Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-08
TRE HOME OF GAMBLING.
,-.,.ern Baden Baden Year the Capt.
.st-BuncO Gangs in Washington.

.ftaiug 1.-The home OF gambling. Every
,.scrinfion OF games OF chance that the
"',on,iiry OF man could devise were
ip - here in all of their varied forms.
r., faro gambling palaces were Kept run
DAY and night in open violation of
.-Isw and, with the exception OF an
co-cosional spasm OF virtue, When
o'a prominent man had been
slIusd out OF his money
sSi'i rs-re was a consequent raid by the
s. .,;ae not an effort was made to stop it.
E4,y,ss the situation Of affairs as late as
i.,oars ago. Then Congress proceeded
.sD one OF the most stringent laws
INST Gambling ever placed upon a
as',,te book. The gamblers saw that
49, 5lild do 30 business in the capital,
oi.v removed their implements to AL
SyerIria, Va, which is only about ten
g-irItp5' ride from Washington. Houses
lroro hired, aud in da, or two the Wash
ipgtyu gamblers We" open Tor business.
wINKING AT THE EVIL.
The MAYOR of Alexandria was appealed
~ Nv some OF the best citizens of the
rIsca to shut up these gambling bells, but
bo TOOK the novel position that such ac-
Inn would only tend to drive trade away
t-,m Alexandria, therefore he officially
"
oo1saquence has been that hundreds of
We.hiogtonians 60 daily to Alexandria,
ord there risk their money upon the green
cath. Even the railroads have felt the
,reuy Of travel and run a late train for
tbspspeeial accommodation of those who
lint the tickle goddess. and who
v,s6 20 Get back to Washington the same
rigst. Ii is safe to say that there
il not place in Washing
nm today where faro is dealt The
Xix OF seizure and fine is too great, be-
sidss the game is in full operation day and
rigbt at Alexandria, only ten minutes
riie from the capital OF course there are
pnumprabe poker rooms in operation.
yohw can be enacted which will stop
tbom. A party Of men band together and
call themselves a club; they, or at least
one Of them, hire room and places a
fable. cards and chips in 1t. To all in
tents and purposes it is private club,
and the police have no more right under
me law to enter the premises than they
have 10 break into a gentleman's private
residence and stop sOciable game of
cards and arrest the occupant and his
guests.
HOW THE LAW IS EvADED.
This has been decided here upon test
eases time and time again, and so the
poker clubs flourish practically under the
protection Of the law. From time imme-
mortal the capital has been infested with
gangs OF bunco and three-oard monte
men. and until very recently they have
escaped punishment and detection. Oc-
casi0nally one was punished, but it was
only because he had been too rash and
taken unwarranted liberties with some
victim OF prominence. Their favOrite re-
sorti the Peace monument at the foot of
the capitol. Usually half a dozen or more
may be seen standing in the vicinity daily.
They can pick out a stranger by intuition.
Sometimes they invite him TO visit the I'M
yelling Of a monument at Arlington, and
ifhe is not disposed to swallow the bait,
they put on a holder front and say that
the capitol is clossd, but that ad-
mission can be had by the payment of
a small fee. In this way they manage to
make considerable sums Of money, The
bunco gangs have been badly broken up
lately, however, thanks to the activity Of
the police. The prince of the three-card
monte and buncO men in this section of
!hec0untry Is a man named Skivington.
ABUNCO MANS "REMINISCENCES.
He tells some very interesting anec-
dotes. Only few weeks ago he picked
up clergyman who WAS on visit to the
capital for the first time. He invited him
to witness the explosion of some mythical
patent t0rpedOes under several equally
mythical old hulks across the Potomac.
Tie clergyman went, aud they met the
customary cOterie of three-card monte
men, and pretty soon the usual cattle
grover came along, apparently drunk and
displaying a big roll Of money The game
was, Of course, thTee-card monte, and the
droyer recklesslv bet with his eonfeder-
ales and lost a considerable sum. Skiving-
Ton showed the clergyman how the drOyer
was being cheated and invited him to
iAEe hsnd and win some money. The
clergyman, however, had conscientious
sG'dp.es against gambling, but finally
9Nlhston made a proposition to him,
Saying that the droVer would certainly be
a e"lndied out OF all his money by the
4 shafpers, and suggesting that it would
4 only De doing Christian act to win his
. money, get bis address and then place the
II winnings IN the bank to his credit, where
Il Ae could recover them when he was
sober
SWALLOWED HOOK AND ALL.
lni5 looked like a charitable act, so the
Cleikylnao gave SkiyingtOn his pocket
.oyA containing several hundred dollars,
euu u was Ventured on the cards and lost.
NHFinRt0n was prOfuse in his apologies
.
s"eAeliAg In his money r stranger ap-
Peaied on the scene with very wicked
Fl ooelHg aouble-barreled shotgun. He was
uls'2os al Inc discovery that gambling
lGu oeea gong on on his land, and start
=. ,o"aius house a hundred yards
o"ul, Wnere, he said, constable
N .SslNed. IL was explained to the
O'etRylnan that the statutes of Vir-
snn.a impose penalty Of two years upon
ou persons detected and convicted Of the
n luue Oh gambling, and no sooner had the
"A KEW lafmer taken dozen steps toward
S So lQuse Than the clergyman made a
Sail n LOT the river, followed closely by
ro @,, 4gton. They jumped into boat and
ac., gt oack 70 Washington, the minister
sov us,iIy thanking the gambler for having
I,tWsu hlm from arrest and Disgrace, so
b ;s uia ne suspect the real character of
us companion.
LAWYER FLEECED.
aNihgton had another adventure only
Iia. uass ago with lawyer, under sim
49,. Vi' eelunstarces; but the lawyer even
m,,c11 ui5 watch and returned to Wash
. ioss'H ABSOLUTELY penniess. When the
bo loi'er appeared with the shotgun
gsr5 yer gave one yell and made TO.
miloU long Bridge. a distance OF some five
mmd ne ran Ike deer through the
w. anu AS II was raining, he arrived in
hlon wet TO the skin. He
Ian intimate friend Of Secretary
aF,n, ana told that official ali
g,oS u,' experience at Arlington. The
erio6 natured Secretary laughed until be
fr@. ana then frankly told his legal
l'ehu lhat be had heon evyindiod Tha