St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1864-05-05

): ): 49,: !: ~ ., ,".5.:-<!
heshad brought with him was exhausted, he
gave written acknowledgements. The
! cheating, praet,sed .pRon him WAS really
audacious; and any ono but a tyro must
have repeatedly detected it. He, however,
appeared not to entertain the slightest sus-
picion of the flair play tof his ncut's $
guiding himself entirel by the advice Of
his friend aud counselor sandford, Who
did not himself play. The amiable assem-
blage broke UP, about six in, the morning,
each person :, >, retiring singly by the back
way, reeeiyiDg,'es hedepafted, new ass
| word ::for the next evening. 81 81 -:
A'few hours aft fterrwiards waited on the
Commissioner to report the state of .ffairs.
He was delighted;with the fortunate.ds1ut
had made, but still strictly enjoined pa
tience and caution. It would have been
easy, as I was in possession Of the pass
word, to have surprised tbe confederacy in
/ the, astof gaming that very: evening but
I This would only htave accomplished a part
of the object ajmsed a.: Several of the fra
ternity-sandford -janopg.t the .pumber-
were suspected, Of tutoring forged foreign
bank notes, and, 1t was essential to watch
narrowly for legal evidence to insure their
conviction. 1t was also desirabl. to restore
if possible. the property and securitie, With
which Mr.. Merton has been pillaged. i::'s
4 Nothing Of efpie;eiiar I'M nj portance occurred
for seven or eight days. Gaming went on
as usual every evening; and Mr.. Merton
became, OF course, more and more involv-
ed-even to his sisters Jewels, which he
had surreptitiously obtained,, to such a
! depth Of degradation will this vice plunge
men otherwise honorable been staked
and lost;. and he was, by the advice of
Sanford, about 20 conclude a heavy mort
gage on his: estate. in order not only too
clear off Ills enormous sdebts of honor
but ITO acquire :freshs. means Of swimming
back" that tsgnrs .tataas Of all gamblers
his treme ndous lossess!: a new prelimina-
~ dodge" was, I. observed: now brought
into action. Mr.. Merton esteemed himself
a knowing hand at tcearte; it was inn1tr,o-- intro
ddced, and he was permitted to win every
game that he'played much the apparent
annoyance and discontinue of the losers
A thia> Ai--s-r--7r~.--l..L
had myself fallen, | Of course the more
readily detected it, and felt quite satisfied
that gaand: coap was meditated. In the
meantime l had not been idle. Sanford
was confidently. informed that was only
waiting in London 10 receive between fou,
and. five Thousand pounds-part of Uncle
Passgrove's legacy and then intended to
Immediately hasten back to canny York.
SHIRE To have seen the villains eyes, as
incidentally. as it we're, announced nv
errand and intention! They fairly flashed
with internal glee! All, Sanford, Sanford
20" were, with all your cunning. but
sand blind idiot to believe the man 70,
: wronged and ruined could so easily forge
the great debt he owed you!
The crisis came:swiftly on. Mr.. Merton.
mortgage money was to be paid on the NOR
row; and on that day, too, l announce,
the fabulous thousands receivable by NJ,
were to behanded over: MIR. Merton, elat
ed Nfth his repeatea triumphs at ecarte, ant
prompted by his friend sandford, resolved
instead pf oancslinng the bonds and obliga
tions held by the conspirators, to redeem
his losses by stalking on that game hi
ready money against those liabilities
= This was At first demurrcd to with mucl
:: apparent earnes,ness by the winners; bu
Mr. Merton, warmly seconded by Sanford
, y insisting upon the concession, as he deem
! ed it, it Was 6na lily agreed that eearte shoul
- Re the game by which he might hope to re
gain the torture and the pence Of mind h
, had SO raeh.y squandered; the last time
d should he. be successful-and was he. no
sure Of success ?-he: assured Sandford
that he would never, never handle cards o
: dice. He shoull have hee ri the s,ockin
! 'merriment with ,which the gang hear
sandtcrdj rspeat this resolution to men
his .ways-7;-::Aen he had recovered back hi
wealth ,:s.ss.. ........4..
:, II The day So eagerly longed for by Mer
ton ;'a,' and the he confederates-by the spoiler
and Their prey-zarriyed; ); and l awaite,
: with .fetefish anxiety lie coming on Of tn
= night. Only The chief conspirators-eigh
: in snunber-werc to be present; and n,
stranger except myself privilege I owe,
to the moonshines.legacy had just receiv
ed-Was to be admitted to this 9, ownin,
:, triumph Of successful fraud. One onl,
hint | ventured to give Mr.. Merton, IN,
THAT under promise, ..ou his honor a,
n gent'eman;" Of inviolable secrecy. /, wa.
!, .hi''ol elaaegnsI 80. :s,,,t:Si'fo @l4n +:
b :&.s ..sps. e.ebefore commencing plsy to
l morrow night, that that the bonds, and ,obliga
tons yoa have signed; the jewels you haS'
lost, with: Q sum jn notes OF, gold to make
up an equal amount to that which you NEAR
r to risk, is actually deposited or the table ;
He promised 70 insist on this condition
: 1t involved much more than he dreamt OF
!, Il Ny atfaugementsI werse.t length thor,