The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1876-10-19
NUMBER %.


There are some fellows in Louisville, as
well as other metropolitan cities, who do
not consider honesty the best policy. A
few of these are gamblers-notg good gam
blers, but bad gamblers, or as Picard in
the play remarked, very bad gamblers
Several of these gay make-ups of the
on Jefferson street, conveniently located
for clerks, merchants or others who might
care to drop in.
A good square game of poker was un.
derstOod to be always attainable. It
wasn't a regular place, you know, but
then the gentlemen who had charge of
the room didn't mind accommodating a
a few friends. Only friends were wanted;
none others, you know. OF course, q
good many not strictly friends dropped
in, but then this couldn't we'll be helped.
Exceptions to all rules was the explana-
ton. Such a delightful resort would
not be otherwise than popular.
For time all went lovely--f0r the
Proprietors; indeed, it might be said,
very lovely. There came change.
Haunters said no one, aye, not a single
soul, had ever won within the aforesaid
cosy resort. Odd, but even so. The
players took part less frequently, the
above mentioned rumor prompting them,
no doubt, to expect that the exciting
drama in which they were wont to en-
gage was not of the honest, legitimate
school they had imagined it to be. Be-
lieving thus, they one by one, even as
leaf by leaf the roses fall, ceased their
visits, until the gay gamblers were left
alone, not blooming, however, but deci-
dedly angry over the fight of the gslden
geese whose visits they had been accus-
toned to welcome.
The ducats no longer came in as for
merly. The rent was behind, but the
landlord was not. He came forward with
all due promptness, yet it availed him
nothing. The money was not at hand,
and the gamblers could not pay it. Con-
sequently their exit soon followed, car
pets, ETC., being held for rent. Several
days ago the landlord made a singular
discovery in the room lately occupied
by the gamblers. 1t was an evidence
which clearly demonstrated why no out
side winnings were made. 1t showed
that fraud, black and bad fraud, had
been perpetrated upon visitors. 1t indi-
SaeSu FCiy uuuiistdhdUiy tudI ~ was
never intended that they should take
away cent more than they had brought |
in with them, if fraud could prevent. /
But to explain: Against one wall of
the room wherein poker was played by !
the aforesaid select few, sat sideboard.
On top of this a clock. Back of the
time-piece just mentioned, hole. When
the reader is told that the wall through
which this interesting hole was bored |
was brick one, two feet thick, and sep
arated not only two rooms, but two |
buildings, he may conclude it signified |
nothing. But not 80. 1t extended to
room directly opposite, in different
house to be sure, but then why not hab-
tied by friends of the gamblers on the
other side? And so it was. Further
than this, wire extended from the little
described, down the wall to
the floor, and under the carpet to each
end of a table, whereon poker was played.
at each end of the wires were springs
upon which the gamblers-two of them
always played-placed one foot. They
faced the wall, or could always manage to
get the backs of their guests toward the
hole. The man in the other room had
only to glance down, and he could see
the cards held by the victims. He sig
nailed by means of his wires the quality
Of the cards held by the strangers, accord
ing as they might constitute a flush, a
full, pot, or anything of the kind.
Thus knowing what their dupes had,
the others managed, no doubt, to make
great success in their playing.
The whole arrangement was devised
for fraud, and very likely accomplished
the purpose for which it was
put up. The game is fresh one, and in
spite of the oft said declaration that
there is nothing new under the sun, we
can not but believe the aforesaid swim
1ling machine is of decidedly modern