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. ] i NORFOLK RACING CLOSES METHODS EMPLOYED IN CRUSADE AGAINST RACE BETTING ARE DENOUNCED. Magistrate Imposes Severe Sentences Upon Men Arrested Tuesday and Appeal Is Taken — Meeting Goes On, but May Be Abandoned. Norfolk. Va., April 9.— At a secret meeting of the officials of the Jamestown Jockey Club held tonight, it was officially announced that the present schedule of the spring meeting has been discontinued, lhe blow tell rather suddenly, but was no surprise to race followers, who expected thai the no. ting would he continued to Saturday at the nn. si. the management issued the following statement: "I he othcials of the Jamestown Jockey Cluh, with due consideration for the best interests of all eon-cm.-. I, have deckled to discontinue the meeting which was scheduled to close Friday, April 17. W. came hero to conduct the meeting under rules recognized and respected everywhere, believing that after aiimiiuaa testa in the courts of Virginia, that racing as conducted b] tie- Jansestewa Jockey Club was legal hi all ils phases, and serving the heat Interests ot the snort as well as of the community. Recent conditions have brought some question so p. the cornel Interpretation of the existing statutes and iiuiil some decision from the higher courts has been bonded down, are are deeirooe of avoiding auv conflict of opinion. Ii is Impossttde for us to prevent betting on the races by those in attendance; all unit we .an do is to prevent the establishment ot regolar stands tot betting, and to refuse to accord to anyone, any rights not accorded to the general public. "Before coming to Virginia we required that the law regulating betting be construed. This was done and the courts having jurisdiction determined that so long as all visitors to the grounds were accorded the same privileges, and so long as the club accorded to no one a fixed place where lie could conduct betting, that the anti-bookautk— g law was not violated. ,.. j " Ihis precedent has now been upset, and we will not consent to Hie holding of another meeting until the higher courts have construed the laws regulating the subject If that construction is such that we an conduct racing without a violation of the laws ■ f Virginia we will resume, otherwise the course will be permanently closed-" Norfolk. Va . April .».— Governor Stuart and the stale officials who are engaged in a crusade against betting in connection with the Jamestown Jockev Chilis race meeting scored heavily last night when. Magistrate J. Bnrnel] Bragg, after an extended bearing, entered a finding of guilty agaiust the fourteen defendants arrested by detectives working under the direction of Attorney -General Pollard in ibe raid on the betting ring at the Jamestown track Tuesday. The magistrate imposed the severe sentence of six months imprisonment in jail, be-fcidos a line of in each case. An appeal was noted in behalf of each of the defendants and each was held in ,50o bonds to await trial by Jury. Counsel for the defendants maintained that they had not vlomted any of the laws of Virginia relating to gambling, the misdemeanor with which they were charged. Harry Marks and Nat Vogel, cashier and sheet oi iter for Al Haaf, were among the men lound guilty. The action of the examining magistral.- waa looked upon by the racing folk assembled here us a hard blow and one that is likely to pur. an end to racing in Virginia unless it is reversed. The convicted men have all obtained their liberty on bonds furnished by surety companies and friends. Their cases will not come up ou the appeal until Governor Stuart, who has resorted to drastic methods to stop the s|Rirt. mav take further steps to have the track closed. He has threatened to call Hie militia if necessary, although horse racing is lawful in Virginia. An idea ot the local sentiment iu favor of racing is shown by an editorial printed this morning in a local newspaper, which says: •The employment by Covemor Stuart of the band ol mountaineer detectives, armed with pistols ami rifles, to raid the betting stand at Jamestown track was an injustice to Norfolk of the most serious character. Nobody will find fault with officials who question the legality of the betting on the race.-,. Inn i he governors act in turning loose an armed band such as the HlUsvilla outlaws to make arrests that could have been made by any constable assigned io the job was nance e MM y. The sensational ami spectacular staging of the arrests would have done credit to the moing picture |K siug of a roundup of train robbers, and the reporta sent over the coun-ir.v put Norfolk in the light of a lawless community, unlit to deal with Its own conditions and unable u cope with organized outlawry. The raid has done mole to create a reversal of sentiment here in favor of the races than anything that has so far occurred. As is usually the case, the turf has been made The goal of a political feud. The animus existing between the political factions hardly could 1m- in dilated belter than by the appointment of Judge Brogg lo try the cases. IU put thirteen men under i he extraordinary bonds of ,000 each. As soou aw Mr. Triplet!. Ii.-n.l commissioner of Norfolk county. beard ot it he reduced the bonds to 00." Racing went ou this afternoon at the Jamestown track Without any attempt being made to prevent the running of the card. Rumors circulated throughout Hie town that the state militia had been ordered out and would be at the track this afternoon. The militiamen failed to put iu an appearance. In spite of cold and cloudy weather another large crowd journeyed to the course. The fields were small, but the crowd was rewarded by good racing, with most of the favorites scoring. The feature race of the day. the Hampton Roads Handicap, a selling affair over the six furlongs course, drew a small but select bunch of sprinters 1. 1 lie- post. Striker, after showing a keen flight of speed, was haul pressed at the end to withstand Hie challenge of Gaty Palkti. The favorite. Cop pertOWO, was third. The latter met with repeated interference, especially on the stretch turn. Brooke, an odthvda choice in the hurdle handicap through the field, dashed to the front after the first few jumps had been cleared aud remained there. In thi- race several n.-w candidates for jumping honors made their debut, lortarliugton was the first horse of the year to fall iu racing .through the field. He went to his knees after successfully taking the sixth jump. His rider escaped unhurt. Because of the unsettled conditions of affairs here many owners are preparing to ship to Mary-laud and awail the opening of the meeting at Havrei de Grace. Others have decided to ship to Canada to race over tie- half mile tracks.
