The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1876-02-28
TlIREE.CARD MONTE.
4 Noted Player Tells n Reporter NIL About
the Game and the aInnner In Which It's
Played.


threc.card monte, eh Now, Just wait
minute and I'll show you something.
Here are three business cards, oil alike.
I'll take the plain side Of them, and OIL
this one III mark large round spot
with pen. Now, watch close. I take
this card so, and place it on the table.
This is the one with the mark on it. /
nut the two others on either side OF it,
and you can turn it up now and look for
yourself"
The reporter did SO. Sure enough,
the middle card had the spot.
"Now, again, / take up this card
slowly, and throw it over in tho place Of
the other, and transfer the ono on the
left to the place Of the one on the right,
and the marked one is now on the left
instead Of being in the middle, isn't it 7"
The reporter thought that such was
the case, and remarked that there was no
doubt about it.
"Pick it up and see, said Slippery
Ned.
The reporter turned over the card. It
was blank. He also turned the mid
die, with like result, and found tho
marked spot on the last card to the
right.
"There," said Ned, "you sec II you'd
had 81, 900 bet on that, you'd been left,
wouldn't you2
"Ill show you," said he. "I take
this card with the spoton it, and bending
IL like tho others, pL.t il in my fingers.
I make q motion as though were
throwing it out, but I merely shove it
quickly down, and throw ont the next
card to it. You keep your eye on the
one thrown out, thinking it is the one
which is marked, or in regular way,
the ace, and there you get left again.
Now let me- show you And in few
moments it was SO well explained that
the reporter had hardly any trouble in
picking up the proper card. Then the
operator smutted the corner OF u card u
little and gave IN Illustration OF that
proceeding.
When ali this was fully explained the
reporter proceeded to get some informa-
ton concerning tho mode Of living by
these operators.
"Yot see," said Ned, ~ used to be
pretty well up in the business, although
/ was young in years. Red John first
got hold Of mo in New York, where l
IVES playing marbles on the street, and
he, thinking would make good sub
iect, started out with mo. suppose
I've attended nearly every county fair
in the country with tint fellow. He
first had me into business Us capper,
aud I worked into his hands well, l can
tell you. He always whnckcd up, too,
you bot. Always honor among thieves,
you know, and honor among the chaps
We were, too. Had to be, or We couldn't
have run the business. But finally l
concluded to 20 in Oh my own hook; so
one season left New York in July, to
work up the farmer fairs from that timo
on. l had two cappers, aud right good
fellows they were. They would drive
me in hundreds Of grecnies, and then |
used to soak 'em. Tell you how We used
to do it. Wo'd go into fair ground,
and get license from the officers to run
ieweIry case. Receiving permission,
we'd SGT up jewelry case with little
brass jewelry in it, and under pretense
Of shouting for sales brought up the
crowd. Soon as we got them together,
out camo board, and down l went on
the ground, pretending to havc little
fun all to myself. Pretty soon coun-
try fellow would sit down near me and
ask:
"What you got thari'
"Of course I answered him in way
to lead him on.
"Oh, just a little game with some
fun in it,
"His curiosity being excited, his next
request was to see little Of it, and MS
that was Just what I wanted, ! drove my
opening wedge by throwing the cards a
little, letting him pick ont the acc every
time. When convinced that l had him
on my string, I remarked:
"Boss, III bet You quarter you
can't pick out the ace.
"Donc, says he, and he threw down
a twenty-five cent shiuplaster.
"He wins, Of course; l allow him to
win again, and again. Then be feels
elated puts down $40, and wins again
so, and still wis. II think he has
any more down goes $50. This time I
win, and the man is busted. Two years
ago I got hold OF mn old preacher, who
had Just married couple, and got So
for it. got his money, and he went
about through the grounds all day look
ing at the watermelon stands aud lem
onade booths 80 long ngly that towards
evening l returned him his money and
told him to pmy more and gamble less
in the future.
AZ suppose you have had adventures
in your time," suggested the reporter.
az Just hive. About rs lively Il time
rs I can recollect was on the Chattanooga
and Nashville railroad. Two or three OF
US were together and were working
train out to littlS place from Chat.
tlnooga. We struck greeny, and soon
floeced him out of u thousand dollars.
When the train came to tho first station
after this wo jumped of, and thought
we'd run back to Nashville on tho next
train. Unfortunately for us, the man
we had skinned lived there, and he
made such fuss TINT the citizens got
after us and ran us into the mountains.
We staid up there waiting for the next
train, and at Inst got 80 cold and hun
cry that We vontured to 60 to a cabin in
the hills. When We got to the door We
heard voices. Finally We knocked and
went in. BY Jerusalem !! Theres sAt the
very fellow we had conHdencel in the
morning, his gun across his knee. He
had been out hunting for us and was
determined to find us II possible. He
loveled his gun Hnd threatened to
shoot us dead il We moved; and We
didn't move, but stood there while he