The new North-west., 1879-09-05
THREE-oARD MONTE.

TEREE-oARD MONTE.
&S##*# ZEE @#& q
A FEW "REMINISCENCES OF THE sREA'
THREE-cARD MONTE "sHARP' cana
DA BILL"
Phiadelphis Times ,.z-z.,-- -.
Threa.card monte is swindling game al
wb;ch IL is impossible to beat the opera.
tor. ana Ii has been 20 Thoroughly exposed
that there onght not to be any victims.
Nevertheless the monte spider, seeing hui
man flies Of present wealth, dextronsly
handling his cards and skilfnlly talking the
while, makes his living about as easily az
he did in the days OF. the war, when money
was so plenty. An old railroad conductor,
now q passenger agent for the Chesapeake
and Ohio road, but who ran train on the
Baltimore & Ohio road during the war, re-
lates that he knew Canada Bill to gath
or in 5000 in one train from Martinsburg
to Baltimore, q distance of 100 miles.
"Canada Bill Z" ia q name we'll known TO
the gambling fraternity, although he who
was known by that title was some years ago
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 trifle more than 40 years Of age.
"Just as well to die now," said he, when
told thas medicine could not save. "Might
30 we'll out the game, because the cream OF
the monte has been Skinned. There will
not be another war, and they amt going to
build no more Pacific railroads, and it's
hard for me to play for ten when I used to
catch hundred twice as easy" When
his last minute came he sat up in his bed
and called out, "Fifty dollars to ten you
can't pick up the Cace," and then he fell
dead.
That is the story told of his last moments
and may be true II the old saying has NO
exception that the ruling passion is strong
i'm death. Bills great boast was that he.
had beaten o minister. Chicago newspa-
per reporters of the year 1874 remember of
the excitement the city editors Of the pa
pers there, except one, were thrown into
by the exclusive publication by that one Of
the story Of well4knownminister who be-
came victim to Bills wiles on train on
the Chicags, Rock Island and Pacific rail-
road He bad lost nearly $1,000. Canada
Billdid not bear the seputation- OF having
been tho most- skilfull operator. In the
slang Of the profession, I" he could ring In
suckers better than anybody" and here is
sample Of his proceedings that came nm
der the observation OF the writer few
years ago: at 20 ssalsasqsa SIS 4aigssssf =egH
The Illinois State Fair held at Decatur.
was just over, and the Grangers were al
ling 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 q lond tone, SWELL, no farmer has ..
show with railroads. They kill his stock
and laugh at him when he wants pay for
it." "What's mp 2" asked his clever cap
per, and Bin related: 'I bought three
headof Dnrhaln calves down here from
WiRnebago county and ! got premiums ON
all of them. was having them put on tho
Gar to send homes' by this time the atten-j
tion Of every granger In the car was attrac-
ted-"when ons Of the consarned fools Let
one Of them break aleg on the bridge from
the cattle pen to the stock car, and they
had to kill il to put it ont Of misery. l
wouldn't have taken $500 for the call, but
the railroad tells me was shipping at re-
duced rates and amt got any claim.''
The conyersation that ensued and the
chat Bill had made put him on
the best possible terms and in the conf
dsnce of ell the grangers, and 80 when he
spread his overcoat and said first,
'' I'll sue the road, anyhow" and then, 81
found this little game that'll be funny for
tho Winnebago folks, anyway" he had no
lack of listeners and interested Watchers
and after that ID accomplished, The work OF |
the three7card monte man 10 easy. HUI
man nature, rich averice, does the rest.
Bill drew. out his cards and proceeded to
tell how he had won $3.50, after losing $50,
just as easy" he went on, " as this. Now
here's the money" and he pulled out q Pig
skin pocket-book tied up with twine which |
be undid and exposed pile OF notes to the
amount Of several hundred dollars. No
on that; easier made than turning
q long fuTrow." His cappsr asked for an
and Bill told him all there was
I'm It and lost forthwith $20 10 his accom-
plice. By this time half dozen pocket
books were out and bets came in freely. In
half m hour the train reached Tolono,
where the passengers change for Chicago,
and Bin, about $500 ahead,:: got mp re-
marking: swell, gentlemen, I'm going to
Chicago 30 see lawyer about recovering
damages on that calf. Good night" And
before the astonished grangers could real
ise the situation he had disappeared
through the door. Half an hour afterward
he was seen on the north-bound train,
dressed In the height OF fashion and looking
like anything but she coarsely-clad man on
the Wabash road. s.....sr,s- = .
He was . great player Of dranghts, and
won much money that way. or his early
life not much La known. he was born and i
lived some years ct Peekskill, N. z, on
the Hudson river, just below Poughkeep-
sis. He was often arrested, but never
stayed long in prison. Altar the war his
ield Of operations was mestly on the Pa
cliic railroads, west of Omaha,
Himself D man Of daring and personal
courage, he often had 20 face men more
desperate than himself, bat his presence of
nind never deserted him, and when every
hing else failed he was as ready with his |
weapon as his adversary. He never drank
10 excess and had no intimate friends. 4
Some years AGO be visited Philadelphia. |
It was In the days whom faro fourishsd,
md the strict orders OF the police had mot |
submitted poker In private for faro in gam
bling rooms. Bill came with 81, GOO in his |