The New York herald., 1844-09-07

MR. GREENS SECOND LECTURE ON GAMBLING
This gentleman gave his second lecture on this
subject in the Mercantile Library Lecture Room
on Thursday evening. The attendance was not
SO numerous as might have been expected from the
importance Of the subject, but the company was
highly respectable, and among those present we
observed many influential merchants and trades
men, and there is doubt but that they have been
made fully aware how il has been that many OF
their sons and clerks were led into the ways Of the
evil beings that prow about the earth. The lee
turer commenced by stating that mankind was
open to flarery and that it was the most vulnera-
BILE point in which they could be attacked, and
that this was OF the great points made use Of by
the professed gambler to entrap his intended victim
through the means of the "stool pigeon" or
"ropers."
The gentleman then proceeded to show most sa.
tistactorly that all games with the exception OF
chess, draughts, and some few others founded on
mathematical principles, were established by gam
blers for the purpose OF swlnding the uniniated.
He then proceeded TO make comparison between
the gentleman faro-dealer and the thmbe-rgger,
which was that the former was wholesale robber
and the latter retailer. To illustrate this fact he
introduced the faro-box, which, as generally used,
is most ingenousy constructed. Il is small att
Gle, just capable OF holding pack Of cards, with a
string beneath to force the cards upwards, which in
the game are, or ought to be- removed from the top
singly The box now exhibited had two secret
springs, which the most minute examiner would
scarce ever discover, unless they were point
ed out TO him; one Is small point, like that
of a needle, which projects from one of the
screws at the side, thus intimating the situation
of a certain card, which had been packed or
placed in a position while the pack was being
shuffied When the banker saw or ielt the point,
he touched another screw the opposite side, and
and small spring on the inside, like the flnger of
watch, would strike forward and project two
cards instead OF one-the winning card for the
players being undermost-and displaying above the
pack winning card for the banker thus showing
that at the game OF faro with such box, no stran
ger could be successful, unless the banker thought
proper. After this the lecturer proceeded to illus
trate the life of professed gambler, showing that
although every calculation is made by them for
chances in their favor, they are liable more than
other individuals to the caprice Of fortune. Zip
Coon, OF one of the Southern States, few years
since was reckoned l, among the profession
ais, but, by some misfortune or other, he was SEN
fenced to four years Imprisonment by the powers
that be- At the end of that term, when he came
ing in consequence of the improvements that had
taken place in the art in the meanwhile, and was
told that he was "behnd the age :" and conse-
quently he became the lowest of the low-yejected
by his fellows in sin and crime, and desplsed by
all who knew his previous calling The lecturer
used in various other games with cards, &c., show
ing that IT was complete system OF robbery
throughout, which we have before alluded to.
That the lecturer Is sincere In his attempts
to awaken the public to a sense of the evils ol
gambling, no one who has seen or heard him can
doubt and every parent and employer would dc
well to be present aud notice the temptations LAID
to entrap their offspring and those in their employ
The gentleman resumes the subject on Monday
and Wednesday evenings next.