The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-03-24
An INGENIOUS GAMBLING DEVICE.

AM INGENIOUS GAMBLING DEVICE
A Cleveland COhio} paper gives the following
account of the way in which a gambler cheated
the unwary. The gambler, named Conlisk, had
snn N debr and an attachment was issued agains
.he n.onerty in his rooms. The Sheriff went to
serve the attachment, and in the course of his
searches made some rich discoveries:
The rooms occupied by Conlisk are on the third
floor of a large building, and 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 win
dow, and draw poker table in the centre of the
room, with chairs placed to each. The walls and
ceiling Of the room are papered with white paper
Of star pattern.
Directly over the room two small rooms, also
occtped by Conlisk, but not furnished 4 por-
ton of the floor has been removed in the room
Immediately over The gambling room, and q small
hole bored through the ceiling Of the room below
snd above each of the tables AS the holes came
directly through the star pattern in the paper they
are scarcely distnguishable from below. Each
hole is 50 placed IS to enable person applying
his eye to it, to lock directly in the hand Of the
PLAYER seated in the chair below
An ingenious telegraphc signal machine was
discovered communicating between these holes in
the room above and the chair Of the gambler in
the room below A wire, having a handle near the
hole, passed along between the flooring OF the
room above and the ceiling Of the room below to
the corner of the gambling room and bed room.
1t enters the bedroom and passes down in the
corner, being concealed by strip OF board nailed
up and papered over. 1t then passes under the
floor of the gambling room to the table, where a
small piece of the flooring has been cut away close
by the table leg, where the left foot of the gambler
wonld be placed while playing. There it termi-
mates in q spring and hammer concealed by the
carpet.
The method Of working this invention for rob-
Sing by machinery seems to have been follows:
The victim to be operated upon finds two chairs
drawn up to the table. none of these the gamb
ling thief seats himself at once, placing his foot
over the telegraph hammer. The victim is
obliged to take the other, which is placed in the
proper position for playing. The gamblers ac
comrlice in the above stretches himself on
inatrass, with his eye at the peep hole-and one
hand gra8ping the telegraph handle The hole is
81 placed that be can look directly down into the
hind of his victim.
As soon az he sees the cards he telcgraphs their
Ge"criE:ion according to an arranged code of
ai"nals by pulling the handle, when the hammer
s:,jkcS the nua,bcr Of raps the sole Of the
gamblers boot or slipper, the sound being muffied
y tho carpet Of course it is easy to that the
nqn Who sits down 70 play with such gambler is
'"bbe1 as surely, completely and systematically
II he had been bound hand and foot and delivered
70 a hichwayman.
G>cprSr Al TIE BATTLE az MvRrnEEsBoRo'
Ar esteemed friend has handed US the following
I~,ter relating al incident in this battle not yet
published, which We cheerfully put in print:
"Durir, TIE fighting on Wednesday evening,
car shar shooters we're compelled to fall buck,
ah.r enc Sergeant Murphy coming along the
r.. IF lly
Yankee Lieutenant Colonel and four men. Quick
rs tho0ght, he brough his gun to his shoulder
snd demanded the surrender Of the party. The
Lieutenant Colonel hereupon ordered bis men to
t;rc upon the rebel; but unfortunately for them,
their guns had been discharged. The Lieutenant
Colonel then drew his sabre, and flashing it over
his head SAID he would never surrender to rebel,
which words were said than the sharp
crack OF the rebel rifle caused the Yankee Colonel
10 lie litecss at his feet The Sergeant then drew
ts revolver and marched the four men into camp.
This man has been recommended To tie War
Department for promotion, to which hs is well
deserving Watcher Conrier.
Andy johnson, the notorious military Governor
of Tennessee, was born in the State of South Caro-
lima and afterwards emgrated to North Carolina,
whore he learned the tailor trade Thence he re-
moved TO Tennessee:
His grandfather was tory, fought with troops
Of King George, during the Revolutionary war,
and was hung by the Wings of South Carolina as
traitor and tory.
These facts related by gentleman who states
that, il need be, he can bring forward incontesti-
bic proofs TO substantiate the above statements
A PRoDIGAL.-Lieut. G.. Pemble one of the
captured officers of the Isaac 2. Smith, off Stone,
and who had been confined with his Yankee con-
frcrcs in the Jail at Columbia, has renowned the
old Union, and taken the oath of allegiance to his
proper mother, the Southern Coufederacy, and is
discharged.
WOMEN DEMAND-Fifty damsels, sent
from England to Vancouvers Island had. upon
arriAl, to be- housed in Government building
and guard put over them, in order to protect
them from the rush of amorous SWANS. They
were all soon disposed of, but whether by lot or
to the highest bidder does not appear. The
Vancouver paper clamors for more, but prefers
dairy maids to governesses.
The MAN WHO DON'T PAY THE PRINTER-l
country editor, who works for glory and prints
on trust, is responsible for the following anathe-
matlral aspirations on the man who won't pay the
printer:
May he have sore eyes, aud cheSnut burr for
eye stone. May every day of his life be more
dcsrotic than the Dey Of Alsiers May he never
lie permitted to kiss handsome woman. Nav
his boots leak his gun hang fire, and his fishing
-