The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-05-08

the thumbs being unable to touch them
the sand on the faces of the trimmed
ones meeting the rough back of. the IN
trimmed ones, they were held firmly In
their places, so that practical shufHer
could shuttle pack of rounds for more
than minute, with seeming fairness,
without in any manner disarranging
his stock. The shutting of a pack of
these cards has a very different sound
from that of fair pack-it falls roughly
on the ear so much so, that, in many
cases, it has led to their detection.
Rounds and strippers of all descrip-
tions have had their stocks arranged in
different ways.
Squared SIGHTS"
In 1848 a new fraud, called squared
sights" was invented. The cards were
squared to stand the test of the closest
examination for example, we will say
the following cards, kings, queens, aces
and deuces, are sanded upon their backs,
and all the other cards in the pack are
sanded upon their faces the cards
sanded upon their backs are dotted at
ter the same manner / have before des-
cribed the rounds to be, and are intended
to work in two card dealing. box, in
precisely the same manner. The pack
being examined and pronounced salts
factory, the dealer puts it, after shutting
it fairly and squarely, into the dealing
box. There has been no stripping and
stacking, consequently, why should not
everything be fair and square? But it
is not. 1t is all fraud. The kings,
queens, aces and deuces were sanded up
on their backs, and dotted on their faces
near the margin of their sides. Osten-
sibly, of course, if cards, preparatory
to having deal made with them, could
be taken from the box when desired,
and examined, and if found perfectly
square upon their sides and ends, and
not sanded or roughed, how was it pos
sible to cheat with them? A genius
from Nashville completely knocked this
argument out of the ring, by the inven-
ton known as the
"oDD CARD"
This new device, which made its ap-
pearance about the year 1850, has lasted
up to the present time, and has been
successfully played on many of the
gambling community, who no doubt i'm
agined that the idea of any one cheat
ing them at faro was beyond the range
of probability.
The "odd card" is the introduction
of an extra card into the pack for ex-
ample, say that the extra card is the
deuce of spades. It and the deuce of
spades belonging to the pack are rough
ed upon their faces with sand-paper, no
other cards in the pack being so roughed
but them, all the others being roughed
upon their backs with sand-paper. The
two deuces of spades are marked upon
their backs, in order that they may be
easily discovered in the shuttle. Their
backs are also polished with hard sper-
maceti. This is done in order that the
cards may glide easily off them when
ever the pack is divided into two pOr-
tons for the purpose of shutting. The
smooth faces of the other cards may
glide easily off their polished backs,
while the sand upon their faces causes
them to adhere to the sanded backs of
the rest of the pack, and keeps them in
a firm position, so that the operator,
whenever he divides the pack for the
purpose of shutting, finds one of the
deuces of spades to be the top card of
that portion of the pack which he holds
in his light hand. Before he commences
building his stock, he notices the card
upon which he builds, which is always
the card lying on the top of the pack.
We will say, for instance, that his build
is the king of hearts. On this card,
while shutting them together, he places
the deuce of spades. He then cuts the
pack apart, and shuffles card on the
first deuce of spades, and then glides
the pack apart to find the second deuce.
Should he miss it no sbufflas under
meath his stock, and keeps on SO doing
till he finds tn second deuce of spades.
IL I, Oh ha %nv e hn
stock, and also a card upon it which
completes the stock. Sometimes the
pack is cut by false shuttle before
placing it in the dealing-box but more
often by "brief card"
The deal is now commenced. Every
card which comes from the box is duly
scored by the case-keeper, and also on
the cue-papers. The entire deal is con-
Quoted fairly until it comes down to
the last turn. On the previous turn,
the king of hearts, the build card, has
won, and it wars the dealer that his
work is now before him. For example,
a deuce, six and four is marked on the
dashboard, as the cards remaining in
the dealing-box. According to his
stock he can make one of the deuces
win or lose on the turn, as he pleases.
Should it be for his interest for it to
lose, he makes the turn fairly, and it
loses. But if it be for his interest that
it should win, he shoves from the box
at once two cards; underneath the
king of hearts is buried the<frst deuce
of spades, the next being either a six
or four, and the losing card. If he
makes the first deuce lose, in order to
make his cards come out right, and to
hide the second deuce of spades, he
presses upon the lever, and shoves two
cards from the box, the underneath one
being the second deuce after it comes
the "hockelty" card, which ends the
deal, which, as far as fairness is con-
cerned, gives general satisfaction to the
players. If he makes it win, and turn
out the king of hearts with the first
deuce lying perdu beneath it, the next
card will be either a six or four, and
the losing card, and the one following
that is the deuce of spades, the winning
card, Which remains in the box.