Daily globe., 1879-07-13
THREE-C ARD MONTE.
Few "reminiscences of the Great Three Car
Monte Sharp Canada Bill.'''

THREE-CARD MONTE.
A Few "reminiscences Of the Great Three : Card
Monte Sharp" Canada Bill
Philadelphia Times
Three-card monte is a swindling game
at which it is impossible to beat the op-
orator, and it has been so thoroughly ex-
posed that there ought not to be anv VIC
tins. Nevertheless the monte spider,
seeking human flies OF present wealth,
i dexte1ously handling his cards and skill
fully talking the while, makes his living
| about as easily as he did in the days Of
the war, when money was so plenty. An
old railroad conductor, now 4 passenger
agent for the Chesapeake & Ohio road,
but who ran a train on the Baltimore s.
Ohio road during the war, relates that he
knew Canada Bill'' to gather in $4,000
IN one train from Martinsburg to Balti-
more, q distance Of one hundred miles.
"Canada Bill' is a name we'll known to
/ the gambling fraternity, although he who
was known by tat title was some years
age laid to rest. His death, which cut
Oft from the earth the smartest operator
OF three cards that ever was seen, took
place when he was trife more than for
ty years of age. "Just as we'll to die
now,'' said he, when told that medicine
could not save him "Might as we'll cut
the game, because the cream of the mon
te has been skinned. There won't be
another war, and they amt going to build
no more Pacific railroads, and it's hard
for me to play for ten when used to
catch hundred twice as easy When
his last minute came he sat up in mis- bed
and called out: "Fifty dollars to ten you
can't pick up the ace," and then he fell
dead.
That is the story told of his last mo-
ments, and may be true if the old saying
has no exception that the ruling passion
is strong in death. Bill's great boast was
that he had beaten a minister. Chicago
newspaper reporters of the year 1874 re-
member of the excitement the city editors
of the papers there, except one, were
thrown into by the exclusive publication
by that one of the story Of a well-known
minister who became victim to ssCanada
Bill S" wiles on train on the Chicago,
Rock Island and Pacific railroad. He
had lost nearly thousand dollars. Can
ada Bill did not bear the reputation of
having been the most expert dealer, but
he did that of having been the most skill
tul operator. In the slang Of the profess
ion, che could ring in the suckers better
than anybody" and here is a sample Of
his proceedings that came under the OBJ
servatlon Of the writer a few years ago:
The Illinois State fair held at Decatur,
was just over, and the Changers were fill
ing the trains, homeward bound. Bill,
wearing cowhide boots and coarse clothes,
got into the train just moving from the
station and attracted attention by saying
in loud tone, .sWell, no farmer has a
show with railroads. They kill his stock
and laugh at him when he wants pay for
it," "What's up?" asked his clever cap
per, and Bill related: 81 brought three
head Of Durham calves down here from
Winnebago county and I got premiums
on all Of them. was having them put
on the car to send home"-by this time
the attention Of every granger in the car
was attracted -s:when one of the con
sarned fools let one of them break leg
on the bridge from the cattle pen to the
stock car, and they had to kill it to put
it out of misery. [ wouldn't have taken
5000 for the calf, but the railroad tells
me was shipping at reduced rates and
amt got ary claim"
The conversation that ensued and the
statement that Bill had made put him on
the best possible terms and in the CONT
dence Of all the grangers, and so when
he presently spread his overcoat and said
first. "I'll sue the road, anyhow and
then. II found this little game that'll be
funny for the Winnebago folks, anyway .
he had no lack Of listeners and interested
watchers, and after that is accomplished
the work of the three-card monte man is
easy. Human nature, rich avarice, does the
rest. Bill drew out his cards and proceed
ed to tell how he had won $3.50 after losing
| $50, s:just as easy" he went on, :sas this.
Now here's the money!" and he pulled
out pig-skin pocketbook tied up with
Irvine which he undid and exposed pile
Of notes to the amonnt Of several hundred
dollars. ''No discount on that: easier
made than turning a long furrow.' His
capper asked for an explanation and Bill,
told him all there was in it and lost forth
with $40 to his accomplice. By this
| time half dozen pocketbooks were out
and bets came in freely. In half an hour
the train reached Tolono, where passen-
gers change for Chicago, and Bill, about
5000 ahead, got up remarking: s'Well,
1 gentlemen, I'm going to Chicago to see
la lawyer about recovering tor that calf.
Good night" And before the astonished
grangers could realize the situation he
had disappeared through the door. Halt
an hour afterward he was seen on the
north bound train, dressed in the height
Of fashion and looking like anything but
the coarsely-clad man on the Wabash
road.
! 1t is said that Canada Bill made $1OO,
900 during his career as card thrower,
but when he died, in Council Bluffs, Iowa,
he left just enough Of money to give him
! q decent funeral. Like many Of his pro-
fession, he found at the faro table his
greatest pleasure, and his winnings went
from him more easily than they came.
He was great player of draughts, and
won much money that way. Ofhis early
life not much is known. He was born
and lived for some years at Peekskill, N.
i y, on the Hudson river, just below
Poughkeepsie. He vas often arrested,
! but never stayed long in prison. After
the war his field Of operations was mostly
on the Pacific railroads, west of Omaha.
j Himself man of daring and personal
courage, he often had to face men more
4 desperate than himself, but his presence
Of mind never deserted him, and when
everything else failed he was as ready
with his weapon as mis- adversary. He
never drank to excess and had no intimate
friends. Some years ago he visited Phila-
delphia. It was in the days when
faro fourished here and the strict orders