Port Royal standard and commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-03-16
THREE.CLRD MONTE.

the Game and the Manner in Which II Is
Played.
$50 YOU don't know anything about
three-card monte, eh2 Now, just wait
a minute and I'll show you something.
Here are three business cards, all alike.
ri take the plain side of them, and on
this one I'll mark large round spot
with pen. Now, watch close. take
this card so, and place it on the table:
This is the one with the mark on 1t. 1
put the two others on either side OF it,
and you can turn it up now and look Tor
yourself"
The reporter did so. Sure enough,
the middle card had the spot.
"Now, again, I 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 LETT
instead of being in the middle, isn't ltF
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
vas a blank. He also turned the mid
die with a like result, and found the
marked spot on the last card to the
right. :.u,,
had 81, 900 bet on that, you'd been left,
wouldn't youa ,
"I'u show you," said he. 81 take
this card with the spot on it, and bending
il like the others, put it in my fingers.
lT make q motion as though 1 were
throwing it out, but I merely shove it
quickly down, and throw out the next
card to it. You keep your eye on the
one thrown out, thinking it is the one
which is marked, or in a regular way,
the ace, and there you get LETT again.
Now let me show you" And in few
moments it was so we'll explained that
the reporter had hardly any trouble In
picking up the proper card. Then the
nnerator smutted the corner OF card
little and gave an illustration OF that
proceeding.
When ali this was fully explained the
renorter proceeded to get some informa-
tion concerning the mode OF living py
these operators.
"You see" said Ned, 81 used to be
pretty well up in the business, although
T was young in years. Red John first
oot hold of me in New York, where l
wes PLAYING marbles on the street, and
he. thinking would make good sub
iect. started out with me. 1 suppose
| I've attended nearly every county fair
in the country with that fellow. de
first had me into business as capper,
and I worked into his hands well, 1 can
tell YOU. He always whacked up, too,
Won bet. Always honor among thieves,
Won 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 60 in on my own hook; so
one season I left New York in July, to
work up the farmer fairs from that time
on. I had two cappers, and right good
fellows they were. They would drive
me in hundreds of greenies, and then l
used to soak 'em. Tell you how we used
to do it. We'd go into fair ground,
and get license from the officers to run
ieweIry case. Receiving permission
we'd set up jewelry case with little
brass iewelry in it, and under pretense
of shouting for sales brought up the
crowd. Soon as we got them together,
out came board, and down went on
the ground, pretending to have a little
fun all to myself. Pretty soon coun-
try fellow would sit down near me and
ask:
"What you got tharl'
"Of course answered him in way
to lead him on. =,
"Oh, just little game with some
fun in it.
"His curiosity being excited, his next
request was to see little of it, and as
that was Just what wanted, drove my
opening wedge by throwing the cards
little, letting him pick out the ace every
time. When convinced that had him
on my string, I remarked:
"Boss, I'll bet you q quarter you
can't pick out the ace.'
"Done, says he, and he threw down
a twenty-five cent shinplaster.
"He wins, of course; allow him to
win again, and again. Then he feels
elated puts down $40, and wins again
$40, and still wills. If l think ne has
any more down goes $50. This time
win, and the man is busted. Two years
ago I got hold of an old preacher, who
had lust married couple, and got s.
for it. I got his money, and he went
about through the grounds all day look
= ing at the watermelon stands and lem
onade booths so long ngly that towards
evening I returned him his money and
told him to pray more and gamble les:
in the future" -.
"I suppose you have had adventures
in your time, suggested the reporter
IL lust have. About as lively time
as I can recollect was on the Chattanooga
and Nashville railroad. Two or three o.
us were together and were working {
train out to little place from Chat
tanooga. We struck greeny, and soor
leeced him out of thousand dollars
When the train came to the first station
after this we jumped off, and though
? we'd run back to Nashville on the mex
train. Unfortunately for US, the mar
. we had skinned lived there, and h'
made such fuss that the citizens go
,f4or rs on5 ran ns into the mountains