Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-05-04

~ NNiA"VSAh NeAh SOO PlnOC HllCH-
ever he wants it.
AS soon as the conductor takes
up the tickets after leaving the de-
pot, the train butcher commences
work He first offers fdr sale bound
books. Only hrst-class passengers
buy these. Next comes magazines,
then the daily papers, then fruit,
then twenty-fve-cent novels, then
yegetable-ivory trinkets, then the
sort of stick candy known as bar
Der poles, then illustrated papers,
then cakes and nuts, and, lastly,
cigars and tobacco. When his i'm
pudence and eloquence has ex.
tracted the last nickel from the pas
sengerS through the medium of his
wares, the butcher looks around for
an opportunity to make money for
himself. He has a variety Of de-
vices for this purpose, which he
practices successfully. A favoritc
one is called the book trick. The
butcher takes $40 bill and cuts
one corner off; this corner he pastes
between the leaves of a book, leav-
ing a small portion extending be-
yond the book, where it can be
seen. In the meantime he has Sc.
lected a victim. He takes the pre-
pared book and two others and seats
himself by his victim, and takes out
of his pocket a $40 bill. This he
places between the leaves Of enc oil
the books, leaving a corner project
ing, He then proposes to the
sucker that for $5, $40 or $15, as
he thinks the sucker has, that he
will sell him any book in the lot.
The sucker sees the $40 bill put in
the book and sees the corner stick
ing out, and knows just which
book contains the bill, aud bites.
As the sucker goes for his wallet
the butcher adroitly turns the books
end for end, and there is the corner
of the bill still sticking out. The
sucker pays his money and grasps
the book, and finds that he has got
a so cent. book and a little piece OF
a $50 bill that is wholly yalueless.
If the sucker makes a determined
kick and applies to the conductor
the butcher compromises by paying
back part Of the money. Usually
the butcher learns the " suckers "
destination beforehand, and does
not begin to work him until near
ing that point, and the sucker has
either to submit to the robbery OF
be carried beyond his destination at
expense and inconvenience. This
trick catches not only the unsus-
pecting granger but the smart
drummer, and even ladies. 1t Can
almost always be played on three OIL
four passengers in the same car.
The fg-box trick is on the same
principle as the book trick. The
butcher takes three boxes of figs,
One is loaded with a twenty-five
cent scrip, with the edge showing
from under the top of the box. In
the presence of the sucker he folds
a $5 bill, and lays it on the top Of
the figs, and puts on the box top,
always leaving an edge of the bill
exposed. The sucker is told thai
for So he can have any box in the
lot. As he reaches for his wallet
the boxes are turned and the sucker
takes the box with the edge of the
quarter showing.
The slide-box trick is a similar
game, except that instead of the
edge of a bill a pencil mark is made
on the end of two of the boxes
which the sucker sees; that is, he
sees one of the marks, and is guided
by it in his selection.
Nearly all the butchers are il
with the three-card monte men,
and select victims for them by find.
ing out the residence, business
name and destination of passengers
de also introduces the monte mar
to the victim, having first made the
victims acquaintance, and, after
the robbery is done, if the victim
makes complaint, the butcher tries
to quiet him by telling him thai
gambling is a criminal offense in
the State through which they are
travelling, aud ii the victim makes
complaint that he is liable to be
prosecuted.
Negroes and emigrants are ia.
yorite subjects for the wiles Of the
butcher, often beating them out O.
all their money and very often theil
railroad tickets, which the butcher
sells to the ticket scalper. The ter
minus of the butchers route il
nearly always in a city, and he il
usually roper and capper for q
brace game of faro, for which he
gets twenty per cent. of the win
nings. He has peculiar facilities
for making the acquaintance o
strangers on the train, and &her
they stop in the same town he pro
poses to show them the sights, ant
steers them against a skin game o.
faro.
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