Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1891-07-30
LOCATING THE QUEEN.
A MAN FROM AWAY BACK FALLS
IN WITH A THREE CARD SHARP.

But He Was Not the Green Countryman
That He Looked, and He Taught the
Professional SwindIer Lesson That the
Latter viii Not Soon Forget.
The performance in Forepaughs circus
tent had just ended. Within the side
show tents the hand organs set up their
loudest and liveliest music and the loud
voiced fakir outside redoubled his ora
tOrical exertons as the great crowd
surged past his grand aggregation of
wonders. AT the southern end of the
lake front, away from the noise and
hurly burly of the big show, sat two
tired looking individuals, whose every
appearance indicated that they had left
their work upon the farm to enjoy day
with Forepaugh, and had done it so
thoroughly that they were half dead with
fatigue. A three card monte sharp's
eagle eye caught the rustics and he
swooped down upon his prey like
young rooster after potato bug.
pretty hot, isn't it," he began. ''You
haven't seen man around here, have
yOu, with long white linen duster on,
tall white hat and plaid suit? No? Well,
I'm looking for him. Friend of mine
Left me about an hour ago. He's going
to have some fellows arrested down
there in one of the little tents Darned
fool. tell him. You see, he was swim
died by a couple of men-three card
mon-what is it? Oh, yes, three card
Monte Carlo. Taken into camp Just as
slick as grease. Lost couple of hun
dred on it in less than a minute. Rob
berry, nothing else; but mans blamed
fool to bet his money on another fellows
game. Served him right, l say"
Cleaned him ont, eh?' drawled one
of the rustics. ''Well, that game is as
old as the hills, and feller that hasn't
more sense than to try to beat it ought |
to be turned out to pasture for while"
PRETTY GOOD BAIT.
'Looks simple enough" continued the |
fakir. 81 saw the whole thing. Of |
course wouldn't bet-not a cent-but |
blamed if wouldn't have put my money
just where my friend did. Darned |
sharp, these show fellows. Sleight-of-
hand trick, guess. They mix up the
cards some way when they throw them
down. That is the only explanation of
it 1 can give"
The farmers laughed. "Well, you've
guessed it," said one of them after
hearty burst of merriment.
''Oh, laugh away-seems funny enough
now; but it isn't so darned funny to the
poor fool who loses his money. 1t isn't
an easy thing to do, let me tell you.
can't throw the cards just as those fel-
lows did, but they took three cards, just
like this, and threw them down, like
that, and then bet that my friend
couldn't pick out the queen"
Straight three card monte, as sure as
you're born," said one of the rural visit
Ors. ''fve read all about it a hundred
times. Never saw the thing done
though"
''Well, this is all there is to 1.-THE
Snowman did nothing more than this
See? Simple enough, amt it?'
"Why, l should say so! don't see
now your friend lost his money"
He picked out the wrong card, that's
an."
Couldn't have been watching very {
sharp, guess"
"Well, don't you fool yourself. 1t
INIT such an easy trick to pick out
he right card. Do you think you can
10 it?'
81 could if the other fellow didn't do I
,etter work than you do" 1
''Bet you a quarter you can't pick out
he queen, just as the cards lie there q
low." I
For an answer the farmer turned over t
me of the cards, showing the smiling S
ace of the queen.
THE SWINDLER CAUGHT. g
"Well, by jingo, you did it the first
line. There's your money. Now, then,
watch the cards closely. There! Pick
ut the queen. I'll bet you dollar you v
ant do it, or s. or $40 or $25 or $100." i
"Well, put up your money if you want h
o walk home with your fool friend a
We just 800 left and it's going to win a
100 more for me right here and now" a
A moment later one of the grangers n
eld in his hand 5000, while the other g
ent over the cards preparatory to pick r
ng out the royal winner.
Hurry upl Locate the queen and the 81
moneys yours; if not, it's mine" And v
be professional hungrily eyed the r.
taker. But his victim was inclined to 81
love rather leisurely. b
''Let's see, he said meditatively; "you e
TODD here just like this, and you held Il
he three cards in your hand like this, a
nth the queen on top. Then you gave ST
our arm a swing like this and"-
"Wellr
"Palmed the queen, dropped the nine
pot in its place, and showed the queen IL
p your right coat sleeve, where it is k
ow. A very bad job, too. partner, be- fC
ause it's dead crooked and so easy that d
ny schoolboy might catch you dead to lc
lights and shoot you full of holes before S
ou could square yourself. nj
81 shall always remember the last time G
worked that lay myself" he continued, ol
8 he slowed away the roll of bills. SIT pl
,as in the summer of 1886. l was do b,
lg outside work with Barnum's show v
nat season, and when we struck Louis al
lille 1 caught sleepy young fellow with
lore money than brains and tried to I'll
-ork the switch on him-just as you do d.
!, precisely. had not finished the ex- d;
eriment before l made rather start SC
ng discovery. K
81 found that my left lung was inhaling
ir through a large hole near the fifth
b. For the next two seasons did not
Ike an active interest in the circus bust th
ess. But l eventually took to the road fo
gain, and I've been with Sells Brothers of
yer since up to week ago, when Joe IT
nd / came here to wait for Forepaugh -
low are they coming, partner?"-Chi- Ne Ne
ago Mail. M
A Tragedy in Buttons. al
Little Johnny West, of Detroit, is now hi
l good condition to play Button, but as
IN, who's got the button?" His mother fo
ave him half dozen horn buttons to fo
old while she threaded needle and got tn
lady to sew them on his clothes. Master so
Ohnny swallowed the buttons, one and Jr
i, and doesn't know why he did it. AS w
walking button box he seems to be so
,mplete success.-Detroit Free Press. an