Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-07-19
CRAFTY scHEMERs.
The Dice Box and Coin
Takers. =
Tricks Of the Trade---Robbing
Drunken Mama Gamblers
Predicament.

During conversation with REGISTER
reporter yesterday morning, q well known
Young man about town gave the following
pointers on the ways and means devised by
certain young fellows who gam livelihood
by their Wits: You have noticed, said he
the prevalence of throwing dice in the
various saloons in the city. This custom
was imported to Wheeling several years ago
from the East, and has gained such q firm
bold on the majority of each establishment
customers as to compel them to allow it.
lift was only for the drinks the custom
would not annoy any one, but IN certain
saloons the bsrroom loafers are allowed to
arrange q stake, each individual being as
sessed from twenty-five cents upward, and
The winner taking the pot. The license al
lowed certain of the
CURB STONE SPORTS
is such that respectable man will dodge
certain saloons, in order to avoid the NUS
ance of being badgered by hangers-on, to
throw dice for dollar or more. This Gus
Tom also causes more dissipation than one
would imagine. Where one man will drop
in and win or lose his drink, dozen vii!
stay all afternoon or evening, and only
leave when they begin to get exhilerated
The cause Of this is the tscination resulting
from winning or the vexstion at losing
Some of the hsDgers-on of several saloons
imagine themselves very fly and are ccnh'
dent of their ability to do almost anyone up,
while the truth is, they are in most instances
The clumsiest of amateurs and can never
swinGle any one but drunken man. A
few of the saloons have loaded dice, which
the barkeeper or the gang alone know how
to handle. One or the other Of the taker
will lose Just often enough to
ALLAY THE SUSPICIOUS
of the other players, but when an extra
Large pot is on the table can, by q peculiar
sweeping motion, throw any number they
choose. Several years ago there was q
Young fellow about town who used to do
them all up. He was fixed, having six dice
of the regulation size, each bearing on ev-
ery side the same number; for instance,
there would be one piece that bore nothing
but aces, another nothing but deuces, and
90 on with each of the six pieces. One
would imagine that a person would detect
such aie-faced swindle at q glance, but
his was seldom the case, as he would
change the bogus dice for the regulation
pieces he held concealed in one hand With
lightning rapidity. Then he had another
point in his favor when the average mai
ioles q throw. he is satisfied TO catch a
glimpse of what his adversary throws, and
aill rarely attempt to investigate the ap pa
rent squareness of his opponent, This
same young fellow had
ANOTHER SCHEME,
that have seen him work on meu who
would readily detect the mysteries of cold
deck in poker. He would corner someone
into bet, that be would throw any number
at one dash out of the box. He would con
cesl the single die on the under side of MS
right hand, between the little finger and
palm, and by peculiar motion, rattle the
empty dice box against the buttons of his
coat I'LL he produced the rasping sound
made by shaking the die violently in the
box. This is an old trick, but one hard to
practice, as every man cannot learn the
slight necessary for its practice. Another
htIle scheme practiced here among the
~ould-be fly men, is the matching of coins
for drinks or certain small sums. The one
most commonly practiced is to place the
coin on its edge and by quick motion drop
It en- either eide, according to the throw
made by the opponent. This, however, is q
clumsy trick, and can only be practiced on
a drunken man, as anybody else would rap
idly
DETECT TIE swINDLE,
and make q big kick. The best Of the
matching coins tricks is to cut several deep
gashes on one side of silver coin, leaving
he other side intact, The side that has MOI
been meddled with will, when brough
sharply down on the counter, give forth thu
usual clear metallic ring while the gasheo
side will give dull fat sound, somewhat
different from the other. In order to sue
cessfully practice this trick, the player mus
possess the keenest of ears. remember
not long ago certain fly young man, wa
successfully operating on crowd of green
horns by means of this little scheme, wher
ne was nudged quietly by a by-stander who
stood close at his elbow. He knew in 81
instant what it meant and after the game
was over, he adjourned to the rear Of to-
saloon, where he made over half of his win.
nings to the sstute outsider"