The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1879-06-18
THREE.CARD MONTE.
3 50
How He Gathered Them n on the Rail.
A Few "Reminiscences of the Great Three
Card Monte "Sharp," "Canada BILL"
Who Reaped q Harvest of $780,
900 by Making Victims of
Unsophisticated Trav-
elers on Rail-
roads.


roads.
Three-card monte is swindling game, at
which 1t is impossible to beat the operator.
and it has been so thoroughly exposed that
there ought not to be any victims. Never
theless, the monte spider, seeking human
flies of present wealth, dexterously handling
his cards and talking skillfully 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
a passenger agent for the Chesapeake and
Ohio road, but who ran a train on the
Baltimore and Ohio road during the war.
relates that he knew sCanada Bill" to
gather in S.. 900 on one train from Martins
burg to Baltimore, a distance of 100
miles. Canada Bill'' is a name well-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 a trifie more than 40 years of age. "Just
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
monte has been skinned. There won't be
another war, and they amt going to bufid
any more Pacific railroads, and it's hard for
me to play for 10 when used to catch 100
twice as easy" When his last minute came
he sat up in bis bed and called out: FIFTY
dollars to $40 you can't pick up the ace" aud
then fell back dead. The visiting angel had
turned the last card for canada Bill"
SOME OF BILLS EXPERIENCES.
This is the story told of his last moments,
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 a minister. Chicago newspaper re-
porters of the year 1874 remember 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 well-known Methodist minister
who became a victim TO Canada Bill's'
wiles on a train on the Chicago, Rock Island
and Pacific railroad. He had lost nearly a
thousand dollars. Canada Bilr' did not
bear the reputation of having been the
most expert dealer, but he cid that of
having been the most skillful operator. In
the slang of his profession, The could ring
in suckers better than anybody" and here
is a sample of his proceedings that came
under the observation of the
writer q few years ago: The Illinois
State fair, held at Decatur, was just over
and the grapgers were filling the trains,
homewaId bound. Bill, wearing cowhide
boots and coarse clothes, got into the train
just moving from the station and
attracted much attention by saying in a
loud tone. well, no farmer has a show
with railroads They kill his stock and
laugh at him when he wants pay for it,"
whats up?" asked his clever capper, and
Bill related: II brought three head of Dur.
ham calves down here from Winnebago
county and / have got premiums on all of
them. was having them put on the cars to
send home'-by this time the attention of
every granger in the car was attracted
when the consumed 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 out of its misery. | wouldn't have
taken 5000 for the calf, but the railroad tells
me 1 was shipping at reduced rates and ain I
got any claim"
HOW HE GATHERED THEM IN.
The conversation that ensued and the
statement that Bill had made put him on
the best possible terms and in the confidence
of all the grangers, and so when he pres
emily spread his Overcoat, and said first, "Ill
this little game thatn be funny for the
Winnebago folks, anyway" he had no lack
of listeners and interested watchers, aud
after that is accomplished the work OF the
three-card monte man is easy. Human ma
ture, rich with avarlce, does the rest. Bill
he had won $500, after losing $50, '.just as
easy" he went on, las this. Now, here's the
money" and he pulled out pig-skin pocket
| book, 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 explanation,
and Bill told him all there was in it, and
lost forthwith 500 to his accomp lice. By
this time half dozen pocket-books were
| out, and bets came in freely. In
half an hour the train reached
1 MI
tor Chicago, and Bill, about 5000 ahead, got
up, remarking, well, gentlemen, I'm going
to Chicago to see lawyer about recovering
for that calf. Good night" And before the
astonished grangers could realize the situa-
ton he had disappeared through the door,
Half an hour afterward he was seec on the
north bound train. dressed in the height oil
fashion and looking like anything but the
coarsely clad man on the Wabash road.
1t is said that Canada Bill made 800, 900
| during his career as a card-thrower, but
when he died in Council Bluffs, Iowa. he
decent funeral. Like many of his profess
sion, he found at the faro table his greatest
pleasure, and his winnings went from him
| more easily than they came. He was q great
player of draughts, and won much money
that way. OF his early life not much is
! known. He was born and lived for some
years at Peekskill, N. Y, on the Hudson
| just below Poughkeepsie. He was often ar
rested. but never stayed long in prison
After the war his field of operations wal
mostly on the Pacific railroads, west oil
| Omaha.
| A VISIT TO PHILADELPHIA.
Himself a man of daring and personal
| courage he often had 20 face men more des-
perate than himself, but his presence o.
mind never deserted HIM, and when every
thing else failed he was as ready with
weapon as his adversary. He never drank
to excess and had no intimate friends. Some
years ago he visited Philadelphia. 1t was il
the days when faro fourished here and the
strict orders of the police had not substituted
poker in private for faro in gambling rooms
Bill came with $1,000 IN his pocket. HI
was the guest of a well known SAMSON stree
sporting man, and Bill remarked to his host
I'm only going to lose $500 night so I'll
stay 10 days" He went into Ninth stree
room that evening and left the entire SIS, 00t
on the table in less than two hours. For
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