Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-02-05
IN A CRAP DIN.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS IN A SECOND WARD
ROOM.
COlored Brethren Gambling Away Thsir Earnings
With the Ivory Cubes in Tropical and
Decidedly OdOrouS Atmosphere.


pay. Pay you, suah an certain, boss"
why, Jim, what did you do with the
money you had last night. Yesterday
was your payday, wasn't it?"
eyes, sab; had thirteen dollahs, last
night, but deed, boss, the dice done
run mighty bad las night, an dis yer
niggah's done broke. Please, boss, loan
me free dollahs."
This conversation was heard between
a colored man and a white friend, Fri
day evening, by a REGISTER reporter,
and last night the newspaper man
made visit to one of the Second
ward crap dens, where, night
after night, but particularly on
Saturdays, the room is jammed with
colored youths and men, who shoot
craps hour after hour with persisten-
cy and earnestuess, and disregard OF
all else in the world but the progress Of
the game, unknown TO even the most
enthusiastic devote Of the card table
or other forms OF gambling.
Ii may be remarked, en- pGSSGnt, that
the colored brother Is addicted to two
methods of losing his money above all
others. One is policy and the other is
craps, and both ere extensively carried
on here, although policy is not played
as much as a year or two ago.
The reporter reached the Second
| II in
| particular and peculiar tiger, about ten
o'clock last night, and going to the west
side of the long building took a glance
al the surroundings. He sized up red
light burning over q doorway, at the
foot OF flight of steps, as being about
the place, and this guess was confirmed
when, about twenty feet from the light,
a colOred man was met. In reply TO a
question as 10 where crap game could
be found, this individual took long
look at the reporter, and said:
"White man, you easy lind out where
dey play bv dat red light"
The reporter mounted narrow flight
Of steps, and opening door found him
self in a dimly lighted aud dirty room,
about twelve by sixteen feet. The cur
tains, of what original color no one
could guess, were drawn tightly over
the windows, and blazing fire main
tanned the temperature at about ninety
degrees, while the air, filled with to-
oacco and cigarette smoke, bad whisky
and other odors, required some exer-
else of will power TO remain in the IN
ventilated apartment.
The centre of the room was occupied
by a table about ten feet long,
| and on either side sat a
white citizens who managed the game
and attempted from time to time, to en-
| force order. Gathered about the table
were'a dozen as picturesque colored men
as are often seen together even in the
! Second ward, while in one corner, sit
! ting on the floor, in comatose condi-
tion, was coal-black colored man who
I had lost two dollars against the game in
| about five minutes, and had gone to
sleep from the combined effects of de-
SPAR and liquor.
The worries were circulating at 8
| lively rate, and excitement ran at fever
/ heat, the entrance of the reporter being
/ evidently unnoticed by three-fourths OF
the people in the room. AS the reporter
came up TO the table a six-foot-three
I colored man came in, and eXclaiming:
! "Pse a suah winnah, Is, he crowd
ed up TO the table. He was at.ired like
| u deck hand, with big leather belt
around his body, and he began to let
wildly. In few minutes he was broke,
and he sulkily retired into corner, and
| there became involved in a quarrel with
one Of the men who had previously met
with disaster, the point of the dispute
| being which of the two was the better
player. Finally one Of the white pro-
prietors called them down.
"Nigger" was the inevitable word Of
address all around the table. One man,
a stranger, poorly clad, like most Of the
/ others, fairly swept things for while,
aud there were several whispered en-
| quires of "who'se dat nigger?" Finally
! bets began TO be placed on his throws,
as be never ran below S. and frequently
had scores Of 10, IL and 10. Finally his
| luck failed, several loosing bets on him,
| and then he had abuse shOwered on him
until be got hot and wanted to fight.
Another player, who seemed to
have considerable money, would
accompany every throw Of the
/ dice with a peculiar yell
which must have been heard for half a
square, and as he wouldn't drop this
seemingly essential part of his play, he
4 was barred out. During the play such
/ expressions were to be heard as:
/ "A-gettin' there Elin'
$50 down there, you dice!"
''I'se q sure winnerm
ppm 10 heah TO win, nigger!"
"WhoSe dat nigger?"
There goes ski"
"rm done gone bustedm
These and others were repeated
countless times, often In sing-song,
sleepy way, but just as often with shrill
/ voice aud evidence of much excitement
| and earnestness.
The newspaper map remained about
an hour. the gamblers receiving con-
tant additions TO their numbers, and
when, nearly overcome by the multi
/ plying odorS, he fed into the street,
/ the room was crowded almost to its ca
pacity, and the excited players were
fairly steamiug with the heat. How
I they could stand such a vitiated atmoS-
! phere for five or six hours at stretch
is'something which surpasses the I'M
Outstanding of ordinary mortals.
Saturday night and Sundays are the
big crap times, and many and many
colored man "goes broke" in his at
tempts to make the worries repay him
profit on disbursements. Serious diff
ficulties often grow out Of the game,
and fights and cutting scrapes result,
but in spite o. all this the craps game
fourisheS just the same.