The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-02-01
r. A R O.
Fighting the Tiger-where and How
it is Done-The "Apimal" under
a Cloud, and His Keepers
Discouraged.

mcnt and uncertainty, occasioned by the arrest, |
on Thursday last, of number of policy dealers |
by thespecial officer Of District Attorney Glib |
bons. Since that time the proprletors Of all the |
faro banks In the city have been in demoral- |
lied state, each one apprehending that his lnstl-
tuition was to be the next point of attack that
the nofarious operations of robbery and out
lawry were to be stopped and that just deserts
were to be meted ont by an efficient and deter
mined District Attorney. On Friday evening
last every faro bank In the city, with the excep-
ton of that at No. 1885 Chestnut street, was
closed, an event which has not occurred, we
regret to say since the official term of ex-Dls-
trict Attorney Reed. On that day The Squire,
who was absent at Harrisburg lobbying through
the new Aldermanic bill, was telegraphed to
and was made acquainted with the state of
affairs In town. Upon the receipt of the in
formation he Immediately repaired to the city,
and arrived here Mt some time during the even
ing of Friday. The action of the District Attor
ney had been so sudden and unexpected that
was undetermined how to act or advise, hut, at
his suggestion. all houses in town, with ths
exception above named, and perhaps No. 12j
South Ninth street, were closed for the night.
The proprietors, cappers, hangers-on, and
patrons could be seen in large numbers in
groups Of from five to ten persons on the corners
and in the vicinity of Ninth and Chestnut streets,
canvassipg over the unexpected state of affairs
and expressing their opinions freely and loudly
in regard to the actual or unnecessary cause of
alarm. One individual connected with game
at No. 1907 Chestnut street at this juncture came
up and said, in reply to question:-"Pete, are
you open tonight" 'No" returns Pete, 'and l
amt going to open. l have just seen the
Squire, and he says keep closed, and tell you he
knows pretty we'll" Another says, 81 wish
4 Il Co.., ho,, IL -, tha pntr, oln sal
years ago" Another responds, 80 do l."
Another says, 81 don't believe there is q d--d
bit of occasion for alarm, and don't believe
Gibbons will disturb single faro bank in town.
When asked by q gentleman at a private party
why he did not suppress gambling, he said:-
'sHe did not know where to commence, in Third
or in Chestnut street," and so the conversation
was kept up among the fraternity and habitues
of the gambling houses In that vicinity until a
late, or rather an early, hour in the morning.
However, the fear and apprehension was but for
day, for on Saturday evening they were all III
full blast, only they were not quite so bold as
heretofore. Access to their hell5 was more diff
cult than usual: their pickets or doorkeepers
were stationed at the outer door, and none but
well-known persons were allowed to enter. 1t
may be well here to remark that the well-known
brace skin-houses, Nos. 9OS and Ss9 Chestnut
street were not open as usual.
The number aud frequency of the outrages
perpetrated in those houses, with knowledge
of their guilt, was no doubt the occasion of their
being closed for few days until the present ex-
citement dies out and then they can go on as
usual with their system OF knayery and robbery,
with their horde of cappers lounging constantly
night and day around the corners of Ninth and
Chestnut streets, seeking among the guests of
the Continental and Girard House fresh victims
to rope into their hells of iniquity and rob of
every dollar and thing of value they may possess.
We propose now showing up the various
Faro Banks In Philadelphia,
where located, their character and by whom
conducted.
Why these houses are not indicted, and their
proprietors sent to Cherry Hill, Is matter of
conjecture only If the same official persever-
ance and determination were pursued in these rs
in the cases of some poor, poverty-stricken
devils who steal pittance to keep body and
soul together every one of these diamond
bespangled and gaudily attired faro bank pro-
prietors would be keeping company within
prison walls with many of their victims whose
ruin has been the result of some dishonest act
to obtain money to gamble with, in the blind
y infatuation that they might get back that which
they have lost To return to the more immed-
ate object of this article, we will now give list
Of the gambling houses of Philadelphia, com.
nenoing with
The Brace or Skin Faro Banks.
To the uninformed or uninitiated we will say
that the term brace or skin is applied to houses
where the robbing game only is used, where it is
impossible to win and where the dealer can take
your money if he chooses, no matter in which
way you may wager the same The box and
cards are manufactured for the purpose, and the
dealer can draw one or two cards at his will,
always knowing the winning and losing cards.
Should your money be placed upon winning
card, as the cards may lay in the box at the time
your bet is made. the dealer draws two cards
instead of one, which reverses the status of every
card in the box, and thus makes you lose your
money, when you would have won had the cards
remained as they were. so he can do this
throughout the deal until the pack is exhausted
Ills kind of game requires what is called cap
ping to deal 1t successfully, that is to say
assistants, to give the game an appearance o
I regularity and honesty. You will seldom fine
on tle table In these houses more than one OF
two che papers, or cards upon which record o.
the cards is kept as they come out Of the box
These are in the hands of the cap
pers, who, understanding the modus CperGndi
make tion tally with the number of cards IL
the deck, ana thus leave no ground for any sus
picion of fraud. Then again, box is uset
called a cue-board, similar to Chinese slate
having round wooden buttons, representing ol
the board the thirteen cards of the different de
nominations four buttons on each side repre-
senting the number of that denomination O
4 g.