The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-01-14
GAMBLERS ON RAILWAY
s 1851 3oa TRAINS. 5tH fl
How They Operate Between New Ha-
ven and New York-Psrtraits from

! ven ana New York-Portraits from
Life-Cauti0n 90 the Unwary.
from the Springfield Evening News, Dec. a6.
A brief description of some of thu
principal gamblers whose faces have be
come familiar to the experienced travel
or on the railroad from this city to New
York, and especially from New Hayer
TO the metropolis, seems almost demand
ed. Gamblers and pickpockets art
reaping rich harvest on this route, de
spite the very persistent efforts OF tho
railroad corporations to Oust them; anG
nothing will make them shrink back Sc
quickly as seeing their portraits II
print. . III n .'#
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 re,
sort on long journey-shortly afteI
the train leaves New Haven, a medium
sized, fair looking man, about thirty
eight years old, wearing short black
whiskers reaching under the chin, and
curling around the face. He generally
wears elk hat and dark brown broad
cloth clothes. He is neither brilliant
nor stupid looking individual; his
eyes alone are quite keen. He might be
taken for a country school-master or
village lawyer, were it not for. the
searching glances 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 moments at the door, quietly and
modestly surveys the passengers. He
then selects vacant seat, if possible in
the immediate vicinity of several gen.
tlemen who are talking together, and
occasionally mingles in the converse
ton.
Ere long the car opens again, and an
entirely different specimen appears.
This is gambler number two, who has
something of the "Bowery" air about
him. He has a red, full face, fringed
about with short, red hair; wears a
round-top slouch hat, is dressed with a
general air of carelessness, is between
twenty five and thirty years old, under
medium size, probably weighs 140. He
usually selects a seat at some little dis
tance from his comrade, and interests
himself with the country boys and con-
fident young men. .r E...
Gambler number three is not now
long in making his appearance. As he
swings open the Car door with nervous
energy he would almost be taken for a
banking or insurance clerk, or some
downtown bookkeeper who lives fast.
He wears this season a wide band soft
hat, short cutaway coat, tight pants, a
bit of jewelry; is about thirty years
old, weighs perhaps 130, short in sta
ture, fair face, with no especial distin-
gushing characteristic. He takes in
the situation, whatever it may be, at a
glance, and gets a seat, if possible, in
the trout end of the car facing the pas.
sengers. He looks about few moments,
then passes through in an cnquiring
way. Finally he arrives near stool
pigeon" and carelessly asks him if he
will play a game of euchre. "Stool-pig-
con" replies that he does not care to
play, but (turning to the victim he has
selected "perhaps this gentleman may
and generally one or two may be
coaxed into trying hand. So gamblers
two and three take down euchre table,
and "stool-pigeon" losfs negligently be-
hind. Thus the party is made up Of
two professional gamblers and TIVE
green men. The play begins. "Stool-
pigeon" standing 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 u 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. pi geon" now becomes interested
in one of the green men, and says, pri-
vately, "Pshaw! you've got hand you
can go 'em hundred on, if you will"
Green man bets, and is, of course,
"cleaned out" 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 confne their operations to the smo-
king car, where card tables are placed
and where a man is rather more on his
guard, but in the regular passenger
cars, where the conductor is continual
" passing and repassing. You may see
them almost any day-the red-haired,
red faced man; the short nervous.faced
man, number three, aud the modest
stool pigeon" Beware of them.