Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-02-27

I" In 1924 there we're numerous place,
where the tenderfeos was bequiled and
robbed of his all. The most notoriou,
place was the room run by Bill aud Hy
Ford. They didn't run anything bui
poker ROOMS. but many poor devil viii
. taste for the game was eniiced in ther,
and robbed"
How was it done1"
will tell you. One Of the hangers
on arsand the rooms vas q gambler
named Jerry Lewis. Jerry was crooked
throughout. He couldn't play a fail
game IL be wanted to. He had hi.
cappers around town gathering up thu
unwary. He always had bis particular
seat At q table, and the mao who sat op-
he got up.
square, but wasn't. Jerry had q winning
way about him in more ways than one
He never vent Tor anything bat big
game. He would get around fellev,
propose quit game Of draw, take hin
TO his room, and the tvo would sit down
to table In a rsom by themselves. He
had his confederate, however, and had
him stationed in the loft Immediately
above the table. There vas q small
heis in the ceiling. where the fellow
could see the suckers hand. Then
there was an ingenious system Of wires
arranged, by which signals could bt
given.
The signals we're all given on the
sole of Jsrry's foot. There vas q hole
in the fosr a. we'll as in the ceiling
Jerry would place his foot over tho hole
and his pal would sork the wires. They
had = telegraph system. Ooe tap would
mean something, two something else, 90
you see that the watcher could keep Jer
~ informed as TO what ths other fellow
held. Ii vas q dead sure thing, and Jerry
made Q mint of money
Hsv was the trick diseovsred7"
"A fexan named Sam Reid struck
Denver with $4,000 He played bank
heavy and Won $1,000 more. Jerry
tackled him for = game of draw, and
Ssm consented. Ibe hrst night Jerry
los. Just enough to make the rexsn
think that he was the boss poker player
in the world. The next morning they
quit even. The next night Jerry started
in to win the pile, but luck was against
hin. He oouldn't hold anything. DE
knew 10 vas useless TO try and stack the
cards, because Reid would have diseJv
cred that and there woald have been a
shooting scrape. In spite of sign Ais
Jerry quit loser that night. but he didn',
give up. He tackled Reid again the next
night and won right along.
He had won $4,000 Of the south
erner's money, and was laying himself
out TO win the rest OF it. He raked in
a pot Of 5000. and be had dealt the
cards himself. Reid had only abou,
$1,000 left.
"He got fnll hand on the draw and
Jerry got full hand also, his hand be-
ing larger than Reds. The betting
commenced, and Reid had every cent OF
his money up on the call. Before che
cards we're shown Reid told Jerry 20 hold
on a while. He drew revolver and laid
II on the table, still retaining bold Of IL
however.
"Don't shos your hand yet,' said he
Every cent | have in the world Is on
that table. dent know which one hA'
the best, bat | do know there has been
cheating done. Somebody has given my
hand away. That somebody IL over as
II everything Ii square, you Won't object
to my shooting through the ceiling. II
there 10 any thing crooked, Of course yoc
will object
"Reid raised his pistol and cooked it
Jerry didn't say anything, bat grabbed
Rsid's arH; bat il Was too late. Th,
gun went OF. There was . howl and I
scampering heard, and fall in the mex
room.
"' There, said Reid, knew you wer'
robbine me. / didn't kill that fellow
bot wish bad. Now, you iust hans
back every cent Of my money; II yo'
don't, I will pat . hole through you BIZ
enough for q dog to crawl through
Jerry Was game, bat Reid had th'
drop on hin, and he was forced TO Civ,
back every cent be had won."