The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1876-02-17
I'HREE.CARD MONTE.
ssssrnbIing On the Green-A 7EOUntain TX
Perience ia the South.
Tcrrc Hatitc Express

THREEsCARD MONTE.
Gambling On fIse CsreeH-A 3EOUntsim Tx
Eserience ia the South.
Tcrre Haute Express
so YOU don't kno~ anything about
three-card monte, eh? Now, Just wait Il
minute, and ri show yutl srmcthing.
Here are three business cards, all alike
I'll take the plain side of them, and on
this one I'll mark large round spot
with a pen. Now, watch close"
These remarks were addressed TO an
Express Representative q few evenings
since, by a young man who had been
known to the professional as one Of the
most daring young confidence men and
three-Card throWcrs in the country.
"NOw," ne continued, Il take this
card so, and place 1t on the table. This
is the one with the mark on it. l put
the two others on either side gift, and
you can turn it up now and look at it
Tor yourself"
The reporter did 50. Sure enough,
The middle card had the spot.
"NOw, again, | take up this card
slowly, and throw it over in the place
of the other, and transfer the one on the
left to the place of the one on the right,
and the marked one is now on the left
instead Of being iii the middle, isn't it ~
The reporter Thought that stlch was
the cas-, and remarked that there was
no doubt about it.
''Pick it up and sce,'' said slippery
Ned"
The reporter turned over the card.
1T was a blank. He also turned the
middle with a like result, and found
the marked spot on the last card to the
right.
''There," said Ned, ''you see If you'd
had a thousand dollars bet on that,yOu'd
been left, wouldn't you ~
The Express writer was forced to adj
nit that such would have been the re-
suit, but also made a mental reserva-
tion to the effect that whenever he be
became the pOssessOr of a thousand dol
lars he wouldn't bet it on any kind Of
game, yeu bet.
''Try it again" urged Ned.
The reporter did so with the same re-
suit, although in each case the motion
of Ned's fingers were slow and deliber-
ate.
"Pll show you," said he. q take
this card with the spot on it, and bend
ing it like the Others, put it i'll my fin
gers. | make a motion as though ] was
throwing it out, but 1 merely shove it
quickly down, and throw out the next
card to it. You keep your eye on the
one which is marked, or in a regular
way, the ace, and there you get left
again. Now let me show you" And in
a few'mOments it was 50 well explained
that the reporter had hardly any trouble
in picking up the proper card. TheR the
operator smutted the corner Of a card a
little and gave an illustration of that
proceeding.
''Where is the best place to work?"
asked the reporter.
''To tell the truth, from st. Louis to
the east is about as good as any. The
people of Indiana and Illinois are about
as green as YOU will find them anywhere;
but the Vandalia company is so strict
that you can't get half a show on that
road, and it amt worked by the prOtes-
sion now, at all. West of St. Louis,
though. the roads are all easily worked.
Pan out we'll, too, you can bet your bot
tom dollar. But, speaking of Indiana,
the best road in the state Is the Louis
willie and New Albany and Chicago. You
recollect how Burke Dwyer scared a
whole train load, got scads of money cut
of one or two passengers, took up his
cards and bounced off between Green
castle and Cloverdale. 1t was on the
same road that a rich passenger, betting
with him, gave him a deed for saw mill
and two acres of ground, when his money
ran out. But Burke was afraid to take
possession, and so it's been in the hands
Of the loser since, as before. But
Burkie's a game fellow, and stands
bv his boys. They work a train, and
! e
the others hang to him till they get him
off, even if it costs five thousand dollars.
But Burke is too well known on Indi-
ana railroads now. He confines himself
to Illinois, principally, where the harvest
is great, and the reapers but few"
q suppose you have had adventures in
your time, suggested the reporter.
Il Just have. About as lively time
as ! can recOllect was on the Chattanoo-
ga and Nashville railroad. Two or three
Of Us were together, and were working a
.rain out to a little place from Chatta-
nooga. We struck a greeny, and soon
heeced him out of a thousand dollars.
When the train came to the first station
after this we Jumped off, and thought
we'd run back to Nashville on the next
train; unfortunately for us, the man we
had skinned lived there, and he made
such a fuss that the citizens got after US
and ran us into the mountains. We
STAYED up there waiting for the next
train, and at last got so cold and hungry
that we veutured to a cabin in the hills.
When we got to the door, we saw light
and heard voices. Finally, we knocked
and went in. BY Jerusalem There
sat the fellow we had cOntidenCed in the
morning, his gun across his knee. he
had been out hunting for us, and was
determined to find Us If possible he
IeveIed his gun, and threatened to shoot
if we moved; and we didn't move, but
stood there while he made us fork over
every cent we had got III the morning.
Then ne kicked US out in the open air
oPIeasant - remarked the reporter.
ssYes. pleasant if one looks at it in
that light. but that wasn't what made
me Quit the business. There's too much
of a fellow getting beaten at his own
can,e There are men 50 old at the bus
iness that You'll think that yOUve got
o-1lv. but when IL comes to guess at the
card he picks it up every time. He can
rru on this way and burst the bank. !
know q fellow who Is now merchant in
Niddleburv, who had his bank broken
in this wav, and went into more GER
tain business
s.Where did you make your last ad-
venture NedT' asked the reporter.
s.It was on the Ohio and Mississippi
road. near Olney. I used to work that
road back and forth pretty thoroughly.
One day ! got an Old fellow watch and
chain, all his money and even his plug
hat. and lie squealed. The passengers
weRt crazy, They locked the doors,