The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-03-16

MS victim by easy stages to the trap set
for him, walks with him toward the
joint as they talk. Near the door of the
latter, which is always drinking sa-
loon, the steerer says: m
."'By the way, John, If you're going
back again tomorrow, as you say, you
might take up something have or
dereaa for nv uncle and the folks. It
will be big favor, and will save me
the necessity of cutting short my visit,
as feared W uld have to. You see
want to stay a few days longer on
some private business. The packages
are right in here now, guess
"They enter the saloon, where the
bartender has been expecting their com
ing for some time. M
Have those packages come for me
yet?' asks the steerer.
/" No, sir; not yet, responds the bar
tender.
...Ah, that's funny re:oins the
steerer. They ought to be here by
this tine Then he turns to Tapley
and says: Let's take a drink and wait
little while.
1.-The bartender produces the liquor,
and the steerer catches a glimpse of a
dice box near the cigar lighter. calls
for it, and begins to toss about the
ivory cubes istlessly. He produces a
five-dollar bill, meantime, and tenders
itin payment for the drinks. This act
is simply a prearranged signal, and an
accomplice, seeing the BIZ, suddenly
opens the front door, and dashing in as
if in a hurry, inquiries of the bartender:
''Can you change me a fve-dollar
billp'
''The bartender laughs pleasantly.
i can change one BILL he remarks, but
this gentleman also wants one changed
| cam accommodate both
"sThe new conner studiously avoids
recognizing his confederate. He SIM
ply says, with marked suayitY.
"'Oh, well, no matter, The gentle
man was here first He's entitled to
the change. / just jumped off Third
avenue car moment ago because the
conductor could not change more than
atwodollar note. / have no doubt
can get the change next door!'
"Not to be outdone in gentlemanly
behavior by a stranger, the steerer, who
has the countryman from North Adams
in tow, replies:s Is 40
= Won't you join u.s. sirp We were
Just having social glass together when
you entered
'tThe confederate hesitates about ac-
cepting the invitation, being "a perfect
stranger, you know but at length, as
a happy compromise, he says:
t'Wel,I tell you what I'll do, I'll
throw you for the drinks, and the man
who loses pays. That viii settle whose
bill will be changed, too"
"The two sharpers agree to this and
the dice are thrown. The countryman
looks on, and, as matter of course,
sees the new conner stuck for the drinks
The loser pretends to be anxious to
throw again for satisfaction. The
steerer whispers con6dentially to the
countryman that he viii give the stran-
ger all he wants, and proceeds to intro.
duce the game that is intended to fleece
the guy. tits called top and bottom,
and the steerer illustrates it to the sup
posed stranger. He losses the three
dice on the ounter and counts the spots
on the top of each Then he turns them
upside d wn and counts the spots on tn !
reverse side, and adding both totals to.
gether finds they make twenty one. The
confederate con ents to play the new
game after a little parley, and the steer
er throws again, and to the apparent
surprise of the confederate again OBJ
tains twenty-one The confederate con.
siders this q wonderful coin cidence and
~ n 4 O. f4aH taf0 81 ~ M sf
"'See here. I'll bet you a box of
cigars you can't do that again M
"'Done! It's a CO. cries the steerer
winking at the countryman. The box
is shaken and the cubes tossed on the
bar and counted. Again the spots foot
up twenty-one. Countryman Tapley is
both interested and mvstifed, and, OBJ
serving this, the confederate leaves the
victim alone with the steerer to prepare
the bait that will draw him into the
game.
80 Just wait a moment till [ wash
my hands, he says, and I'll bet you
again. -
''He retires to the rear of the saloon.
turns on the water, and washes his
hands long enough to give the steerer
time to explain to the victim a common
place fact about dice that few but pro-
fessional sharpers are generally aware
of. The steerer throws the dice half-a-
dozen times, and each time the result is
twenty-one. Then he shows the coun-
tryman that the arrangement of the
spots is such that no other number can
be possibly thrown, if the top and bot
tom spots be added. The countryman' 8
face beams with sudden enliohten-
ment as the circumstance dawns upon
him. ~ a#
why, it's dead sure thing every
time; don't you see,' says the steerer,'
jubilantly. THAT fellow who Just came
in has got more money than brains.
Well win a lot of his cash from him
easily lis
1.-THE confederate reioins the group at
this stage His manner is not So suaye
as at the outset, He has become very
irritable. in fact, and swears in a most
emphatic way when he loses ten-dol-
lar bill on the next throw of the dice.
The countryman begins to pity him,
knowing, as he supposes, how utterly
hopeless his chances of winning are.
His advice is roughly spurned BY the
ungracious stranger, who feigns great
rage at his interference.
"If you think it's such an easy thing
to win my money he cries. .why, blast
your eyes, you'd better tackle me your
self. I'll bet you ten dollars, TWENTY
five dollars--yes, one hundred dollars
in greenbacks, and give you odds, that
neither of you can throw twenty one.
If you're both so confoundedly smart
why don't you take the bet?''
"This stirs up the bile Of Mr.. Tapley
from North Adams. He begins to think
it really would serve the ungracious
stranger right TO teach him that he is a
fool. This feeling is ingeniously en-
couraged by the sharpers. Conseauent-
ly Mr. Tap 'ey acquiesces when the Steer
er Whispers
eco on, Mr.. Tapley; back me, or
hack yourself, if You rather. Well take
the conceit out of him..
1.-THE countryman yanks out his aged
leather pocket book, plunges his fin
gers into its capacious depths. and
counts out two tens and a five, and the
stranger p anks down three ten-dollar
notes, giving the promised odds on the
bet. "a
kk A 49,. - i. 80. ~ -,