St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-05-10
BLOWN IN" AT BACCARAT.
Thousands Lost at the Great Game in
This City.
A French Nobleman and His Gold
Parting--Some Winners.

deal OF baccarat playing going on in New
York. Baccarat, which is in origin a
French game, became the fashion in Pail
Mall clubs and London gambling hells a
little over two years ago.
The fact of its introduction into English
fashionable fast life reached this country
in due course, coupled with such items of
information as that my Lord Hardrake has
won from so-and-sO many thousand pounds
at baccarat, or that Marquis We're de We're,
having been completely cleaned out at bac-
carat, had been put to the necessity of
migrating to the colonies and marrying
the plebian daughter of some bond bloated
brewer or plethoric-pursed publican.
1t having thus been CLEANED from the ut
teranceS of the Transatlantic cable that
baccarat had become Every English, you
know" it was not long before that class of
young men to whom local society journals
refer as our 'jeunesse dore'-young men
whose clothes are made at Poole's, and
who bemoan the fact that they were not
born Oh the other side of the Atlantic
felt that baccarat was necessity to them,
and that life in New York without bac-
carat club would be no longer endurable.
1t might have been imagined that the
troubles and the suicides which grew out of
the gambling in the late Turf club would
have served as solemn warning, but such
did not prove the case. 1--WE must, dear
boy, have bacc-a-wac game" the gilded
youth of New York clamored, and forth
with baccarat ''club" sprang into exist
ence. - }-l-)2'
This "club' was started by a shrewd pro-
fessional gamester with sharp eye to bus
mess almost within the shadow of the
KnickerbOcker's walls. The visitors to
this resort paid a nominal membership fee
as members of the alleged organization,
thus keeping up its fictitious character as
social club"
just about this time certain broker with
TeutOnic surname returned from Europe
with some enormous sums won there at
baccarat. This circumstance gave quite an
impetus to the game, which it was found
upon investigation was in many of its sa-
lient features very much like vingt-et-un
In faro and other long card games it is
calculated that man will play slowly and
cautiously when winning and much faster
and more recklessly when losing. This pc
culiarity of human nature is counted as one
of the factors in favor of the bank It is
about the only percentage that the banker
has in his favor at baccarat. jlA - 'dT
The proprietor of the ''club' depends
cards, for which 81 per pack is charged.
and upon small percentage paid by each
player as he in turn becomes banker. E ach
banker upon being beaten in his hand re-
signs the bankership to the player holding
the highest hand. 1t will thus be perceived
that the bankership must be constantly
changing and that therefore the percentage,
small as it is. coming to the proprietor of
the ''club," must amount to something con-
siderabl e.
This smallnesS of percentage in favor of
the banker was an element strongly bidding
for the approval of the festive broker and
the man about town of sporting proclivities.
Many well-to-do foreigners in the city also
showed fondness for the game. So it was
that baccarat soon had many patrons and
the founding of the original club was fol-
lowed by the establishment of several
others, The two most notable clubs of this
character are established, one in West
Twenty ninth street, the other in West
Thirtieth street.
At first the game was INDUCED in some
what timidly and not so much for the
gambling opportunities it afforded as for its
novelty. Of late, however, caution seems
to have been thrown aside and heavy play
INDUCED in. Several quite heavy losings
and winning have recently been made and
are now being talked over by some of the
younger members in certain clubs.
One of the heaviest losers in the past two
weeks is certain French nobleman who
has been tarryiig for Some time in this
city, and about whom quite an atmosphere
of romance seems to hang. He first turned
up here few months ago and soon became
known as an inveterate and enthusiastic
irst-nighter at the leading theaters.
He was always accompanied by a lady,
who, although decidedly on the shady side
of thirty, possessed mature and we'll
rounded charms of decided attractiveness.
She was it was learned. addressed by the
servants as Nine. la Marquise, which was
calculated to lead to the decided inference
that she was the French noblemans wife.
There was, however, rumor current that
she was only his cousin.
However this may be, the couple gave
every outward indication of being most de-
voted to each other, and were seemingly
inseparable. They were to be seen driving
together in the park; at Wallacks, their
favorite theatre, they were invariably to be
found occupying seats on every first night
in Row A, and afterwards they were to be
discovered, still together, discussing the
play and little supper on the ground floor
at DelmonicO'S.
But few days ago, so rumor runs, the
couple had violent falling out. AS con-
sequence of the scene and the separation
which ensued some strange stories have
gained currency as to the relationship. or
rather lack of relationship existing between
the two. The gentleman, pale, solitary
and seemingly troubled in his mind, was
seen here and there about town for several
days. and one evening he turned up at the
Thirtieth street baccarat club.
He at once plunged into the game, play
ing somewhat recklessly. But luck was
on his side, and late that night he left with
over roo good American dollars in his
Gallo pocket. This sort of drowning his
sorrows in play seemed to suit him very
well, and two nights later he again turned
up at the gaming-board. His experience
upon this occasion, however, was very
different to that of his first visit.
He not only lost his previous winnings.
but also several hundred dollars along with
them, when he began to ''plunge' quite
heavily. Still he continued to find luck
against him. A good deal of money
changed hands that night and the gentle
man from France went home very consider
ably out of pocket. His losses are said to
have amounted to several thousands. He
has not been seen much around town since,
and speculation is divided as to whether he
is occupied in raising funds for another
coup or is engaged in seeking a reconcilia-
ton with Nine. la Marquise.
Fortune does not seem to have her face
turned favorably towards the foreign gam
blers in New York just at present, for
another loser in the very same club is a
Pole, who is over So, 600 out. ~ q
A writer of more or less funny para
graphs for an ultra fashionable weekly pub
lication seems also very Eluch out of luck.
Some evenings since he was slapped in the
face in a notorious all-night restaurant in
Sixth avenue by certain registering man
about town noted for several assaults and