Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 303, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 December 1913 — BRIEF HISTORY OF RACE TRACK SUIT [ARTICLE]

BRIEF HISTORY OF RACE TRACK SUIT

JUjffort to Collect for Lumber and Wither Things Being Made in w Jasper Circuit Court. • » The poetical review of the race track project as published elsewhere in this paper does not undertake to give the details of the promotion of the race track at Porter and the eventual shutting down of the races by the state troops under the order Of Governors Marshall and Ralstoffi Most of the facts surrounding this are familiar to newspaper readers, but the names of some of the men alleged to have been connected with the project and some of tfie transactions may be of* interest at this time.

B. B. Hyman, one time regarded as one of the greatest newspaper cartoonists of the country, and who is now a promoter a very interesting and persuading gentleman, went to Gary in the summer of 1912 and told several gentlemen that he had a great money making scheme. Gary citizens are looking for money, easy money, and several men sat up at once and took notice. Mr. Hyman explained that there were thousands of people in Chicago who like horse racing, real running races, where the ponies had the appearance of running fast and where the jockeys wore all the colors of the rainbow. Clarence Betsch, a Gary lawyer, and Armenias F. Knotts, a lawyer until fie found that too slow a means of accumulation, and Peter Crumpacker, a Hammond lawyer, and William Daley, a Valparaiso lawyer, and some other legal and lesser lights, were induced by Mr. Hyman to take hold of the project. The land was purchased for a race track plant A mile track was built barns and a grandstand erected and a very modern plant was established, except that it lacked a few finishing touches which were to have been given later if the plan to conduct the races in Indiana was not interrupted. Races were staged in the tall of 1912 and Governor Marshall, or his private secretary, Mark Thistlewaite, in his absence, sent the South Bend and Rensselaer militia companies there to stop the races. Indignation ran high among the promoters and the feeling of Mr. Knotts and his associates was expressed in the bulletin which Knotts posted on the grand stand and which read:

“When Executive anarchy is suppressed legal racing will proceed.” The troops stopped the races because the governor had been informed that there was betting on the races. The promoters contended and still contend that there was no betting. Knotts and his crowd sought to have an injunction issued to prevent the troops from stopping the races and to compel the soldiers to leave their property and permit the -races to continue. The injunction, however, was not granted. Last summer Another effort Was made to hold a meeting at the track. Governor Ralston followed the same plan as Governor Marshall and sent the state troops to stop the races. The promoters say that they were having a fine business when the troops stopped the meeting. There was a gold mine in sight, say the backers. Now comes a sequel to the promotion scheme. Lumber and other material had not been paid for and no one wanted to pay the bills. The Manhattan Lumber Co., the largest creditor, brought suit. Others then joined in. The case was venued to this county for trial and Judge Hanley has been hearing it since Monday. The claims aggregate something like $40,000 and the race track people would like to escape payment. The plaintiffs are trying to show that there was a partnership and besides Knotts, Retsch, Daley and Crumpacker quite a number of others are named as defendants, among them the officials of the races, the judges, starters, etc. A man named Riley, editor of Racing Form, was the judge; William Day, of the Inter Ocean, was an associate judge, as also was Mi 1 , Murray, of Chicago. Dick Dwyer, of San Francisco, CaL, was starter; Mike Malone, of Valparaiso, was steward; Mr. Durham, of the east, was paddock judges and a Mr. Bradley was honorary judge. Mr. Ryan was the timer. Badges of free admission were sent to mayors of nearby cities and also to judges and prominent and influential per sonages. Mr. Knotts explained that they were sent to persons whom the board thought .would appreciate them.

H. A. Hyams, of Indiana Harbor, is one of the defendants; W. J. Sheetz and Tim Englehart, real estate men of Gary, and W. H. Gain, a democratic politician, of that city, are among the numerous defendants and all have been here with lawyers to show that they don’t claim any of the race track responsibilities.

Mr. Knotts was on the witness stand for some time Thursday. He

admitted signing a contract for the lumber after Bretz and Hyman and Daley had signed it L L Hagaman, manager for the Manhattan Co M at Gary, made a trip to the race brack to procure the signature of Mr. Knotts before, the lumber would be shipped. The defendants wish to show that some of the lumber was whipped before Knotts signed the contract Knott®, on the witness stand, said that he was very Indignant when he found that Peter Crumpacker and others had not also signed the contract for the lumber. ■ The defendants will show that there was a corporation, the charter having been granted in South Da kota. Thus they hope to escape liability for more than double the amount of their stock. The incorporated name is The Racing Foundation of America, and the names the Mineral Springs Oo M were mis the Minteral Springs Co., were misnomers, although some of the reeepts for material seem to have been signed in that way. There so considerable bitterness, it seems, in the proceeding, and It Is probable .that the decision of Judge Hanley will be appealed from no matter how be decides.