Morning journal and courier., 1884-05-05

very mingliag of which lie Ia itself denorali
King A man who enters . gambling-roon
meets on O level of equality crime In every
form. The burglar, pickpocket, sneak thiei
and conf3dence operator, and the bank clsrt
and merchant, all meet at the same table and
enjoy the same privileges. There is mot Q
robbery or murder committed that is not
discussed in all its details In the gambling
room; and in majority of eases, whore the
crime is local or Q, the perpetrator Is per
sonally known. There Is not q gambler in
this city who would hesitate to purchase an
article because he knew that ii was stolen
property, and many of them do not hesitate
to go step further, and use the gopher
(safe) for the planting (hiding) of light
''swag" (plunder) for some one of the mob,
who has "pulled good trick COMMITTED q
robbery and let me say in this connection
that many q Ginger" Chief owes his being
''pinched" (arrested) to the kind 'tofice' of
made that many gam blers do s's square bust
ness;" that they give every man q fair
chance to win their money, and emily expect
in return an even chance; but the fact is
this is pure fiction.
A ''squarsly dealt" C2) game has an Inn
mense advantage over the players in three
things-the splits" the capital it is played
on, and last, bat not least, an expert to deal
the cards. It would be impossible to COM
pute the value of the percentage derived
from the "splits, as in square game" no
two deals viii xnn alike. But of every bet
affected by ''split" so per cent. goes to the
game. An expert dealer can "Trip the deck
for splits" and il is the trick most practiced,
because it requires least skill in manipulating
the cards. The second advantage is grsdua-
ted by each player. Say, for example, eight
players are in front of the table, and jointly
''show MP" (produce) $40O. The games
capital, being 81, 900, is increased to 81, 400
by the sale of chips. Now, il one man
were to play the whole $4oO, the game would
have the advantage of him in the ratio of six
to one in betting capital. Then, as the limit
allowed by the game is 800 on double cards
and $50 on single cards, or cases, the actual
advantage is "a to 1-on the supposftion that
the limit is bet every time, which is never
done by suckers" and but seldom by pro-
fessionals. The fact is the $40O Is divided
bet ween eight players, with an average capi-
tai of $50 each, while all are playing against
81. 400. The reader can figure the averages
for himself I will only state that, with an
average dealer, 81, 600 "string" (capitaD and
q daily front Of $4OO divided between eight
players, there is not game in Boston work
ing twenty-seven days a month that would
not quit winner 81, 800 twelve months in the
year. But that which in my estimation is
the strongest evidence that the assumed vir-
tue and honor of the gambling fraternity are
sham, and have no solid foundation in fact,
is the fact that brace" games are allowed to
flourish. Every gambler knows just where
these games are located and ia personally ac-
quainted with the managers. If their own
games were honest they would combine and
crush out the "brsce" games. It would be
for their interest to do SO. But the fact is
the only difference between brace game
and an ordinary game of faro is that the first
mentioned is like the man-eating shark,
which swallows at one gup everything that
falls into his mouth while the latter is an
ordinary bottle-nose, which devours its VIC
tim piecemeal.
To sum the whole matter up: A business
that is illegitimate in itself and draws to its
support criminals from every walk in crime
must on its face be demoralizing. I do not
attempt to say that every gambling room in
Boston is the constant and only resort of
criminals, but do wish to be understood as
saying that there Is not game in this or auy
other city that would exclude a man on So
cial or moral grounds. Cash, no matter how
obtained, is the ''oIen sesame" in every in
stance. The conclusions arrived at in this
article have their foundation in solid fact,
and the deductions and suggestions are the
outcome Of mature thought, by one who has
made the subject a study, from the vantage
ground of tbs dealers chair.