The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1857-12-31
s.t44sA a. For the Ottumwa Courier.
sketches Of Gamblers.
BY J. II. GREEN.
NO. v.

BY J. H. GREEN.
49,, NOV. Il
4 Roulette or Wheel Of Fort.ne beat By a Mur-
lin Spike.
When Park Row New York was in its gamb-
ing bloom, the game Of roulette was as COM
non as the faro bank. It was played by the
same class of men, and its victims were Of the |
same class Of victims, which commonly nib
bic at the "faro hooks" with this difference -
he more youthful, or the less scientific. |
were more apt to play roulette.
A brief description of a roulette or wheel
Of fortune, will here giye:-Th wheel Is |
about fifteen inches in diamatcr.-
In the centre of this wheel is spindle or CEN
Ire axle, upon which the wheel is made to re-
volve. The face of this wheel resembles that
Of our Yankee spring clock, when laid ON the
back. It is hung in simple manner, and re-
wolves swiftly at the touch OF the finger
Around the top side of this wheel are the fig
ures from one to twenty-eight. Three of these
divisions are filled with these fgures-one
with single cypher; the second a double cy
pher, and the third an eagle, all separated by
partitions. The figures are red and black
alternately, the odd red, the even black, or vice
versa, as may suit the taste of the srtist.--
Upon the table where this beautiful wheel is
set, is spread gaudy, decorated cloth or ta-
BILE spread, upon which are represented the
same figures, eagle and cyphers, that are drawn
upon and partitioned'of separately upon the
face. This wheel is set upon its spindle in
the centre Of frame MADE expressly to hold
ii; the joint around the edge being 50 nearly
closed, that but from the fact of its revolving,
no person would discover the separation.
About FIVE inches from. this joint is rim
about one inch above the level of the wheel
thus leaving the wheel fair chance of revol-
wing in the centre of this frame work. rs
The way in which this game il played is
simple The banxer or gambler that keeps
the game has a small ivory ball, about the size
of large marble; this he throws around the
frame work, and at the same time with his
finger be reyolves the centre or wheel. The
two buzz around for about minute, when the
marble or ball falls on to the wheel and rests
upon either figure. a cypher or the eagle;
then the bet is determined. II man bets up-
on single figure and the ball falls upon the
same, the banker pays him twenty-seven times
the amount he risks; if he bets upon two fig
ures, and if it comes upon either, he gets four
teen for one; il he bets upon four, and WIGS,
he gets seven paid for one; IL he bets
upon seven, and wins, he gets three for one;
the eagle, double and single 0, are what the
gambler terms ssbars," or in other and more
plain language, their per centage, unless you
bet on them separately; then, should you win,
they pay you the same amount as though you
had bet on any other point, But should you
bet upon odd or even numbers, red or black,
aud it chances to fall On the abars, - then the
gambler takes it. rs - - Ia
This may appear to the reader very COM
plicated machine, and so it is, even in the most
plain form you can give it. Aside from ma:h-
ematical advantages this game has in favor Of
the banker, they have amechanical advantage
as described in Green on Gambling; (my book
of exposures y in that work, independent of
the per centage, the explanation will show
that the advantages played are one hundred per
cent stronger than stealing. This is rendered
certain, from the fact excitement when man
is losing has no bounds, and may be carried
to such an extent, that man may bet one mil
lion of times and never win, unless it be at the
will Of the gambler. - ,-
But shall not dwell longer on the principle
of the game, having fully described it in my
works on gambling; but will enter upon the
details of the incident spoken of at the head
ing Of this sketch. t
About the year 1910, black leg whom /
shall here call Serb, and another known as
Long Aleck S., or Roulette Aleck, met at
Park Row, when they Immediately set upon a
plan 10 swindlc an inoffensive river Captain
of schooner that,ran between New York aud
Albany. For several trips Serb had baited
the Captain by letting him win small amounts.
All things went smoothly on, until, Captain
B. was said to be the winner of some two
hundred dollars. The time had how come
when the game must come to close at the
Captains expense. The Captain, like many
other noyices, had come to the conclusion that
he Vuld beat the game by doubling every time
he lost! Now, this kind OF science has ruin
ed thousands Of honest men, but never yet
beat a gambler; % the game Of roulette { as be-
fore described in this article) can be played so
that man may bet ten thousand times aud
never win one bet, unless it may please the
scienced robber.s 1t so chanced that Serb
had, through his villainy toward another gamb-
ier, caused the Captain to win Of the roulette
game about two thousand dollars The money
was paid over to the Captain, much to the
chagrin Of the looser; bur not 80 to Serb; he
had designed It SO to be, that he might win it
from the Captain at his will. The Captain
had played until the close of the day, and then
drew out the two thousand dollars and remark
I'd that he must sail Tor Albany, that night
that he was in 'sstreak Of luck,n and might
have won "ccrd, !" but for TIE fact that he
must attend to his legitimate business. Serb
was cut to the quick to think the game was
thas'to close; but bsing always ready whsa
cass Of extreme shrewdness was required To
suit the emergency, he at once proposed to che
Captain that be and his friend, ssLong Alecko
l. ~