The National tribune., 1885-12-24
A Defeated Fraud.
In.. Annnl


SIN 1924 there were numerous places
where the tenderfoot was beeuiled and robbed
of his all. The most notorious place was the
room run by Bill and Hy Ford. They didn't
run anything but poker rooms but many poor
devil with taste for the game was enticed in
there and robbed"
How was it done?"
81 will tell you. One of the hangers-on
around the rooms was a gambler named Jerry
Lewis. Jerry was crooked throughout. He
couldn't play fair game if he wanted to. He
had his cappers around town gathering up the
unwary. He always had his particular seat at
a table, and the man who sat opposite to him
was always heeced before he got up.
Everything apparently was on the square,
but wasn't. Jerry had a winning way about
him in more ways than one. He never went
for anything but big game. He would get
around fellow, propose quiet game OF draw,
take him to his room, and the two would sit
down to a table in room by themselves. Jerry
had his confederate, however, and had him
stationed in the loft, Immediately above the
table. There was small hole in the ceiling,
where the fellow could see the suckers hand.
Then there was an ingenious system of wires
arranged, by which signals conld be given.
"The signals were all given on the sole of
Jerry's foot. There was hole in the floor as
well as in the ceiling. jerry would place his foot
over the hole, and his pal would work the wires.
They had telegraph system. One tap would
mean something, two something else; so, you
as to what the other fellow held. 1t was dead
sure thing, and Jerry made mint of money"
How was the trick dscovered?"
"a Texan named Sam Reid struck Denver
with $4,000. lie played bank heavy and won
$4,000 more. Jerry tackled him for game of
draw, and Sam consented. The first night
Jerry lost Just enough to make the Texan think
hot ho hal hose y,nln in fJ,ay
The next morning they quit even. The night
after Jerry started in to win the pile, but luck
was against him. He couldn't hold anything.
He knew it was useless to try and stack the
cards. because Reid would have discovered that
and there would have been a shooting scrape.
In spite of signals Jerry quit loser that night,
but he didn't give up. He tackled Reid again
the next night, and won right along.
"He had won $4,000 of the Southerner's
money, and was laying himself out to win the
rest of it. He raked in a pot of $1,000, and had
dealt the cards himself. Reid had only about
$4,000 left.
"He got full hand on the draw and Jerry
got full hand also, his full hand being larger
than Reid's The betting commenced, and Reid
had every cent of his money up on the call.
Before the cards were shown Reid told Jerry to
hold on awhile He drew revolver and laid
it on the table, still retaining hold on it, how
ever. s..--e .-.a.-ts a'v
"'Don't show your hand yet he said. Every
cent / have in the world is on that table. l
don't know which one has the best, but / do
know there has been cheating done. Somebody
has given my hand away. That somebody is
over us. Ifeverything is square you won't object
to my shooting through the ceiling. If there is
anything crooked, of course you will object
Reid raised his pistol and cooked it. jerry
didn't say anything, but grabbed Reid's arm,
but it was too late The gun went Off There
was howl and a scampering heard, and fall
in the next room.
"'There,' said Reid, Iknew you were you rob-
bing me. didn't kill that fellow, but wish
had. Now, you just hand back every cent of my
money. If you don't l will put hole through
you big enough for dog to crawl through
Jerry was game but Reid had the drop on
him. and he was forced to give back every cent
he had won.'