Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1879-07-17
THREE-CARD MONTE.
A Few "Reminiscences of the Great Three Care
Monte sharp" canada BILL


Philadelphia Times
Three-card monte is 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 any NC
tins. Nevertheless the monte spider,
seeking human flies of present wealth,
= dHXtelOusly 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 passer ger
agent for the Chesapeake s. Ohio road,
but who ran train on the Baltimore 81
Ohio road during the war, relates that he
knew Canada Bill" to gather in $4,000
IN one train from Martinsburg to Balti-
more, 4 distance of one hundred miles,
Canada Bill" is Il name well known to
the gambling fraternity, although he who
WAS known by tat title was some years
age laid to rest. His death, which cut
off from the earth the smartest operator
OF three cards that ever was seen, took
place when he was a trife more than for
ty years Of age. "Just as well 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
tie has been skinned. There won't be
another war, and they amt going to build
AZ more Pacific railroads, and it's hard
for me to play for ten when l 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.
Tnat 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. Bills great boast was
that he had beaten minister Chicago
newspaper reporters of the year 1874 re-
member of the excitement the city editors
OF the papers there, except one, We're
thrown into by the exclusive publication
by that one of the story of well-known
minister who became a victim to Canada
Bill s. wlleS on a 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 profes
ion, "he could ring in the suckers better
than anybody" and here is 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,
>%Eearlng cOwhide boots and coarse clothes,
got into the train just moving from the
station and attracted attention by saying
in u loud tone, well, no farmer has
show with railroads They kill his stock
and laugh at him when he wants paw for
it." whats uP?' asked his clever cap
per, and Bill related: Il brought three
head of Durham calves down hare from
Winnebago county and 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-''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 OCT Of misery. I wouldn't have taken
5000 for the calf, but the railroad tells
me was shipping at reduced rates and
amt got airy claim"
The conversation that ensued and the
statement that Bill had made put him on
the best possible terms and in the conf
dence of all the grangers, and so when
he presently spread his Overcoat and said
FIRST. Ill sue the road, anyhow" and
stfthen. ~ found this little game thatll be
funny for the WinIebago 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, docs the
rest. Bill drew out his cards and proceed
ed to tell how he had won $3.50, after losing
$50, '.iust as easy" he went on, ''as 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 amount Of several hundred
dollars. mo discount on that: easier
made than turning long furrow." His
capper asked for an explanation and Bill,
told him all there was III it and lost forth
with $50 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: "Well
gentlemen, I'm going to Chicago to see
a lawyer about recovering IOr that calf
Good night" And before the astonishec
orangers could realize the situation ht
had disappeared through the door Hal
an hour afterward he was seen on thu
north-bound train, dressed in the heigh
of fashion and looking like anything blu
the coarsely-clad man on the Wabasl
road.
lie was great player of draughts, ant
won much money that way. Ofhis earl.
life not much is known. He was bor
and lived for some years at Peekskill, N
Y, on the Hudson river, just below
Poughkeepsie. lie was often arrested
but never stayed long in prison. Ate
the war his field of operations was mostI
ON the Pacific railroads, west of Omaha
Himself man of daring and persona
courage, he often had to face men NOR
desperate than himself, but his presenc
of mind never deserted him, and whe
everything else failed he was as read
with his weapon as his adversary FL
never drank to excess and had no intimat
friends Some years ago he visited Phila
delphia. 1t was in the days whe
faro fiourished here and the strict order
of the police had not substituted poke
in private for faro in gambling rooms
Bill came with $4,000 in his pocket. Fl
was the guest of a well known Samson
street sporting man, and Bill remarke
to his host: ''I'm only going to lose $50
a night, so I'll stay ten days" He wen
INTO Ninth street room that evening an
left the entire $4,000 on the table in les
char, two hours For month or tAo