The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-01-28
Prom the Cleveland (Dhio) Herald,
Hog Gamblers Rob their Victims
The Gamblers Telegraph.

The Cook gambling affair has led TO
some important disclosures in the affairs
Of the sporting fraternity" but nothing
as we have yet seen or heard of equals
in interest discovery made in this city
yesterday.
Conlisk, one of the men concerned in
= fleeing" the Paymaster Cook, was
frequent visitor to this city, and occupied
rooms in the third story Of the Parsons
Block, on Superior Street. He had con-
tracted debts here, and yesterday an at
tachment was issued against the property
in his rooms. Sheriff Lewis and Deputy
Sheriff Whitney went to serve the at
tachment, and in the course OF their re-
searches, made some rich discoveries.
The rooms occupied by Conlisk on the
third floor consist Of . sitting-room,
where the gambling was done, and bed
room. The sitting-room was furnished
in the usual manner, and had faro table
near the windows, and q draw poker
table in the center Of the room, with
chairs placed to each. The walls and
ceiling of the room are papered with pa
per of star pattern.
Directly ever the rooms are two small
rooms, also occupied by COnlisk, but not
furnished. A portion of the flooring has
been removed in the room Immediately
over the gambling room, aud small hole
bored through the ceiling Of the room
below above each of the tables. As the
holes come directly through the centre Of
a star pattern in the paper, they are
scarcely distiDguishable from below
Each hole is so placed as TO enable a per-
son applying his eye 10 il, TO look direct
ly into the hand of the player seated in
the chair below.
an ingenious tslegapAie signal machine
tOas discovered communicating bettOeen those
holes IN the room above DHd tho chair Of tho
gambler IN The room LsloiO. A wire, having
a handle near the hole, passed along be-
tween the flooring Of the room above and
the ceiling Of the room below 10 the cor
ner Of the gambling room aud bedroom.
II enters the bedroom and passes down
in the corner, being concealed by Q strip
Of board nailed up and papersd over. II
then passes under the floor Of the gamb-
| ling room to the table, where q small
| piece Of the flooring has been cut away
| close by the table leg, where the left foot
| Of the gambler would be placed while
playing. There il terminates in a spring
and hammer, concealed by the carpet
The method of working this invention
for robbing by machinery seems 10 have
been as follows The victim TO be ops-
rated upon finds two chairs drawn up TO
| the table. In one of these the gambling
thief seats himself at once, placing his
foot over the telegraph hammer. The
victim is obliged 10 take the other, which
is placed in the proper position for play
ing, The gamblers AecQmplice in the
room above stretches himself on a mat
;r, 81. with his eye at the peep hole, and
one hand grasping the telegraph handle.
The hole is so placed that he can look
directly down into the hand Of his VIC
tim. AS soon as he secs the cards he
telegraphs their description according to
an arranged code Of signals by pulling
the handle, when the hammer strikes the
desired number Of raps on the sole Of the
gamblers boot OF slipper, the sound be
ing mufiled by the carpet. or course il
is easy TO see that the man who sits
down TO play with such a gambler il
robbed as surely, completely and''systsm.
atically as ii he had been bound hand
and foot and delivered over 10 a high
wAyman, and Of the two robbers, the
highwayman would be the more decent
man.