Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-15
AN ENTICING LITTLE GAME
An Old Policeman Ealishtens . stal
Reporter.

AsSpoftcr
THE srMrLH MYSTERY OF ruREr-cARp MONTE
HOW STRANGERS N THE CITY ARE TAKEN ~
THE STUDENT, THE CLERK, THE CATTLE plALKl,
THE FARMERS AND THE sHrRFra
That inscription you are looking at has cost
some strangers in this city . pretty large sum
OF money" said an old policeman the other day
TO STAR reporter who some how or other hap
pened to be reading the lettering on the Peace
monument at the foot of the Capitol for the
hrst time. although he had passed IL without
reading hundreds OF times. How ID that2
well, I'll tell you" continued the blue-coated
ofhciaL For some time after the monument
was put up nearly all the strangers who came
to Washington visited it You see it Was right
on the road to or from the Capitol About that
time there was an army Of three-card monte
men IN tho city, for we had not fairly caught
on yet to the proper way Of dealing with that
dangerous class. All the steerer for one Of the
gangs had to do was TO stand there where you
are lev minutes. looking as innocent you
look, and he sure in his own language
TO catch sucker. An unsuspecting victim
was almost certain TO come along after a few
minutes waiting and stop 90 gaze either az the
monument or toward the Capitol or down the
avenue TO the Treasury. The steerer gen.
orally man of good address. usually posed as
a college student here sightseeing during
short vacation. Tho stranger would soon find
himself IN conversation with this interesting
young man, who. according 20 his telling Of 10
was generally waiting for a friend This friend
was nearly always represe nted 20 be q depart
ment clerk who had gone TO obtain a leave OF
absence so that he might have time 20 show
HIM (the college student) about town. In Q
short llme the clerk arrived. managing to
time his entry upon the scene as soon as the
steerer had made the acquaintance Of the
stranger.
THE STRANGER, THE COLLEGE STUDENT AND THE
CLERK.
1.-The clerk" continued the cop twas intro
duced in form and the three generally started of
TO see the sights together 1t would take but lit
tie time with such party TO go through the de-
rartments. or one or two OF them, as the bunco
men would manage Il SO as 10 reach the Wash-
lngton monument in a comparatiyely short
time. Once there. with the river and Arling-
ton heights In view. the unwilling OF n statue
at Arlington was the tempting bait the pair Of
rogues would use to lure their victim to the
Virginia side of the Potomac out of the reach
OF US bluecoats. The stranger was always made
TO believe that il was best TO cross the river in
a boat At tine foot of 18th street the monte
men could always secure boat. for one OF
their number was constantly on hand TO land
them safely on the other side of the river near
some farmers corn field, meadow or
woods. and as Arlington was in view
the stranger had no reason TO doubt the sim
cerlty OF his newly made acquaintance.
CROSSING THE RIVER.
Sometimes the rascals would get an idea
that their intended victim was armed and
might cause them trouble, il he did not succeed
in killing one of them. They found il an easy
task to ascertain whether he had q revolver
For instance, one of them would brag OF his
craftsmanship and say that he could kill fly
ing bird If he only had a pistol. Then the
sucker If he had a weapon, would take il from
his pocket and loan il to the shooter cheerfully.
As many shots as were in the revolver were
fired, but never q bird fell. The rascal would
then manage to drop the pistol overheard
Sometimes when the thieves forgot about the
pistol while crossing the river one Of them
would tell the stranger. after reaching the Nir-
gina shore, that il was a penitentiary offense
IN that state to carry a pistol and the poor
fellow would gladly rid himself OF good re-
volver
LITTLE GAME
SWELL" the policeman said "after reaching
the Virginia side of the river in the boat q
start would be msde ostensibly for the city Of
the dead, where lie the remains of so many
heroes, but there were always encountered en-
route three men engaged in the interesting
game of three-card monte. They would be
somewhere along the road or in q corn field
or fruit orchard One of the interesting trio
posed as a Kentucky cattle dealer, while the
others appeared as plain Virginians, and
IL made no difference as to whether
they belonged to the first last families of the
state. The innocent Kentucky man was always
logged up in a rough suit of clothes and
broad-brimmed hat with his trousers tucked
into his high boot tops. He would explain
how he learned the game, rather an interesting
and fascinating one, and the wad of money
proceeds of his last cattle sale?) shown by him
and which he was willing to bet to the last
cent could hardly fail to make the stranger
feel like he would like to get some Of it, His
companions, the two steerers, would make bets
and win and the stranger, If greeny, would
think he could easily do SO too and the result
was always the same. That is, he finally lost
The gang sometimes cleared in this way as much
as $500 or 81, 900 in a single day.
HOW THE GAME rs PLAYED.
"How is the game Played" echoed the
officer. "Why, it is a very simple one and re-
quires a very small outlay. The man who
manipulates the cards shows three of them
For instance he will take q ten spot, a king and
queen. The king is the card he bets on and
one corner Of it is so turned or bent that the
stranger thinks he can easily select it from
the others. He, of course, does not think that
the innocent Kentuckian knows of the tell-tale
mark. At the proper time to win big stake
the manipulation Of the cards. who has
another king about him, adroitly manages
IN shutting to put il in the place
of the one with the corner Bonded, and he
then Just as deity bends a corner OF the ten
spot. The cards then laid down and bet
ting is in order. The stranger selects the ten
spot, and SO sure is he that he has the king
that he is generally willing to risk the extent
OF his wealth, and does SO. OF course he is
sure TO lose. He is sometimes foolish enough
to think he can catch it on another trial, and
goes on until his watch and chain and every
other valuable about him is gone.
NEW CHARACTERS ON THE SCENE.
"Then it is time for the 'scarers' to appear,
and couple of men. acting as deputy sheriffs,
arrive with guns on their shoulders and the
whole crowd scampers. The stranger and one
OF the steerers generally get away together,
and the victim in many cases is mighty well
satisfied to keep out Of the hands of the officers,
for he Is told that gambling is a penitentiary
offeEse. In some instances the stranger and
steerer part good friends, each congratulating
the other on their narrow escape. In cases
where the stranger declines to bet the villains
rob him outright And that is how il u.s."
said the cop In conclusion, that the inscrip-
ton on the Peace monument has cost some
people several thousand dollars"
The Episcopal Church Congress-
The last days session of the church con-
gress of the Episcopal Church was opened
in Philadelphia yesterday by the Right Rsv.
Bishop Whitaker: Positive gains in Biblical
criticism" was discussed by Rev. Prof Henry
S. Nash of Cambridge, Mass, Rev. Prof Gould
of Philadelphia, Rev. p. L. Washburn of
Northampton, Mass, Rev. A g. Mortimer of
West Brighton, NY, Rev. ]. J. McCoot Of
d. n II