New-York tribune., 1882-03-12
THE TRICKS or THE "GREEBS."
Erom Tie Sntllrdmi Rcrielr.


About : 7G5, as Houdin tod the story, Spaniard
named Lorenzo loSr III club n Bordeaux the greater
part of an immense fortunc in an evening lie
went 5n as gamblers WILL throwing good money
after had until II suddenly struck HIM t13t he was
probably being done lie felt conviction that
The cards on the table were biSedute-that Is,
bevc lie or clipped Lorenzo drew from his breast
a keen-edred siiietto, and. at the very moment
when LIS adversary offered the pack TO nm 10 cuf
he by sudden blow, pinned 10 the table both the
cards and the hand which offered them. 1t turned
Out tlat lis susbicion was well-founded ana this
by complete restitution OF the sWlhd'er hl-go''eA
gains.
tailed account. studied evidently fr m lie. OF The
downward descent from gambling 10 card-shaIplng
lis earlier stages may here pass over coming 10
the time when Raymond with two associates. nav
ing started "a private he'll there arose quarrel
which led 10 Raymond and Andreas Clyerging to
what may De called tour through the provinces
Raymond IN this figured ds uiau oi Plrlh ana sta-
tiOu. being careful lot 10 pass himself on as bus
sian prince an EngllshmcD, tor bpth these chdr-
acteIs have been often assumed bN sWlndIeTs tat
his so doing alone would raise suspicion. lie ar
rives rst al various rs-rate hotels and. his assoc
ciate following him, they pretend 10 ecTdpe
together acquaintance by chance ana lheh'
by means of a secret code, fleece tnelr VIC
tins al ,Leir will There are various stories OF the
tricks played by Raymond and his associate AndIeas
III this and ia other ways from WAlch we may setcI
one for repetition. When al Lyons they heard ot q
certain HeroH who had great fancy Tor precious
stones ana who belonged TO one OF the play CLUBS oI
the town. Raymond, under Andreass Instructions
"a
frCduc-d Audreas on whose huger DerOll soon OBJ
served a fine diamond ring. This he watched win
greedy eyes from day To- day, uhIl al Ieh4lh 10
could contain the expression Of his admiration 10
longer. Anjrc1s tn explained 10 him that he tcli
hound to tell him that You not very -ood
Judge, for this superb diamond which has dazzed
YOU 80 much Is only paste. The assertion was
questioned and repeated uLtI BerOll, taxing tlt
stone INTO his hands, reiterated MS CONVICTION
that il was u me diamond Very good III giau
to hear ii" said Audreas with seeming indifference;
let me see, think II /. your deal Al the e4d OF
The game BerO offered TO buy the ring, and AndTeas
replied that he could hardly be tempted even
by an sxtraYagant prce 10 part VITA lhe
'paste nng" which had been III ms family
for ever so many years. Finally Bef0l persuaded
Andreas 10 lend nun the ring, hat ne might show Il
to jeweller and SEE II his opinion was not correct
The jeweller 1T once pronounced the stone 10 De
worth twelve thousand francs. ana DcroI' VINO
Drldrd himself on dong otheIs IN M Je"Ci iah'-
actions bought IT, alter much trouble, from AndEcas
for ten thousand francs. Then he went III triumph
to the jeWclleT, who at once sd!d. IlolIod' lII'
i. not q diamond; tins Is paste In the sequel the
bitter was bit by meaaus OF a curlOusly darlng anu
ingenious device the part OF Bero " no dt,r ali
perhaps as much ol DlifT as eIlneI AllI'ah OF
RAYMOND. To make up for this Raymond ana ms
associates soon aIterwaTd played d yet more lnge-
NOUS and far more infamous U1ck upon young
man. whom they succeeded III LeaTly running by
leading him on to believe that he was admitted as
an accJmpIice IN their miserable schemes, ana then
turning loose on him hitherto unseen confederate
to deuOunce him a detected swlndler and threaten
him with every KIND of penalty. Raymond a. we
have said, became IN the end, according 10 dou-
din. honest person, having succeeded 70 "A com
Portable legacy which he cannot be SAID to nave
deserved.
ItI- pleasing to turn from such histories as these
70 the story which Professor Hoffman quotes from
NJ de Castons 4" LES Ircheurs,' of now CASTOR dis
comitea "A professional sharper day at brussels
de was waiting somewhat mpetlentiy for a lriepd
of his M Delaunoy, OF the Vaudeville Theatre, Pro-
lessor hoffman calls him, but it should obviously be
NJ. DeannOyl at a cafe, when stranger Ounged Ia
and presently proposed game OF pIcquet, nun
dred and fifty up, Tor cup of coffee. " lost the
gauen NJ de CASTOR writes. My opponent offered me
my revenge. We then played iOrOur luncheon and
hottie OF Bordeaux which We had consumed III COM
mon amounting only TO some five or six francs"
Itwas accident then rather than the amount OF the
stake which led NJ. de CASTOR 10 watch his OppO-
n.nt and discover that he playing unfairly.
4 I'm. Was how he did IT, " In shutting he left the
tour aces at the bottom o. the pack.
When ! cut he cOOuy replaced the top
might very well have spared me the trouble
OF cutting at all. Then he proceeded TO deal ana
NJ de Castor tabulates carefully the manner OF his
dealing the result Of which that be dealt twelve
cards 10 CASTOR and only eleven 10 himself " de
then separated the nine cards remaining INTO Two
portions the first five cards, the second Ot four
but this latter gave him q4dt0T@e Ot
oces This compelled his adversarys admira-
ton but It seemed 10 him TO be gong
little too Iar; So III taking uP his own cards lac
man aged to give himself the tour aces. When the
stranger took up his hand he was so astonished
claimed -" " hat is the meaning of this You have
robbed me, sir. Where are my aces La my own
hand SIR My name Is Alfred dc CASTOR, anu give
mv tInt magical performance tOOrrOW al the oalle
My friend seized his hat aud lied.
am bound US a faithful chTonlcler, 10 add That III
lhe hurry OF hs lsht be quite forgot ~ pay ior his
refIeshment.