Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-03-15
Diamond Cut Diamond.

About ten days ago an aged, tall and
thin gentleman, with gouty leg, got out
of an omnibus at hurst's Hotel, St. Louis.
He was registered as Col. Starr, Of Missis-
sippi, and it was said that he was an i'm
mensely wealthy Southern planter. He
bs d constant visitor to his room in the
person of Syl Howard. who is well known
around town among professional gamblers
and the inference was that he was sitting
up with the gouty stranger TO entertain him
AID enrich himself with friendly games
of draw poker. Syl Howard not only al
lowed people TO think in this way, but he
occasionally vouchsafed bit of informa-
tion, to the effect that the Colonel was an
easy prey to anybody who had the slight
est acquaintance with the game Of poker.
This information he was jealous in i'm
parting to professional gamblers and lately
be went among them and offered not only
10 "steer" them against the planter, but to
combine with anybody disposed to enter
into a combination against the old gentle
man to win his money and make hum pay
as dearly as hls unlimited purse would
permit for his pleasure.
The professional usually jumped at the
offer, and the two made their way togeth-
er to room 29. There they found Col.
Starr seated at table with one leg done
up in voluminous bandage, and cleverly
displayed on a chair. The Colonel was
seen TO be gentleman OF about 60 years,
with short white hair and a small snow
white tuft on the end of his chin. His
manners were found to be very gruf, and
after the opening salutation he had little
to say except TO accept the offer to join
the newcomer in a two handed game of
cards. Then came out an old time pack of
cards. The planter explained in as few
words as possible that he had no conf
dence in the new style of cards, with the
value of the face marked IN one corner,
and he was afraid OF having marked cards
used against him. He was very fond Of
cards as an innocent pastIme, and being
obliged, by reason of his infirmity, to in
dalge in this pleasure, he took every pre-
caution against the possibility of being
cheated. All this, of course, only made
the professional more confident Of hisprey,
and caused him to look with little distTust
if any, upon the subsequent proceeding.
Then the game began with Syl Howard
standing behind he planter. so as to give
his friend, the professional, the promised
tip. The ante was 81 so, and there was
no limit to the bet. AS the game went Cd
Howard, by means of signs, informed the
professional of the value of the planters s
hand, giving him tine straight tip every
time. But strange to say the professional
lost right along. Howard would make a
ring with his forefnger and thumb 10
communicate the fact TO the professional
that the planter lad no pair. The pro-
fessional, having az ace and king, would
bet high, but when it came to taking in
the pot the planter showed an ace, king
and queen, and the money was his. The
result was the same when the planter had
small pair; the professional was also
provided with peir, and after having bet
10 his hearts content, he usually discover
ed that il was smaller than the pair the
planter held. The professional invariably
lost his money on small hands, and con
tinued t. attribute his losses 10 bad luck
until al! his money Was gone.
Col. Starr got ON swimmingly. Nearly
every professional in the city had bitten al
Howard's bait. The planter got several
lUOlSdlu OI Cl
money and would have had more were If
not for very unfortunate circumstance.
Jerry Robinson was steered against the
planter by Howard, and lost S159. Think:
ing he was only out of luck, he asked an
adjournment Of the game until he could
go to his room TO get 500 more. The
leave was given. Robinson returned, and
in few minutes the latter's $3.50 was in
the painters little spring lock drawer. 1t
suddenly dawned upon Robinson that he
had been vIctimIzed, and, going to the
police, he gave information that led to
the arrest of the wealthy Misslsslppian.
Howard was a ''capper" for Starr, who
is shTewd and sharp gambler. The two
effected combination against the profes-
sion, and such of the p bic as cared to
TO walk into their trap, first in Hot
Springs. Arkansas, where Starr kept an
Office opposite the principle hotel, and
played himself off as a gouty planter with
penchant for poker, just as he did in St.
Louis. He makes it a point TO WIN on
small hands, use. his own marked cards,
and throws the victim off his guard by Iu-
terspersIng the game with frequent grunts
against professional gamblers.