Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-07-17
More About Bunko.

y
il. But there are readers OF the
HERALD on whom the game has been
attempted. We have heard that ex-
Gov. Dewey has heen approached
In Chicago by clever looking gentle
man who extended the hand and
Familiarity addressed him. On being
told they were mistaken in their man
they politely begged pardon and
passed on. At one time Mr.. Frank
Barr was thus approached. He gave
no name and the friend" dismissed
himself in the usual way. Soon be
was again accosted but still de-
clined to recognize the acquaintance
Presently third met him with a
hearty, "Why, how.do-you-d !?
When did you come to town ?" Mr..
Barr shook with him but remarked
pleasantly that he was sorry he could
not recognize bis corntenance. "Can
be mistaken? Aren't you Col.
Jones of st. Paul ?" "No, SIR" said
Mr.. Barr, 81 am Mr.. Shocks Of Kan
sas." "Oh ah /; beg your pardon"
II seemed that word soon passed
around among the bunko men that
that was Mr.. Snooks, a name not
likely to be easily approached, and
Mr.. Barr had no more such meetings.
Mr.. Jacob Kuenster, of Cassville, we
understand, not long since was greet
ed by man in Chicago who claimed
to have met him in Mr.. Ryland's
bank in Lancaster, and that he was
cousin OF Mr.. Ryland. Mr.. Kuen.
ster was not his cucumber and was
not devoured. Very likely there are
Grant county men who have chad
their pockets picked" and did not
telegraph the fact home or even tell
OF it when they got home.
To US sup a tree" it seems very
green in any man to be so taken in.
But the tact is, many of those de.
spoiled are men recognized at their
homes as above the average in busi-
ness capacity, and the fact of their
icing in the city.with pockets full OF
money is proof that they are rightly
esteemed. The victims are thrown
off guard by men who through study
and discipline have learned to mislead
and beguile unsuspecting men. Any
man may be entrapped who has nev-
er learned that there are such snares
to be avoided. The allegory in
which Adam ate of the tree OF know
ledge Of good and evil teaches us
that there is sin everywhere and that
it is part of our duty TO know the sin
and thus avoid it. Since the "fall"
no mans education is complete who
knows only the good of this world.
The bad will be sure to fatten upon
him.
The "Bunko" article given on first
page was written over four years ago.
The Times said there were at that
time not less than 200 men in Chica-
60 who followed bunko for living.
Not a day had passed for a year
without its account in all the Chicago
papers, of strangers being robbed by
bunko. And it is practiced success.
fully to this day, Notwithstanding the
exposures. Even men who know
something Of it are led into their
dens, and think, the dullest of them,
that they are too sharp for the deal
ers and will get through without loss
but the devices OF the bunko men
are numerous and they are expert in
oil OF them. The one illustrated
might be called a Baptist lottery,
The Deacon was led into the worst
kind Of "game of chance" one that
would not be tolerated among pro-
iessional gamblers, and he was com
pletely robbed before it occurred to
HIM that be was beyond the proprie.
ties of his religion. If the man roped
in proved to be not q religious man,
some other sort of gambling scheme
or device would. have been used.
"Bunko is a game in which under no
circumstances can more than one
party win, and that party is always
the bank"
And the city is not the only place
where working people lose their
wealth by bunko. Chicago may be
the worst place in the world for
bunko but the game in small way,
is often practiced in small towns and
in the country. The paper from
which we have copied says:
Any one who has attended country horse
races and fairs has seen a sweat cloth game
| played with dice, and in which the lay out
is substantially the same as that OF which a
| diagram is given in this article. In this
country game the operator was happy if he
were able to get away with an occasional dol
lar or two; and was highly jubilant if he sue
ceeded in taking trick to the amount of
| Ave dollars out Of some unsuspectng yokel.
! People who have been about much
have seen this sweat cloth per-
formauee; have seen the roper or capper
disguised as some plain farmer, walk up, bet,
throw the dice, and walk away, having taken
5 or 10 for one; and thereafter have seen the
gaping sons of toll fish for stray quarters and
halves which they laid down. never, alas to
take up again.
Such games have been tolerated
on fair grounds in Grant county.
Worse ones have been practiced on
the streets Of Lancaster. Men fol-
lowed Coles circus who gobbled
large sums from Platteville citizens.
The Witness readers are pretty old
before fhav hava thair avas oman Tuo