The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-08-25

What am Old sporf Says About HOO.
docs and UniucIky signs.


Professional gamblers are generally firm
believers In what is termed luck, and in
many cases are superstitious to a degree
emitting them to being designated as cranks
member of the fraternity of the latter
class furnishes the Chronicle with the fol.
lowing anecdotes of some of the prominent
superstitions prevailing:
In Sacramento in 1850 member of the
guild particularly free from superstition
visited famous gambling-house for the
purpose Of renting one of the numerous un.
occupied tables with the intent of opening
a faro game. One was pointed out as !" hoo.
dooed " on account of player having been
stabbed to death while bucking at faro
game there several months before. The
gambler said that was just the table he was
looking for. He rented it, opened faro
game, and in less than thirty days won
5000, 900 from players.
On another occasion stranger entered 0
saloon with closed umbrella in his hand
and, approaching the bar, called for drink
While waiting to be served he opened the
umbrella and unintentionly raised it over
the head of gambler, who drew pistol
and discharged its contents into the person
of the owner of the umbrella, killing him
instantly. The gambler was arrested, and
the defense set up at the trial was that he
had killed the stranger as the only effectual
method of removing the hoodoo placed upon
his luck by innocently raising an open UNI
brella over his head. % If / hadn't killed
him." pleaded the murderer, 81 would
never have had another days luck as long
as | lived" The sequel to the homicide
proved lucky to the public, as the cranky
port was hanged for the crime.
In the mining camps in California in
Early days rabbits claw nailed UNDER
meath the top of table covered with a faro
or monte layout was reckoned dead hoo
doo," and miners visiting towns adjacent to
their camp ON Sundays would often stick q
cottontail's trotter, underneath the top of q
gaming table at which they were bucking.
1t was not an uncommon occurrence at the
close of dealer resulting unluclily for the
deal, lookout and casekeeper to light can
die and carefully inspect the under part of
The top of the table IN search of the obnox-
ious rabbits claw to which they attributed
their bad luck. On one occasion q dealer
was shot and fell stone dead underneath
the table while attempting to remove one of
the ill-omened claws by the player who
| plnced it there.
When you see the proprietors Of game
shifting the table holding faro layout to
another part of the room you can safely be,
that the game is losing and that they are
doing it to change their luck.
Players also have peculiar superstition
and will frequently cash in their checll
and quit the promises as soon as certain
persons, whom they designate as hoodoos
enter room where they are bucking at q
game. Some players will never enter
room except by the left-hand door, sea
themselves at the left hand OF the dealel
and handle their checks and coin only will
the left hand. II they meet woman wher
crossing the street or sidewalk while OF
their way to game they forego their intsn
ton of bucking ON that day.