The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-04-28
A GAMBLERS CONFESSIONS.
sOME QUEEN CHIPJHRs FROM 4 LIFE
SPENT AZ THE F.IRV TiBLE

Game Pat tp pcnIsy iVnuin Judge.
He is an entity, not myth. No matter
about his real name. or the uuHr by wAici hcis
best known 10 his ass1riat,a and victims; for
present purposes he may hc designated as
The Gambler" Plainly but elegantly dressed.
D polished In domoanor, we'll educated glii'u
with Il voice purring, coniliing, and conliueh-
tial, he has q peculiarly seductive air perfect
in lis adaptation to the strange line Of industry
tn which his life has been devoted, and ~ far rs
possible removed from the ideal gambler OF
sensational fiction and the vulgar type OF his
fellows with whom one becomes cOnvcrsnnt in
the ordinary haunts Of vice and the unsavory
punieus OF the police courts. H. j. the slrcNcst
Of the sleek Tigers. but none the less ferocious
for his seekness. Professionals know him
we'll. from Maine 10 the Gull. from Washington
to Omaha, aud will readily identity him by the
pccuiiaritics of his work That his state
ments are truthful appears from the fact that
he docs not hesitate to give the names Of those
most intimately connected with the piquant in
cidents OF his career and challenges denial
from any of them.
began gambling" he said to a reporter for
tbs Sun. at very early age and it speedily
became mania with me. | ran through every
dollar | could get. and even sacrificed money
that should have been sacred t. me To my in
fatiiat!on. When WIS Is poor IL | could be.
gamhiors Of experience probably discerning in
me something worth cultivuin.. took me in
hand. taught mo various gambling tricks. in
itiated me into the secrets OF their cheating i'm
plcmeuts. and employed me Is n stool pigeon
I. ". 10 seduce victims to their games. or
course | know that 1t was base cnl dishonest
but | WIS poor. and felt that must not allow
scrupes 10 stand in the way Of my providing as
best could Tor those dependent upon mo and
besgared by me. In course Of time learned
all the secrets Of the business studied hard
90 become an adep;-as hard as ever y mau dill
10 " himself iornny honorable proics-iun-and
in time succcrded | became notorou-ly
good player 81 cards On the square. Even
whea no dishonest advantage is taken, the pro-
fcssional gambler has an Immense percentage
in his trained nerve. memory. rcudy cal ull-
ton oi chHnces and other purely mental quail
h,utions; and these developed to the utmost
From town to town went all over the land.
playing short card games. whist. lwsion, ,htc,
casino. seven up. POKER. 40. cue liit 'rnH hlln
BUSINESS men AMI nr","-Slohii t"nn"'S. WIN
results ut onrp profitable and graft, NJ o. my
lrl9e, rs player Thcp sotsio Grn.!n. arc;
Had kept all won. what "a colossal iyrIun"
might have now But none 9t "a. do tnat.
When We got large stalk hy dealing grrie
We Are uneasy until W. lgs' II hu'kih- against
somebody esr's game. i j. strange that We
never learn ihul the only side 81 tine table 70 WIN
M on faro j. the inside. 1ui WrdNut
while was dealing furoi bnlnrit TINT some
uloviur The clement If dishonesty to h. found
IN nearly all rlayrrs-all ~, tar ar hay" boon
nbc To learn-Ns a bait. even Misrepresentation
iheir iniuiu,rpn Tor chan TO utc th.m TO
nut. was ~ 20 TO somn ndN WHO WIS Auowu 80
b. m the habit OF play. ng. and who was r''cog-
nizlas oi a greedy ANA nlrr'"aary slos on
hnt To propose 70 nm q s'rr,t uudesstan. i!uS
with q dealer to boat faro same. me result %
which would be MS betrayal and di-romiliur"
Mhrp heard oi i ihe PAN riru = n'" a~ -n Ri.
mirabe In conception and sug'' Of sur ess ihIf
ut once adopted it ~ my cole reliance. W at
into i heart 1nl soul. AMI in tre mas num;
b.r 81 NaluUo" inprOv 'u.nts upon tl' ugie uD!
idea. with which you viii hc made acquainted
as WE 20 along. Here let mo say that
workin.: this peculiar field Of moral AZ
rcunurc.' rs CAPT. Muas.e wruA sly ior
tho seven or c.-At years last pas. | have
boon constantly ~ in;iuH;' relations with men
ul ih- hi-ht-t sorinl. nier-uutilr. pro 'nual.
aud political stanin aul innn nee. 81. OF lo i..
United states S"naiDr-. h"Ir'-rnuilV"s lu Com
eress. AtJrnry--Gen";gl, Cabinet S''rtar"s.
mud low degree. Judges. Generals. eminent
lawyers. aul w aitAy merchants and iilN-l-
virtimizr others. and have themselves leeA
dipped. Tie great m'-iake Of my lre. l.ee-sgrs
was that they coItnr,d their VICTIMS from 'he
lower CLASSES. instead ui lacking 'Af hls!. 81 IA
the Mnd. But no game Il " ~ too grr.i "A u.-
primarily. that MI men were equally = nest,
and that, IN tax lng advantage oi ;uai ia I, wd-
safest IN maxim. yictilus among ,nosr win"
squealing wLcn they found ouf how they had
been durel \, tue same time my profits were
In order to carry ont me- plans. chained
the cooperation 81 three comp tent men. 'arh
WAS 10 snsiain. and was thoroughly coup tent
iet II. TINS organization I'll !et hero IN NV
, u9rN, Whetg f."n i 90 %. "'Iin Hts'
our game you will hest nm !nr-tani from my
migration OF our first ~ iT7;h' oaltgr.., AMI
taking into cmR Of judT' r 81 Wiz -
barre, mnn well known ull over Eastern Penn
sylvania. Oh course. Qn. lr"twiuNrv stop WIS
who hat III some time gpmhl"lior money. aud
the name Vi some iflrnd oil rs whom he knew
having done so-th0t frisni. il lo--ibie. at 50
great dlsian' that he could not readily COM
nunicatr with him. Tn friends mime WIS
the key t. his cniiaIonr.. Whrn W, stru x Oh;
for1ns,ness We went t. PhiiH4ei phia and thef,
the fact that he mad AZ one iirc lost q good deal
OF monp at draw poErr. Hs was either an Is
rcm"lnG'r which. ana on. II lie most uromi-
nent mcn IN tn COUNTY. That WIS IA 1871. We
nlsp learntd the nAnle .; one Of i;'s Iri.n Is
We went 70 Wnkesbarrr alter him. Tue CON
federate who did the wealthy ba scr part in our
little drama went with ne. Ih' one VINO
played the tota stranger merely s,tt.n- in ion
the irst d'p! 10 81 the same goins and tH'n
witch Ty,e i'm one 81. tuiut-if W. ga. ntt
trouble, and the eae who wa, ~ wealthy mgr
by chance ana willing 10 keep tlle "uo hu.. i- an
accommodation, tra'eu'i separately without
any recognition ol ~ q ul c.rn oi.er. ami, -
got Into town first mig 4 a. room over q saloon
in which draw poker had he "a played q = |p!
deal and then iuAlug 80 buggy. drove out alone
81 Judge rs rosidcn'"-i0ur or iN" miles
from town, II ! remember ar-lt Finding ham
ut home. mrnt Onrd my trends name. anu re-
ceiyed q cordial welcome. ! % ned nay hus g,
ness TO hin. at once. l9!d him that ! pad
with me 1t ihe Motel a, rich Caiiur-
man, man OF unhuun ,cd wealth, Mh9
had come Egs, - invest two or lhrr hunllcl
thousand dollars FOX his sirrs Dhlitrn. IaiS
man had known No as smart gNmpicr IN Cdll-
fOrnia. ana. meeting NJ again ~ IN" IdAt, Mus
willing 10 utilise my ability Ay larkiAg faro
game for me - deal. lu, Wou.d oniy bay ulr a
small salary aud Wquid not advance l"e 2 sum
OF money OF which WU- t'rrhy IN need anu
which he gould LIT M nave inst ~ vel as not I
he VAS not ~ inernalE =tAAE IhNl money
| had to have. aud had come ~ tho Jul -e 10
hclp me 10 gel il. might go Smith or Jones.
or some other unknown person. t. do Il; bat II
did they would be likely 10 bee suspected u
b''lhG In collision with mo Wll"n th'lr hcafy
winnings were noticed, whereas nobody rOuid
suspect any private uud ;r-iundiug l"tNr"u 4
gambler and gentleman OF ~ II hlGN Standing
and reputation uS Judge r. "" would
together I'll cessiuliy liuuIer the wealthy eau
iornan out of eight or Ten Thousand dol
lars. TINS proposition, mind you. | nude
70 the Judge in h. own hpueri unrc-
srryedB. at my first interview with han,
ana without Hnt DINER preparatory