The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1869-01-14
Gamblers on Railway Trains.

A BRIEF description of some of the prin
cipal gamblers whose names have become
familiar to the experienced traveller on the
railroad from this city to New York, and
especially from New Haven to the me-
tropolis, seems almost demanded. Gam
blers and pickpockets are reaping rich
harvest on this route, despite the very per-
sistent efforts of the railroad corporations
to GUST them and nothing will make them
shrink back so quickly as seeing their
portraits in print.
The traveller by the afternoon train.
bound, let us say, for New York, will no.
tice, if he enters the smoking car-which
naturally is a business mans resort on n
long journey-shortly after the train
leaves New Haven, q midle-sized, fair
looking man, about thirty-eight years old,
wearing short black whiskers reaching
under the chin, and curling round the
face. He generally wears silk hat and
dark brown broadclOth clothes. He is
neither brilliant nor stupid-looking in
dividual; his eyes alone are quite keen.
He might be taken for g country school
master or village lawyer, were it not for
the searching chances of suspicion he gives
before he proceeds to business. He is the
"stool- pigeon" or gambler number one of
the party.
This man steps quickly through the car,
generally at New Haven, stops a few mo-
ments at the door, quietly and mOdestly
surveys the passengers. He then selects
a vacant seat, if possible IN the immediate
vicinity of several gentlemen who are
talking together, and generally mingles in
the conversation.
Ere long the door opens again, and an
entirely different specimen enters. This
is gambler number two, who has some
thing of the Bowery" air about him. He
has a red, full face, fringed about with
short, red hair; wears roundtop
sl6uched hat, is dressed with a general air
of carelessness, is between twenty five
and thirty years old, under medium size,
probably weighs 40 He usually selects
seat at some little distance from his COM
rade and interests himself with the country
boys and confident young men.
Gambler number three is not long now
in making his appearance. As he swings
open the car door with nervous energy he
would almost be taken for banking or
insurance clerk, or some down town book
keeper who lives fast He wears this
season a wide band soft hat, short cutaway
coat, tight pants, bit of jewelry is about
Z
in stature, fair face, with no especial dis
tinguishing characteristic He takes in
the situation, whatever it may be, at a
glance, and gets seat, if possible, in the
front end of the car facing the passengers.
/ He looks about few moments, then
passes through in an inquiring way.
/ Finally he arrives near stool pigeon" and
carelessly asks him if he will play game
of euchre.
"Stool pigeon" replies that he does not
care to play, but Cunning to the victim he
has selected) perhaps this gentleman
may" and generally one or two will be
coaxed into trying a hand. So gamblers
/ two and three take down euchye table,
and "stool pigeon" loafs negligently be-
hind. Thus the party is made up of two
professional gamblers and two green men.
! The play begins "Stool pigeon" stand
ing in the aisle, becomes interested. AS
they are sitting and he is standing he
can see every mans hand" Presently
the euchre game is ended, and gambler
number two says, 81 have a splendid
bluff hand;" then number three bursts
out with $50 have / and will bet five
| dollars that one or the other takes the
money!"
"Stool pigeon" now becomes interested
! in one of the green men and says private
ly, "Pshaw you've got hand you can
go 'em hundred on, if you will" Green
man bets, and is, of course, A" cleaned out u
/ The party breaks up soon after and stool
| pigeon" goes on to the next car
! 1t must be remembered that this trio OF
gamblers and others Of their ilk do not
confine their operations to the smoking
car where card-tables are placed, and
where man is rather more on his guard
but in the regular passenger cars, where
the conductor is continually passing and
repassing. You may see them almost any
day-the red-haired, red-faced man, the
short, nervous-f faced man, number three
and the modest stool pigeon" Beware
of them .-SprinNield (Nass) Erenins
Nesos.