The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-12-16
rHREE.uARp-MoNrE SHAFTS
How They Inveighed Two Young Men to
Try Their Luck aud Robbed Them,

How They Inveighed Two Young Men e
Try Their Luck and Robbed Them.
A few mornings since mention was made
4 in the local columns of this paper of there
being gang of three-card-monte sharps in
this city. There is no doubt of it. Two
young men, recent arrivals here from Boil
var, Tennessee, whose names are Joel Den.
man and Ben King, fell victims TO them
yesterday, and lost all they had but a
few hundred dollars. They came here
together and were looking around for n
commercial opening in which to invest
their money, aud in case they found none
here they were going to some of the west
ern counties and open up a sheep rancho
Yesterday morning while they were sitting
at a table in the Apollo Hall regaling
themselves with beer, stranger took
seat at their table and called
for beer They were discussing Texas
the fertility of her soil and future pros
poets when the stranger chimed in. He was
well dressed of pleasant manners, a good
talker, and soon the two young men were
interested in him. His talk of what money
nc mad seen made on good farm, at very
little expense and labor won the Young
men over to farming and so they changed
their notion and then and there determined
TO engage in agricultural pursuits.
,r Inc stranger, who gave his name as
Thomas Barton, told them that he and a
partner of his, named Simeon Mabry, had a
nne farm situated some two miles west of
this city, for which they asked but a small
sum, and he proposed that if they accom-
pany him he would take them out to look
at the lay of the land They agreed
to go, and about IL O'Clock Barton had
horses ready for them and they
went out over the toll bridge beyond the
bluff short ways, where Barton pointed
out what he called his farm. He asked
$50, 1000 cash down for the place, and the
young men told him that they did not have
that much money and when he asked them
how much they had, they innocently told
nm about 81 400 between them.
On their return to the city
when passing through the woods, they
observed a man roughly dressed staggering
along the road toward the city When
they overlook him he turned and stagger-
ing, dropped n lot of three monte cards
Batton laughingly asked him if he was in
the business, and he said, you bet | am"
JIe said that it cost him to learn, He
said .~.s ne was a "aitl" imam
and had taken lot of cattle on to Kansas
City, sold them, got the money, and that
While coming back, some sharps in the bus.
mess on the train had nearly busted him,
but he had caught the cue and had more
THAN won his money back. As he finished
he exhibited large roll of
greenbacks and bantered the party for
a game, They were.. more amused
at what they considered his grcenness tnnn
anything else, and Barton asked him to
pitch them once for fun. He said he would
if they would come into the brush where
no one would see them, They went, and
dismounting, walked off some distance to
log, when lie pitched the cards
and dehed che party for $500 to name
the mlGule card. He had pitched them so
that the two young men could have readily
picked up the cards, but they had consci-
entious scruples about beating what they
believed to be drunken man, and so they
declined. Barton remarked to them in an
under tone that such fool and his money
must soon part, and that he had
just as well have it as any
bedy else, and he put up
$500 and picked up the right card. The
pitcher appeared TO be much surprised and
threw them again with the same bet, and
again Barton pockcted $500. Turning to
the young men Barton said now boys I'll
give you chance; somebody will get his
money anyway and you had Just us well
said the man, land will go you $1,000 that
you can't name it again" The young men
had weakened. The temptation OF raking
in thousand was too much for them, and
putting UP $500 each, one of them picked
up what lie thought was surely the right
card, when to his utter establishment
1t was the wrong one. II knowed
would get YOU" said the man. 'Do any
of YOU want to play again? Nobody
wanted to play, and putting the money in
his pocket he said he would strike across
to the railroad trestle and walk across
was blind, Barton had mounted
his horse and when the young men
came to look for the horses Barton had so
generously furnished them they were miss
ing, and Barton was no where to be seen.
They walked hurriedly back to the city and
took the l30p. M. train for Fort Worth to
try and apprehend the parties. OF course,
Barton was confederate of the dealer and
the two in less than ten minutes time had
raked in 81 900 in cash.