The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-03-27
The Gold Game-Three.Card Monte
Outdone-Unpaid Fretght-A Bogus
from the New York Sunday Helald.J

From the New York Sunday Herald f.. hi.
The desire to get money quick, and
plenty of it, invented the three-card monte.
thimble-rigging, the sweat-cloth, keno, &c.
Of late years travellers have been victim
lied heavily by three-card monte men.
Full particulars Of that game have been
published in the newspapers, as have also
the particulars relating to swindling
poker game played on all railroads. game
where the victim always holds a smaller
hand than the sWindler.
There IS, however, new game being
practiced, and which should be dealt with
summarily. There is no gambling connect
ed with it. 1t is simply robbery. 1t is
called the "gold game" It has just come
into operation on the Hudson River rail-
road, and unless travellers are fully warm
ed victims must be numerous. 1t is OPP
Grated as follows: Upon reaching sta
ton you find yourself seated alone
in seat, when q middle-aged man,
neatly attired, perhaps wearing also
a white neckercbief, enters the car and
Receiving a negative response, he sits
down beside you. Immediately another
man enters the car. He probably wears
glasses, and has lead pencil behind his ear
and memorandum book in his hand. BE
walks rapidly along, looking first at one
seat and then at another, till he comes to
the one YOU occupy, when his eyes brighten
when he recognizes who sits beside you.
Then something like the following will
occur: ,...,.,
Man with penciD-Is this Mr.. Jones, of
Jonesville
Stranger (beside you): That's my name.
sir.
Man All your expressed stuff is de-
80, Cd NJ +hic cfatipr fn~ pharnoc
Stranger: Well, mark 1t 9 collect on de-
livery" 20
Man: We can't do that sir; our orders
are to hold 1t here till paid for. -.
Stranger: Well, can't pay the charges
now I've got nothing but gold, and /
amt going to lose the premium on that !;
how much is the bill? . .f,.
Man S120. ..s&. -
At this iuncture the stranger turns to you
and inquiries if you have S120 in greenbacks
Upon ascertaining that you have, he re.
quests the loan of the same, and offers you
six twenty-dollar gold pieces for security,
with the understanding that when you
reach New York you are to allow him to
redeem them at par. The transaction is
closed, and the bogus freight man goes out
with the Sl20 in greenbacks in his hands
the train moves on, and everything seems
| serene. Soon after, the stranger beside you
leaves his seat with the avoWed intention o.
taking smoke forward, but when the cars
stop at the next station he gets off, and
pretty soon you begin to wonder where
| he is.
When you get ready to leave the train,
you again wonder and then inquire. No
body knows. You approach the conductor
and relate the circumstances to him, when
the latter asks to see your gold. Yot
show it, and it is at once pronounced bogus
There is no redress. You have simply beer
swindled, and probably, while grIeylng Over
the business, another victim IS goln!
through the same course of sprouts. Two
men have within ten days been swim
died out of $500 by this game on the Hud
son River railroad, while others have aist
been sWindled on the New York Central.