of the earnest efforts of the racing association and of the Plnkerton agency to cooperate with us in our work and it Is certainly a fact that their greater experience tends to a very efficient management of affairs At our request the association has already warned and kept away from the track a large number of men whose names were furnished to the district attorney as having been possible offenders at the Bclmont track although there was not suffici ¬ ent evidence to warrant a conviction 1 fhlnk you will see from this that the officials of this county including the sheriff and police commissioner of Saratoga Springs are doing all that mortal man can do to insure the enforcement of the law and that they are succeeding With all these various forces at the track there has not come to my attention a single violation of the law and it is safe to say that the law is being obeyed to the letter I think this will be gratifying to you and that I ought to say these things at this time because of the loose statements which are sometimes contained In certain newspapers It newspapersIt Is my intention during the season to submit to you somewhat in this form a weekly report of the general conditions existing here and if at any time you have any suggestions they will be received and possibleSaratoga acted upon wherever possible Saratoga Springs is enjoying a season of unusual prosperity probably the first In the past four years and It is the general desire of the community that the law shall be strictly enforced and so carefully obeyed that not u single event shall In any way dis ¬ turb the pleasure of the thousands who have gath ¬ ered here nor interfere with the general prosperity of the season 1 trust this report covers in a general way those matters in which you are interested as the chief executive officer of the state and if you have any inquiries to make concerning any subject I shall be glad to advise you
