Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-03-20
EVOLUTION In GAMBLING.
Mechanical Devices for Cheating 81
Cards and Their Uses.
4bo r1y C,1p1

The business of manufacturing gam
bling implements thrives with the gen.
eral prosperity Of the country In all
the large cities, particularly in New
York and Chicago, there are establish
ments whence are scattered throughout
the country the implements of the trade
Although the law confscates these I'M
plements when men are caught In the
act of using them, there is nolaw against
their manufacture and sale. The goods
are therefore made and sold openly.
When the police break up gambling
den they take away all the tools. But
within twenty-four hours everything can
be replaced and the game goes on as
before. The mails and the express cars
go constantly laden with gambling tools.
The prices are generally high and vary
but little, as the competition is not
great except in the common
est articles, such as cards and
chips. All the latest improvements
IN the mechanic arts are brought to bear
in the manufacture. In short, there is
evolution in gambling, as well as in
the business is that the different pro-
cesses of cheating are unblushingly adj
vertised and sold. A reporter recently
visited q queer establishment of this
kind in Nassau street, which has been
in full blast for twenty years. The pres
ent proprietor has managed the business
for seven years, and says he bought it of
we'll known actor, whose rapid rise in
the dramatic profession caused him to
sell out. He is short, spare man, about
az years old, with keen black eyes. He
not only made no secret Of his sale Of
implements for cheating at various gam
bling games, but was willing to exhibit
and explain them. He said he had often
been told by gamblers that he was in
juring the business by exposing the
tricks, but he had come to the conclu-
sion that men would gamble, and that
each player would somehow think that
he could get the best of the game.
"What is the cost of set of faro
tools ?"
First you want dealing box. An
honest box, that will pull one card at
time, costs from $40 to SIS. But if you
want box from which the dealer may
pull one or two cards at will, without de-
lection, it will cost you from $35 to $75.
Here is a crooked box. By pressing q
spring the dealer may pull two cards.
He has previously fixed the pack so that
he knows the order. You cai, never win
unless he chooses to permit it. Some
times he will let you rake down bet after
bet for small amounts. Then, when you
play high, lie touches the spring and
your money is gone. Some dealers
81: -,
level or honest the other is crooked. I
made a crooked box the other day to
match one that was brought here, and
when my customer came for it he could
not pick out the new one. The ma
chinery for these crooked boxes is very
delicate, and requires first class me-
chanic to make it. An expert dealer
will pull two cards instead Of one, and
the closest scrutiny will not detect it.
The faro spread or cloth lay out, with
all the cards in the pack painted or
glued on it, on which the betters lay
their money, costs from $40 to $16 The
case-keeper, used to record the cards
drawn, costs from 81 to $40. Some
players object to the use of these as
offering a chance to cheat. To protect
the players what are called cue cards are
made, serving much the same purpose
rs the case-keeper. These cost about
81 per 1000. Then there is card
press for holding the cards, which costs
from 81 to $8; check-rack costs IS;
ivory checks, from $50 to $37. so per 100.
Composition checks are sold as low as
$50 per 600."
Gin what game do you think there is
the most cheating?"
cat present there is more cheating
in draw-poker because it is played every
where. I have seen lawyers, doctors,
Judges, Police Captains, merchants,
bankers, Congressman, and, in fact,
everybody playing poker. As for Poker
rules were invented for the purpose of
permitting a Congressman to win when
n member of the third house wanted him
to vote for some particular measure.
There are many ways of cheating at
poker. One is by marked cards. One
way of marking cards is on the backs at
the time of their manufacture. Here
nre seventeen different styles of marked
cards which 1 sell all over the United
States. To an ordinary observer the
backs are Of an intricate and symmet-
rical pattern; but I can tell at q glance
every card in any one of the seventeen
packs"
Chow can one remember so many
marks?"
cit is very simple when you once
learn. will guarantee to teach any in
telligent person to read any one of these
marked packs in two hours. It only
needs seventeen marks to pack. Four
marks will expose the four suits. and
thirteen marks Will expose the cards in
each suit. Although the marks are SO
plain that they can be read as far as you
can see card, they are so covered up in
the scroll work and patterns that you
would not notice them unless they were
pointed out to you. Sometimes the
marks are In the fold Of flag; some
times in the turn Of an ornamental scroll.
Here is pack that is apparently orna-
mented on the back with q marble pat
tern. By locking at the upper left-hand
corner you can plainly see heart, spade,
club or diamond carelassly thrown into
he pattern. All the high cards are de-
noted by the different positions of a lit
tie scoop. This gentle reminder of