The sun., 1878-04-28
AN INNOCENT ABROAD.
How the Rev. y. Curtis was Led into n Losins
Game of nrss.

From n, .i,omrHc iaJep,aiHt
The Rev. Il. Curtis, pastor Of the Baptist
Church oi Grocnvllc. Mich. writes ~ follows;
Allow ma u iiitlo epHce tp oNpnin the trans.
action at Howard la,t week with which my
name is associated. Having three or fuut
hours ut Howard waiting th" ;rain north. Wis.
itcd u few friends oi our church ip advise them
about getting pastor. On my way back H. The
depot young man Joined me, wei, drrssrd. in
quality to attract nnd secure confidence. He
said ihnt he resided in Jackson. that hls name
WIS Leonard. that he was here To- buy u few ear
loads of Lumbar and shinglcs. and lle asked mo
TO step across 10 y pllu from which he hal
bought u car load. ! complied. told him ]
when Il s,rnngcr approached having on n nap
prd hat aud lHUr lrhus pants. and using the
phrases OF u Sonlhrrn"r
The young man entered into conversation
with him, asking him many questions, ah OF
which he'd me tn suppose that they had never
met before. He also kindly reprOved the
stranger whnn llc used pr,itilo language. The
stranger said hr had been to Chicago with
drove ~ mules had few leit. and wns up here
tu sell them. Said he had been swndlyd In Chi.
cngo. hut had soin, money l,lt yet, showing
roll Of hils. Snd l!n had thr;hings III his pocket
they did u with. The young man desired 70 see
them. lie showed him three cards. but being
seated some ten feet away did not see them
rcadme nnI Hs srH 4"t t. up m ,ne yomns mag Tsn %s
said Wait moment till see how they use
y"u ' aud asE"G me Il knew % no how 'RSs Try USED T
these cards, told him did not. They came
nearer. ANA the stranger lad his cNrds on 0
bunch Of shingles and asked the young mnn 10
put down sonn money. lie said he would. but
only for fun. They each laid down u IS bill, and
til" young man took them M. This was repeat.
cl II number 81 times. und the money each time
given back To- the stranger.
Ithrn again started To- 60 Tho young man
cnne tu me-. nnd IN u whisper said he thought
W. could IT, mat stranger grrit dcnl of good
W. strpprd back. ANA ne SAID; We viii play q
little more. Just for fun" The stranger said:
= All righ; = and he took ont thecarGs. put them
down. and then rut down roll Of bills. The
young man said to mo: You put down" /
took roll VI bills from my pocket. and the
young man laid them down and put his hand
over thcm. tn" stranger seemed to have his
attention drawn the other way. when the young
man took his hand from tn" money and lifted
ono of the cards. AZ illis the stranger grabbed
the money aud charged the other with cheating,
first time. suspcct.d u caHsprgcy charged
him with ii. H. denied; said he would con-
vince mr 10y sending me- this money as soon as
hc Eut home" Still charged him with IT, and
told him would have both arrested for robbery.
., Another man then approgrhcl and said:
robbery. rather" We'll" he said. " IL had
not Inst sold this Young man ear ot shingles
would have you all arrested | saw tuat he also
was one of the gang. aud thHt | had really fallen
among thieves And concluded had better
leave. The young man accompanied me pert
way To TIE depot pi4f"-tlng MS Innocence. and
saying that hr had friend in Reed CITY. where
would stop Tor dinner. who owed him $40, and
he would give m" an order. and / could get
that. He went into restaurant and wrote the
order. but his friend al Reed Cty did not know
any ono 10y thut name.
Thus. for the first time in my life. ! hnve been
dnped. fooled. swlndled. ] rgrrt 1t. md wish
all my friends Ia nut us favorable constitute
ton Us possible upon This. my folly and 10 be-
ll,ve me- when say that / never played u game
OF cards in my lif,. nor any other game, not
even crOquct since | was VI!.iltren years old.