Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-04-13
Their Agents and Victims
snow you See IL, and Now
you Don't See It.'
How the Unwary are ROped
in-Interesting Resume OF
Tricks I'm the Gam
bler's Trade.

initiated can otherwise have had. From
this article we learn:
THAT these agents or ropers-in form
large and gradually increasing portion
Of the metropolitan community" They
are to be especially dreaded by the
young and the unwary, who have more
money and time than experience with
city life. A roper.in is man ESQ called)
who seeks victims, and, when he finds
them, entices than to enter a gaming
house, where, of course, they lose their
money, he receiving from the gaming
house certain per centage, sometimes
one-half of the funds abstracted from
the purse of those whose confidence he
has betrayed.
The species of criminal Of which this
article treats is gregsrious by necessity.
He lives in crowd, by crowd, and on
crowd. He hsunts especially hotels
and billiard rooms. These two classes
Of establishments are his favorite fields
Of operations. There is afforded ample
scope for his knowledge of the dark side
of human nature, for his quick observa-
ton, his unceasing vigilance, his plausi-
BILE address and his devilish assurance.
The great point to be gained by the
roper.in is the confidence of his intended
victim, and this confidence necessarily
assumes previous introduction. The
methods pursued to accomplish this end
are various.
The device is as follows: A merchant
from New Orleans visits New York, let
us imagine, and registers himself as a
guest at an uptown hotel, under the
name of William Brown. A gentle
manly, frst-class roper.in chances to
stand at the office-desk while the regis
tration takes place. Shortly after ward
he steps forward and seemingly care.
lessly examines the hotel books. His
eye falls on one entry-William Brown,
New Orleans, Louisiana. The first step
is gained by the roper-in. He has as
certained his mans name and location.
He now proceeds to study the man HIM
self, ample opportunities for this branch
of science being afforded by the freedom
of hotel life. Having satisfied him.
self that Mr.. B. is fit subject for his
operation, he contrives to meet him
in the bar-room, and, with pleasing
smile and graceful bow, advancing with
a polite inquiry, says: "Mr. Brown, l
believe? Mr.. William Brown, of New
Orleaus2 Have l not had the pleasure
of meetingSou on Canal street or at the
St. Charles ?" Taken at unawares, sus-
pecting nothing, and favorably i'm
pressed with the manner of the stranger,
Mr.. B. acknowledges his identity, does
his best to recollect gentleman who
thus kindly recollects him, and from that
moment his fate is as fixed as one of the
stars. Step by step, the roper-in i'm
proves his Standardization, till Mr..
Brown, of New Orleans, is added to his
list of victims.
It should be here remarked that gam
ing house is seldom styled such by a ro-
perrin, but is designated as the club"
the subject of play is never directly OBJ
truded, but deicately hiRted at; and free
use is made of the most distinguished
names to destroy all prejudices. against
gambling.
A cunning member Of the fraternity
contrived last year to accomplish his
f" Introduction " to the parties on whom
he designed to operate under the best
possible auspices by practicing the fol-
lowing scheme: He cultivated assidu-
ously the friendship of several of the
leading residents at one of our largest
hotels, concealing from them studiously
his real character. Through his &C
with these he would gain a
passport to the favor of others to whom
they would introduce him.
These latter he would fleece unhesi-
but so shrewdly that for some
months no suspicious were entertained
regarding him, and when his real busi-
ness was discovered, his innocent intro
ducers were of course more anxious to
than was the guilty one
himself.
Very often the merest triae of an in
cident is availed of by the roper-in to
establish a communication with some un-
suspecting stranger. The weather, a
picture, etc., etc., serves as an excuse |
for the first word, from which, in regular
sequence, follow intimacy, treachery and
ruin.
Occasionally roper-in of the higher
grade will encounter in his experience |
wealthy but orthodox stranger, on whose
pious mind his ordinary arts and free
and easy invitations to visit the club
would avail nothing. In this case dii-
ferent mode of procedure is adopted.
High moral ground is assumed by the
roper" from the moment of the intro
duction, and the first visit paid together
is paid on the Sabbath to the church |
the next visit is rendered to some intel
lectual lecturer; then fine art discussed;
then it will be proposed to visit some
fashionable theater, merely to see
and encourage the legiti-
mate drama" then an invitation will
be extended to witness a match game at
billiards; a night stroll through the
metropolis TO see life will next be
suggested and, finally, the jolly
pair will terminate their wanderings
and Publications at that gaming house
which, if at first mentioned, would
have been avoided with adherence. This
trouble, however, is only taken By the
-oper.in when his victim is sufficiently
-ich to bleed freely and repay the time
expended on him with interest But not
only time, out absolutely money, Is some
lines invested BY the roper-in on his
Intended prey. One agent Of Broad
way game recently devoted hfteen days
md nights and over two hundred dollars
o the securing Of his mAn-which sum
vas paid entirely at bis own risk, as the
rarning house assumes no outside ex-
oenses At last, however, he got bis
nan dead to rights that IL, gAin>o A.s
,oinf--and received $4,000 as bis share Of
be nsney Lost at faro BY his victim