Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1891-09-17
LOCATING THE QUEEN.
A MAN FROM AwAY BACK FALLS
IN WITH A THREE CARD SHARP.

n WAN FhDM AWAY BACK FALLS
IN WITH A THREE CARD SHARP.
But He Was Not the Green Countryman
That He Looked. ana re Taught tie
Professional swindIer Lesson That the
Latter VIII Not Soon Forget.
The performance in Forepaugh'sc 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 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
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 50
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 a potato bug.
''Pretty hot, isn't its" 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. Yon 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 q couple Of hun
dred on it in less than minute. Rob
berry, nothing else; but mans blamed
fool to bet his money on another fellows
game. Served him right, say
"Cleaned him out. 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 4 while. "
PRETTY GOOD BAIT.
Looks simple enough, continued the
falir. II saw the whole thing. Of
course I wouldn't bet-not q 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 can give"
The farmers laughed. well, you've
guessed it," said one Of them after
hearty burst of merriment.
sob, laugh away-seems funny enough
now; but it isn't 30 darned funny to the
poor fool who loses his money. Itisnit
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. "rye read all about it a hundred
times. Never saw the thing done
though"
"Well, this j. all there is To 1.-THE
Snowman did nothing more than this.
Sees Simple enough, Sin't it,
'Why, | should say 50! | 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 It
amt such an easy trick to pick out
the right card Do you think you can
do it?'
IL could if the other fellow didn't do
better work than you do.
'Bet you a quarter You can't pick out
the queen, just as the cards lie there
now"
For an answer the farmer turned over
one Of the cards, showing the smiling
face of the queen.
THE swIEDLER CAUGHT.
"Wel1, by jingo, you did it the first
time There's your money. Now, then,
watch the cards closely. Therel Pick
out the queen. III bet you a dollar you
can't do it, or s. Or SO or s25 Oh $1O0."
"Well, put up your money if You want
to walk home with your fool friend.
I've just 500 left and it's going to win
500 more for me right here and now
A moment later one of the grangers
held in his hand 5000. while the other
bent over the cards preparatory to pick
ing out the royal winner
''Hurry upl Locate the queen and the
moneys yours; If not. it's mine And
the professional hungrily eyed the
stalker But his victim was inclined to
move rather leisurely
s'Let's see, he said meditatively, you
stood here just like this, and You held
the three cards in your hand like this,
with the queen on top. Then you gave
your arm a swing ike this and
"Wellw
''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, be-
cause it's dead crooked and SO easy that
any schoolboy might catch you dead to
rights and shoot you full IF holes before
you could square yourself.
81 shall always remember the last time
Iworked that lay myself, he continued,
as he slowed away the roll Of bills. lit
was in the summer Of 1856. was do
ing outside work with Barnum's show
that season, and when we struck Louis
vile l 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 ex-
pertinent before made rather start
ling discovery.
s'Ifound that1ny left lung was inhaling
air through large hole near the fifth
rib. For the next two seasons did not
take an active interest in the circus bust
ness. But | eventually took to the road
again, and I've been with Sells Brothers
ever since up to week ago, when Joe
and came here to wait for Forepaugh.
How are they coming, partnerT'-Chi-
cago Mail
The Dear Girls.
Ethel-Now, how old would you sup
pose me to be2
Maud-I shouldn't like to say. y.-Life.