The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-03-07
THE TIGERS CLAWS.

WHAT A YOUNG MAN DROPPED WHILE FIGHT
ISG THE FAro-cIoUs FrLINE-rHAr TRICKY
LITTLE SILVER Box---sLAyG VOCABULARY OF
~uE ESCORTS WHO OFT HAVE WALLACE
'DLED'"
A case givin; what may be termed erposs Of the
mysteries OF faro and also portrayng interesting and
highly instructive facts concerning tho great cxpccta
tons OF "grcen" young man, camc up before Judge
Larrcmore yesterday in Special Term OF tho Court Of
Common Pleas. II would appear. tho story goes,
that Mr.. John A. Wallace, according TO tho rep
rescntation OF his counsel. Mr.. A. H. II. Dawson. Is
''creduous' but ambitious young man whose hopes
OF future wealth ofcntmcs frustrated in n most
unexpected and aggravating manner. Notwiths'and-
ing the numerous checks ard OF Mr. wallarcs
financial career his courage aud perscvcring energy
never deserted him. Schemes OF magnitude would
MT through the Imaginative brain OF this ambitious
youth, only 10 meet. however, with the accustomed
Ill luck IL Is not surprising therefore. that reduced
by bad spccuiatIons aud financial loans, the young
should become desperate and resort TO other aud
more hazardous schemes to accomplish tho Oh
Jcct OF his hearts Having Tor his
prospective pinnacle Of greatness the possession
OF untold millions no soon fell victim to
''shurpcrs.' One day Wallace became acquainted with
two apparently respectable and well dressed men. who
Wallace might, II he chose, make his everlasting for
tune, and sequence OF tins unfortunate meeting is
uptly described III the following complaint and am
davits winch presented yesterday motion
made by MI A. Oakley Hail to vacatc an order OF ar
rest against these two respectable aud well dressed
men -
THE SILVER pox DODGE
The complaint states that one Samuel Il. Briggs and
one Charles ~ Moody concentrates IN cheating
and swiIdling and pursue that avvcation that they
employ and SILVER box Just large enough To mold
deck OF cards, and constructed IN manner TO
thcy put deck OF cards trimmed in
manner 10 enable them TO shuttle them
control each card ut Will by
tho all tho box that defendants rcprcsen ted the
PLAINTIFF that they played lar game aud that tho box
was lair box whereby he was induced to risk against
tine time tho sum OF ST. 500 every cent OF
which he has lost IN defendants establishment He
now says that tho box was a fraud. and tho game
ALSO and that the game was not the game OF faro, be-
game Of chance, and he claims Judg.
mcnt against them Tor ST. 500.
Upon this complaint the order OF arrest granted
at the instance OF Mr. A. l.. H. Dawson VINO appeared
iGr the plaintiff
AR A. Oakley Hall in mis- argument TO vacatc tho
order rccilcd very many OF the ODD English statutes
relating 10 gambling. comparing them WIN our own
statutcs, and claimed that tho action brought by tho
plaintiff could not be entertained III the courts be-
cause his action was premature, aud that being
pdrticeps crimnis he had no right 10 bring an action
Mr.. Dawson read the affidavit Of Mr. Wallace as
follows:-
wALLAcE's AFFIDAVIT.
John A. Wallace, being duly sworn, states that he
has q sufficient cause of action against the above
named defendants, which arose out OF the following
was introduced to defendant Briggs Charles Stevens
and TO defendant Moody as Mr. Grccnlcai; that they
represented themselves as gentlemen Of leisure, pos
nInpie and as keeping club house Tor
the resort OF bankers ana brokers AZ No 32 Broad
way, New York city; that they also were the proprie.
tors OF a game against which IL was no unusual
thing for banker broker 10 be. aud win $50 QUO or
$40 900 OF an evening. They stated that they lett
from $40 900 to 500 900 in The drawer OF tho table
which The gamc was played and always paid whatever
lost the spot, Aant states that no never knew
hal ia nm cnrtie md a
games whatever on which money is lost and won. He
further states that he docs make, 10 speculaIions IN
worry hazardous ventures aud often with
very profitable results; that he has very tre-
quently lost golden opportunities 10 make BRILL
ian TRANSACTIONS Tor the want Of Tow thousand dol
lars That within the last four years mis- real estate
thousands Of dollars. That at the time these defend
made 10 him the above set forth
about tho facility With which bankers and brokers
would win from $50 600 TO 900 OF an evening from
thcm, he IN need vi low thousand dollars more
than be had TO consumma,c transactions which promised
to pay brilliant profits and that for several days alter
these facts were stated 70 him hiS mind was COLI
tinually haunted by visions VI The profit he
might make II h. could comma md tho sum he needed
aud oil tho probability that he might win such
II he venlurcd, until he concluded 70 do so, and did,
and that he lost on the hrst venture some $500 or
81, 900; that when he lost strangers TO him seemed
10 be betting, too, against the same game and VIM
ming; that be felt tina. was simply his bad luck, and
resolved try again. and again lost SIMILAR sum,
and that he kept riskng and losing, uni he lost,
within three months following, al No l32 Broadway,
was always instructed by said Stevens where to pu,
his money down, but that on risklDg the sum oil
$l2, 900 he never won the first dollar.
THE NAME or 1T.
AIant states further that no has since Investigated
tho matter and that he has learned that tho trick
device by which he relieved Of his money is known
by tho OF faro; that Stevens proper name Is
Briggs and that Grcenleat's proper name is Moody,
and that they enjoy the reputation OF professional
gamblers, who 1.-Two by swindlng, cheating and do
raudng ignorant at cards. that Is not true that
thew kent club house for bankers ami brokers' and
fnnt lha ri her a a
any persons whatever OF responsibility visited their
house at all; that II was and is simply a
den thieves which strangers are nveised TO be
robbed by tho above described that at the time
afant introduced there he was. as he still is,
resident OF tho city OF ST. Louis Mo- A1ant further
states that Stevens represented himself as only an
agent the house, and that the title OF the frm
Wood Gr1nhns ana .nat Inc woo WOOD VINO was AZ une
and editor OF the New York Ecentng Necs whereas the
truth that Benjamin Wood has not and never had,
any connection with the house, aud that Its solo pro-
prictors are the above named defendants
SLANG DICTIONARY.
The reading OF this affidavit WAS followed by another
AFFIDAVIT made by Henry A. Crowcl, who says that he
Is acquainted with the defendants, and Is
familiar with their habits OF business that they are
professional gamblers and deal faro for livelihood
that they use the implements invented tor the express
purpose Of cheating and deiraudng those who bot
against them that the box out OF which they deal tho
cards constructed that they may take one or two
cards just as they choose; that said cards are SO
trimmed that expert shuicr can know tho location
OF each card the deck TO every other card in the
deck when no puts them In the box 10 DEAL ana tho
moment hs has dealt one or TWO cards, from Inc
manner in which said cards are marked, lie can tell
whether IL Is necessary 10 draw one or Two cards IN
order to mako the better against the game lose that
this box chnically called among gamblers snide,
'skn or 'brace'' box; that the cards thus trimmed
are called "strlppcrs" and that the type or style Of
gamblers who use such boxes and cards depend upon
'suckcrs" Tor patronase-n other words men ignorant
OF gambling; that the house kept by defendants at No
1872 broadway, Is notorious skin game, that TINS
game Is not properly described as gambling; that
gambling means trick and that the defendants risk
nothing; that II Is simply rick or device through
fbo
ali green and ignorant enough TO be caught IN
their trap.
Mr. Dawson said that Charles " or VI, he didnt
Know which, used 10 compel his Ministers TO play a
lair gamc OF faro all day. and II is stated that tho ex
cnemcnt aud inOxicatioh OF the game prepared him
take up and dispose OF the many Affairs OF state
with lighter heart and better mind. "Why," said
Mr.. Dawson. ''Washinston and Lafayette introduced
faro into tins country; but, he continued, ''ean you
ihaL ilr I'd - ihc suIpn ~