Middletown transcript., 1891-08-20
LOCATING THE QUEEN.
A MAN FROM AWAY BACK FALLS IN
WITH A THREE CARD SHARP.

A MAN FROM AWAY BACK FALLS IN
WITH A THREE CARD SHARP.
i The performance i'm Forepaugh's
Circus tent had just ended. Within
the sldeshow tents the hand organs
set up their loudest and liveliest
music; and the loud voiced fakir out
side. re doubled his oratorical exertions
as the great crowd surged past his
grand aggregation Of wonders. At
the southern end of the lake front,
away from the noise and hurley burly
of the big show, sat two tired looking
individuals, whose every appearance
indicated that they had left their worF
upon the farm to enjoy 3 day with
Forepaugh, and had done it so thor
oughly that they we're half dead with
fatigue. A three card monte sharp's
eagle eye caught the rusties. and he
swooped down upon his prey like a
young rooster after potato bug.
" Pretty hot. isn't it y he began.
You haven't seen a man around
here, have you, with a long white
linen duster on, tall white hat and
plaid suit ? No? Well, I'm looking
for him. Friend of mine. He's
going to have some fellows arrested
down there in one of the little tents,
Darned fool, I tell him. You see, he
was swindled 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 hundred on it in less than
minute. Robbery, nothing else; but
mans blamed fool to bet his
money on another fellows game.
Served him right, I say"
Cleaned him out, eh?" drawled
one of the rustics. "WelI, that game
is as old as the hills, and a 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. " I saw the whole thing.
Of course wouldn't bet-not cent
but blamed if I 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 I can give"
/ The farmers laughed. " Well,
you've guessed it" said one Of them
after a hearty burst of merriment.
"Oh, laugh awaY-seems funny
enough new; 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. I can't throw the
cards just as those fellows 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 iorn," said one of the rural
visitors. &c" I've 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, should say so! don't
see how your friend lost his money"
"He picked out the wrong card,
that's ALL"
Couldn't have been watching very
sharp, guess"
Well, don't you fool yourself. 1t
amt such an easy trick to pick out
the right card. Do you think you can
do it p
/" / could ifthe other fellow didn't
do better work than you do"
Bet you quarter you can't ipick
out the queen, just as the cards lie
there now" i
For an answer the farmer turned
over one of the cards, showing the
smiling face of the queen.
THE swINBLER CAUGHT.
"Well, by iingo, you did it the
first time. There's your money. Now.
then, watch the cards closely. There
Pick out the queen. I'll bet you q
dollar you can't do it, or SIS or SO
or $25 or $780,"
Well, put up your money if you |
want to walk home with your fool
friend. tive just 800 left and it's |
going to win 500 more for me right
here and now"
A moment later one Of the, grang-
ers held in his hand 5000, while the
other bent over the cards preparatory |
to picking out the royal winner.
" Hurry up! Locate the queen and
the moneys yours if not, it's mine"
And the professional hungrily eyed
the stalker. But his victim was in
clined to move rather leisurely.
!" Let's see," he said meditatively,
+" you stood here just like this, and |
you Q6lu the tuTc6 tuTCc CdEuS III YOUR |
hand like this, with the queen on top |
Then you gave your arm a swing like
this and"-
Well!"
Palmed the queen, dropped the |
nine spot in its place, and showed the
queen up your right coat sleeve,
where it is now. A very bad job, too,
partner, because it's dead crooked
and SO easy that any schoolboy might
catch you dead to rights and shoot
you full of holes before you could
square yourself.
"I shall always remember the last
time worked that lay myself" he
continued. as he slowed away the roll
Of bills. at was in the summer of
1885. was doing outside work with
Barnum's show that season. and when
we struck Louisville caught sleepy
young fellow with more money than
brains and tried to work the switch
on him-just as you do it, precisely.
| had not finished the experiment