The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-23
THREE CARD MONTE MEN.
nov THE TETCK ~ WOBKED UITH
BUSINESS CIRDS.
lndiann and Illinois wen Sfncked with &c
Nordant-A Mountain Experience. ~anih
A Bcii-l fNprtiruct Why Lee QUIT.

$50 You don't know anything about
three,c!rd IN nte.chr Now, ia. wait miuuto
and III show you something. Here atc three
1g. ine~s cards, alike II take the liain ,id9
of them. am IN this one I'll mats d large round
~ e with uen. Now, watch closr.'
These remarks were addressed tp an ErIiCss
reprcscntatIv, few evenings since bN yOunr
IN who had been known to the profession "
as one Of the most daring young confidence men
and three-card thrOwefs In the country. who
had been induced by the " tier q give him
history Of his creer, and an insight Into the
fnOduS OJtrdHdi ~ the game.
Now" he continued. 81 take this card so.
and place It on the tanle. This Is the one with
the mark on II. put the two others on either
side Of 1t, and YOU can turn 1t up now and look
for YOURSELF
The reporter did so. Sure enough, the middle
card had the spot.
"Now, again. I take up this card slowly. and
throw II over In the place ~ the her and trans
r the one on the left to the place Of the one on
the right. and the marked one is now On tue
left instead " belt = In the middle, isn't IT."
The reporter Thought TIA I sucn was the case,
and remarked that there was no DOUBT about It.
Tie reporter turned over the card. IL was a
blank. lie also turned the middle. with a like
result, and found the marked spot ON the last
rncrc," said Ned. lyon coo II you'd had
Sl,oCo bet on that-rsoud been lett, wouldn't
Tre Errrc.s writer was forced to admit that
such wuuli have uecn he result. but also mHdc
q ~ entail rrseryutiD II to the effect inai whenever
he became TIE p.-se-sur OF $1,000 he wouldn't
bet 4 on any klild Of s1nc, you bet.
The reporter did ~ With the same result.
although iu each clse the motto o. Ncd's lu-
gers were slow and deliberate.
SHOWING now IT Is DoNr.
"1'n show Vou." said he. "T take This card
with the srot IN T.. IN bending il Ike the
others. pui 10 In my fingers. | make motion
"a though were Throwing 1t out, tut merely
snovc 1t qui i.ly down. an throw out the next
ri to n. You keen your eve ou the one
thrown out. thinking II h. the one which l.
! You got l,fi rcap. Now let me show YOU" And
/ ina few moments 10 WIS so well cN"laned TINT
| the reporter had hardly any trouble in picking
| w the proper card; Iucn tAe operator smuttcd
the corner uf a card little and gave an illu-tra-
| ton OF that proceeding.
Nhcn all this was fly EXPLAINED the reporter
| proceeded TO get some information concerning
the mode OF living ~ these on,rators.
well ~ IN the business. although was young In
wears. Rod John first GOT hold Of me m New
York, where was playing marbles on q e street.
and he, thinking would make u good subject,
started out with me. suppose I've attended
nearly every county fair In the country with tn
| fellow. lie first hal me into business as cap
! per. and worked into his hands well. can tell
! WAYS honor among thieves, YOU know, and honor
| among the chaos we were. too. Had to be. ur
! We couldn't have run the business. But finally
/ | concluded to 20 In on mv own hook So one
season | left New York IN July To work ny the
| farmer fairs from that time on. had two cap
wNili drive me In hundreds 4 crccnios. and
| then used TO soak en-. Tell you how We used
| t. do Il. We'd 80 into a fair ground. and get lie
| Cense from the onicers To run a Jcwe.ry case.
| Receiving prrms-on, we set up Jcwrlrv Sc
WIN niue tTd~- ltNtlIN III H. .lll AlutI pre-
tcnce OF shouting for sales brought up the
| crowd. Soon as We Elt them together, ont came
a board. ana down ! went "a the srGglnd,, pre-
soon country fellow would Fit down near ne
- what YOU got thar
"oi urse ! answered him in way to lead
ION. just a little game with some fun In it,
now TUE GRANGgRs Ann BNoKE.
His curiosity being excited. his next request
was TO see little OF IT, and as shat was just what
" ntcd, drove my opening w"dr" ~ throw
ns the cards a lttle, letting HIM pick cut the
ace every time. When convinced that had
INN On my string. remarked:
iio-s, II bet !od quarter You can't pick
- Done says he, and he threw down ~
"He wins. NJ course I allow him to win &C IN .
ana again. Then he feels elattd; puts down so.
aud wins a.: In; S.O. aud still wins, II think
he his any more down goes so This time
win, and the noble Granger Is Lusted, 10y thun-
But don't tho Officers around thcsc fMis
make 1t hot for v"uf' queried the reuoftcr.
~umctI mes. " EN- IS. beat them 70 uur lf.tle
game Icll you the nun. ! lave often beaten
men At fairs whom You wouldn't ihni, - -v!-
drui- II the agricultural societies. Why. b. w.
uulN two Nrar- ago That, at ia" lrdErtuu FAIR
who had just married couple. and got q Tor
/ st.. ] got Ms money. and he went about through
tie grounds all dan looking al the watermelon
stands and lemomade Lootns So ionsingiv thai
toward evening / returned him lis MOI cY and
| told him TO pray more and gamble less in tne
future. think he took my advice.
" But suppose the officers don't allow you In
then WHAT"
ness, go in anyhow. Paw my WAY YOU know,
Then get mad at one OF my cappers Get a
clue and run him into the remote part Of the
grounds, striking at MIN iuriomsly-creaies an
excitement Green country fellows follow "
We make IT NJ, and are friendly 10y the time the
crowd reaches US. It up game out there
and are all right. YOU see. II were put out ol
the ground entlreA, rs the easiest thing m the
world To get Going jus across the road fiom a
fair ground. II We are arrested well, u costs
US lots o. money 10 get OUT and that diminishes
PROFITABLE FIELDS.
"Where Is the best place to worA" asked the
ITO tell the truth, from 81. Louis 70 the East
Is about as good a. any. he people OF Ind hama
them snywhere: but the Vandaii, C"munny i.
so strict that YOU cant get half show on that
road, and T. amt worked bv the profession now
at ALL West 81 It. Louis though, the roads are
all easily worried. Pan out well, too, you can
bet your lotion dollar But, speaking Of Indi-
nna, the best road In the state Is tue Louisville
New Albany and Chicago. You recOllect how
Burke Dwyer scared whole train load, got
sceus OF money out OF one or wv IassenGtts
took up his cards and bounced on between
Greencaste and Clpverdale. 1t WAS on the same
road that rich passon-er, betting win him
gave him deed for saw mill and two acres OF
ground when his money run out. But Burke
was afraid TO take possession and so II been ~
the hands Of the loser since, as before. But
Burke a game fellow, and STANDS by his boys
They work "A tram ana jump, and when one ol
them gets stuck the Others hang 20 him TIL they
get hin on. even If II costs 5000 but Burklt
| Is too well known on Indiana railroads now
lie confines himself t. Illinois princip v.whert
the harvest Is great and the reapers but few"
" How about being KNOWN Don't II require
disguise, 70 prevent being recognized on the
same road = asked the REPORTER.
Yes, II does, when were working the trains
My costume generally a stock droveri
check bag breeches, blouse, and a whip. Away
knew the mans relations, aud took him In 10
their sake. But, you see, TO equAllHe the thing
we had these costumes made up ~ poor women
generally widows, who needed the money, ant
we gave them Dig prices. We helped tue poo
whenever we could"
without further questioning ma to this RobiI
Hood sort OF morality where Peter was robbed
to pay Paul, the reporter asked II 10 didn't re
quire Il good deal of "smartness" to transac
this business.
"Well, yes, II does and our fellows arc al
ways smart enough when out on the road
: but wnen they're loading about they're tn
biggest fools YOU ever saw. They Spen'
their money Just
IF THEY WERE MITLfONAIREs,
| and didn't care "A cent whether school kept o
| not. Some OF them ruin themselves this way
| aud again some nave good bank accounts,
T | Know one man who has tremendous balanc
- in a Wisconsin bank. But he's an exception
A | The fact Is that wine and women are too muc
4 for the most Of them, and sooner or later the
smash. THEY'RE so internal eXtraeagant. ~
y known one OF the boys to give "A bootblack
bin, and refuse change because the utchin CAV
the boots good shine. Good Tor the boy, 1u