Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-02-06
HERMAN ON RACcARIr
The Prestidigitateur Shows How D.
and May Not BE Robbed va


1t was little lesson Prof Herrn,..
was giving in baccarat. Bar ,'lAai
Pardonnet's charge that he was i9I @
at Phil Days Long Eranch oan ,Jg.ec
house brought the subject I'm ana
of the party had ridiculed the idaa Ols
ut is nonsense, said he; .bow -,
ne have been robbed if he had ken Mug ":
eyes open?n 4a
"Baccarat is the gamblers deE.1.
replied the professor. 1T is tens
fate TO offer to play it with an eyTa-
You do not believe me. Very T.5
Send for pack of cards" ''~
Presently the cards were broDol, :.
They had been purchased at a no; 1,
boring store and the seal of the nag
age in which they were wrapped la
not been cut. A minute examin.t
showed that the cards had never wv
used and We're not marked. They ~
the ordinary ''angel backs" subers,
quality.
First" said ghe professor, and n.
long, supple fl gers closed about \
pack, Il vii! say that not only il I.
easier to cheat at baccarat than .,-
other game of cards where MONEY
bet, but the easiest way to cheat .,
baccarat is by palming' BY palr
ing mean concealing cards in n.
palm of the hand. A big hand is M,
necessary. On the contrary, it eyets'
suspicion. A natural palmer is borr
The fingers must not be wide. canal.
of expansion or contraction in n.
highest possible degree, firm, ste,iT
and as tenacious as steel, But let n.
deal baccarat. / will represent ho
dealer and you, gentlemen, the play.
ers. VIII you kindly shuttle IN
cards?"
The professor handed the pack n
one of the gentleman, who shuiiled in.
dustriously, The professor threw bs
cards around to each of the PLAYERS
All had picture cards which count
nothing. The professor had nine
spot, the most valuable card in tbe
game, and he raked down his imagin.
airy winnings.
''Will some one kindly count the
cards?" inquiries the professor bandlv
moment later, They were counted
and found to be seven short The bro.
fessor blandly unfolds his hand which
had been lying carelessly on his knee
and there, snugly resting in the palm
were the seven missing cards Six
were pictures for the others; one was
a ninespot for himself
when you lay the pack down pick
it up in this hand" said he, land, Of
course, it is simply q matter of dealing
to hand them around.
1t was marvellous how he did man.
ipulate those cards. He could fish the
winning ninespot from the bottom
from the top, from the side. The card
seemed animate. The professor, mean
while, kept up IA running conversation.
Chambers talk about palming. Bah.
They are bunglers, woodchoppers.
They use meataN where they ought
to use a surgeons most delicate instu-
mcnt. Now, | will show you a trick.
viii you kindly pick up number Of
cards from the pack?' The gentle
man addressed who sat on the oppo-
site side of the table, took mp a number
at random.
Htlt Nlt fitNtu lltltt Ntt't hllt
professor when his trained eve rested
on them, but to make sure they We're
counted. There were exactly eleven,
CLASP ther tightly between both
your hands, said the professor Thi,
was done. Now continued the pro
fessor "call for any number YOU please
to be taken from the pack" The
gentleman named five, which We're
laid beneath the pack crosswise, so
they could be easily seen. The group
were now standing mp, the professor
on one side of the table, the gentleman
with the eleven cards resting crosswise
beneath the pack in the center in plain
view Of all.
'Now open your hands," said the
professor sharply 'and count your
cards.
There were sixteen! Some one looked
Tor the five beneath the pack, They
were gone.
"If it is not the devil, how did you
do thatP' asked one of the party
'.Ah, my friend, said the professor
while his Mephistophelian mustache
went up, lit is just a little lesson III
palming '-AeU York World.