CRIME: Disconnected?

It is a good bet that, in pre-Babylonian days, bookies made money. But, without the services of such modern inventions as Western Union and American Telephone & Telegraph, Moses Annenberg could never have made a fortune selling horse-race information. Rented wires are the arteries of his Nationwide News Service and allied enterprises, which have the cream of the business of sending tips and results to bookmakers, sell to many a newspaper and radio station as well.

Last week U. S. District Attorney William J. Campbell in Chicago "respectfully requested" Western Union, A. T. & T. and the telephone company's Illinois subsidiary to disconnect Nationwide's number. Unless they obeyed, they might be indicted as accessories in an illegal enterprise. Although Mr. Campbell has yet to convict indicted Publisher Annenberg of evading income taxes, illegal trafficking with gamblers, etc., the wire companies agreed to hang up on Annenberg services throughout the U. S. At that point a Federal judge persuaded Attorney Campbell to let the network stay in operation three more days while he heard arguments. This week thousands of bookies, millions of betters wondered what now. Said an employe of one racing sheet: "Tell 'em not to worry; they'll get their tips. You had prohibition, but you got your whiskey, didn't you?"