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O/MUKUMY, MAY 5, 1917. SWINDLING OF ENGLISH BOOKMAKERS. Ingenuous Methods Used to Trick the Layers of Odds Often Times with Success. A learned judge of ttfl Kings Bench once said that if most swindlers used half the ingenuity to follow an honest trade that they did in their nefarious practices they would soon and of necessity gain a fortune that would do them credit. And this famous remark has been exemplified by some extremely clever dodges that have come to" light in the courts, when trick folks have been charged with swindling "liookios." The method of one of the neatest frauds upon a bookmaker came out some years in evidence before a magistrate. A man who had become well-known to the "lKiokie" would visit him on the afternoon of a big race and spend some time chatting with him in h:s own room just about when the race was on. Then suddenly he would say: "Oh. look here, old chap. Id almost forgotten: Why. I wanted to hack Little Minnie. What price is she — 7 to IV Well. Ill take that, if you dont mind, though the race is on now. I suppose. Hut as neither of us knows anything about the result, I expect you wont object." The "bookie" used to accept the bet. and invariably the said horse won and he had to pay. After two or three doses of this sort he began to suspect something was wrong, but could jiot detect what it was or how he was being "done." Then, one day. whilst the lnttor was with him. he beard a man in the street below begin playing a cornet. And somehow- it struck him that he had heard a cornet played there before, more than once, when his client bad been chatting with him. He said nothing, but resolved to notice if the same tiling happened again. It did. And even again. Thin he took action. Finally it turned out that the bettor was warned by the tune the cornet played — under a prearranged sehem* — what lea-se had won the race, actually before he made the bet with the "bookie." An even smarter dodge was that brought to light some time ago. known as the "telegram fake." Here a gang used to work the oracle splendidly by a clever trick. Members of the gang went to different postoffices where each man filled up telegram forms, backing every horse in the race. These he handed to some clerk who had already in front of him a pile of messages awaiting transmission. And the lot were placed at the bottom of the heap to take their turn. How tho "Telegram Fake" Was Worked. This was done a few minutes before the race was run. Rut as all telegrams are stamped when taken in. each received the stamp and mark showing that they were in befsre the time. Within the next minute or so a special wire -would come to another office not too far off giving the actual result of the race for the guidance of the gang. The various members of it then used to proceed again to tin? offices already mentioned, state that they wished to alter or revise the telegrams they hail written shortly before -which any sender is entitled to do if his message has not been dispatched — and so they got possession of the unsent telegrams. Then they destroyed most of the useless ones, or altered them so that they availed little, while the "wire" whieh hacked the winning horse was, of course, allowed to go just as it was. Jty this ingenious swindle, which was worked for months en it was ultimately discovered and put a stop to by the landing in jail of most of the gang, the "bookies" were done out of large sums of money week after week. It remains to be added that if any member of the gang had reason to believe that the wires would not be sufficiently delayed by press of business he sent a wordy meaningless telegram to himself at ids home address. Then there was the case where a man was prosecuted for defrauding a bookmaker by what came to be ailed the "river-slip dodge." in this cas- the swindler actually went with the "bookie" for an afternoons fishing 011 the Thames at Molesey. and there drew his unsusi eoting guest into a chat about the chief races, laying bets on every event and winning each time. It was this surprising run of success which proved the mans undoing and raised the "bookies" suspicions. When the whole facts came to light it turned out that it had been arranged between the defrauder and a confederate that the winner of each race should have its name written on at least fifty small slips of paper, which were put into the Thames higher up the river, and thus floated down to Molesey as regular flotsam on the bossom of the waters. Nat urall.v, tho swindler in the punt, looking out eagerly for these, managed to secure one or more, and thus learned the information he desired, after which he would get his unsuspecting compiiiion to lay him the starting price against that bene, even though lioth of them knew the race was then over, for what "bookie" in such a position could suspect tie- very man who had beta with him in a feeing punt for two hours before the race, ami had never seen or spoken to a soul but himself during all that time? — London Tidbits.
