The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-05-04

building on tho north side OF PENNSYLVANIA
senue, No. Az, between Four-and-a-half |
and Sixth street, preparatory to the erection |
by the owner, Daniel B. Clarke, ESQ.,, Of a |
handsome modern building. This building |
is one of the Oldest on the avenue, and will |
be remembered by old citizens as formerly
known as the Rockendorff House, and was
occupied for years by Mrs. Rockondorff as
confectionery store. Subsequently II became
n gambling house, and was occupied as such
for many years. In tearing down the struc-
ture the workmen discovered an ingeniously
arranged apparatus, used by the gamblers TO
In swindling such "plgcous rs
fell into their hands to be pluoked.
The machinery shows that immense care
and labor were bestowed upon Its Invention
aud preparation. The gambling rooms were
In the sccond.story front. Over thcm were
two garrett rooms with dormer windows. In
trap-door had been cut about six feet In
length and three In width. The trap being
taken up shows an aperture between the
floor and the ceiling Of the room below, Of q
size to accommodate the gamblers confeder-
crate, and q series OF small perforntions In
the ceiling afforded him q full view Of the
room beneath. By his side was the end Of a
thin wire, which passing along under the
flooring Of the attic to the walls, ran down
to the flooring Of the room below, (playing
upon nicely adjusted pullCys at the angles,)
and so on until II reached point directly
under the card-tablc. Here a very ingenious
pedal arrangement came into play by which,
with springs of q spiral wire, a triangular
piece OF Iron was made to work up through
q minute aperture In the floor under the foot
OF the swindling gambler.
The victim In this operation, II will be
seen, had no show whatever. Green, the
reformed gambler" has shown the system
of cheating by marked cards, but that was q
clumsy and inefficient mode Of ascertalning
what the opposite player has In his hand,
compared to this system Of telegraphy.
This system would not be of much service to
the fare sharper, but must have been fatally
effective In the gambling games Of twenty
or thirty years ago. In following the course
of the wires IL Is noticed that u packing Of
son wool had been placed at every point
where the working OF the apparatus would
possibly make a noise calculated to warn
the victim. The operator of the machinery
was as silent as death; and not an indication
appeared anywhere to give the victim sus-
piCion OF the network of villiany In which
he was entrapped. The punctures In the
ceiling, which gave q view of the cards to
the confederate overhead, were screened
from view by an ornamental oval of green
figured paper, and the aperture In the floor
under the card.table, through which the
spring played, was concealed by the carpet.
Some years ago, II will be remembered, q
somewhat conspicuous character by the name
Of Donovan was implicated In some gambling
Tascality that lead to his serving term In
the penitentiary. This building was the
scene Of his gambling operations, but though
the establishment had a bad name, 1t was not
suspected that the villlany there had any
such dlabolical backing as was afforded by
this machinery.
CHANCES AT THE CAPIToL.-IIon. John r.
French, Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate, has
recently made number OF changes among
the employees on the Senate side OF the Capi-
toll. In these changes Mr. French Is max
ing large reduction In his working force,
| carrying ont In this respect what seems to
be the determination Of all the departments
of the Government.
| Among the new appointments and promo.
tlons to positions arc Messrs. Turner Tor
| rey, of Massachusetts,; Columbus LETTERS, of
Alabama; G. Herbert, of Minnesota; S. c.
Parrish, Of Kansas; S. S. Blackford, of
! Ohio; George +. Patter, of Minnesota; VIM.
Z. Webster, Of New Hampshire; J. B. Hutch
ings, of North Carolina, and David Waldron,
! of Florida.
Mr.. Henry F. Hayden, of New York, has
been appointed chief engineer Of the heating
| and ventllating apparatus, vice James Ra-
gan relieved, and Richard NJ. Hodsdon, of
Pennsylvania, and stephen X. Costar, of
this city, asassistant engineers, vice John G..
Dudley and Ed. FitZsimmons relieved. Vim.
4. Webster, of New Hampshire. and J. b.
Hutchings, of North Carolina, have been ap-
pointed hremcn.
Mr.. French seems determined not only to
cut of all supernumeraries, but evidently
recognises the duty Of giving official places
to the men who have suffered and blcd that
the nation might live. On his roll he has
one gallant fellow who left both legs al
Gettysburg; another who came from the
Wilderness with but one; and still another
who len part of one leg at Vicksburg, aud
afterwards sailed with Farragut to the front
OF New Orleans and into Mobile Bay, and
one brave Buckeye captain who went with
Grant to Richmond, leaving an arm by the
way.
RIVER NEws-THE FISH AND OYSTER MAR.
KET.-Among the arrivals yesterday were
the schooners +. d. Mllburn, Frazier, from
Hayre-de-Grace, with coal for ID. W. Fowler
WIN. Totten, Cullen, from Tangier's Sound
oysters for Turner IL Son Foamng Sea
James, from Hayre-de-Grace, with ia tons
Of coal for Harvey, Clark Il Given; Martha
Collins, Graves, from Norfolk, with lumber
for Fugett, and Linville q Co.; Ridley, Ma,
lone, from Salisbury, with lumber for Blitl
& kitchi Mary Jane, Foxwcll, from Balti
more, with lumber for Willct Il Redgrave
| The departures were; Schooners Stephen
A. Douglas, Lewis; Dove, Blrtzell; John S
Haven, Lewis, down the river, light.
The weather has been unfavorable for sew
cral days past for successful fishing opera
tion. At JOhnson's wharf yesterday, one
thousand shad were reported disposed of al
SIG per hundred, and about $4,000 herring
the price obtained for which being $40 pei
thousand-a decrease In receipts OF about Z,
per cent, and corresponding increase Ia
sales made. One vessel arrived yesterday
frclghtcd with oysters, clans and terrapins
the first Of which are quoted at fifty cents &c
Sl.25 per bushcl, second at sixty cents PEI
hundred, and the latter embracing snappers
diamond backs and green turtles at l2I,
cents per pound.
BAD BOYS ARRESTED AND PUNISHED
For some months past the trustees of public
schools have been annoyed by bad boys,
who, In malicious spirit, throw stones and
inJure and dcface the school property. Yes.
terday morning Trustee A. X. Browne went
to reopen primary school No. |, First school
district, at the corner Of II and Thirteenth
street, which for some days past has been
closed on account Of the illness of the
teacher. Upon an examination of the prem,
ises, II was found that number of deprcda.
lions had been committed, and Mr.. Browne,
found by inquiry, that the damage had been
done by number Of boys who resided In the
neighborhoOd. These boys do not attend
the school, and 1t was evident that the mis-
chief was done In a spirit of malice.
Through the cxertlons of Mr.. Browne two
OF these boys, by name James Elmoro and
Frank Elmore, were arrested and brought
before Justice Plant, who, after hearing the
evidence of the trustee and others, fined the
lads IS and costs each. We hope that the
trustees will prosecute these offenders until
they cease their depredations.
A RACE FOR GREENBACKs. About II
o'clock, yesterday morning, some excite
mcnt was created on c street, between Four
and-a-half and Sixth, by bountiful shower
of one dollar greenbacks drifting about BY
the wind. At one time It was supposed thai
the promised "good time" had come, for II
appeared as though the clouds had opened
and emitted the needful article, for which
there was general scramble. 1t soon
turned out, however, that "hard times" pre-,
vailed as usual, for the money In question
was the property Of colored man, who was
lndlscreet enough to count his ''plle" In the
open street, when puff Of wind scattered