The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-15
GAMBLINC IN PARIS.
There Are MyTiadS Of Clubs In the Gay
Capital Of France.

of Modern Robbery.
Paris Letter in the Pittsburg Dispatch.
some 200 years ago, when Paris was
already city far too gay, its inhabitants
Abegan calling the gaming houses by the
name which clings to them in every coun-
try Modern Paris has found two new
titles equally oppressive They are
tripots-rascally cheating messes"-and
claque-dents, or places to make your
teeth chatter" Many a Partisan and
many foreigner, trying to see life in
Paris, have. graduated, in Boulevard
slang as "claque-dents.''
Open gambling houses are, of course,
prohibited, for the French law is virtu-
Gus But no one can be forbidden a quiet
game at his club; and the number of these
clubs-cercles- practically unlimited
1t is curious that the precise center of the
circle should be usually a table covered
with green cloth.
At different times, when the author
tiles nave really tried to suppress all pub
lie gaming houses, horrible dens have at
once came into existence, in back streets.
behind closed shutters. with jealously
guarded doors, which only some secret
sign or password could open.
IN THE DAYS OF OLD
Those were the days described in the
old romances, when the stranger was
thought lucky to escape with his life
after being lured into one of these dens of
iuiquity. Or perhaps, after being allowed
10 win to his hearts desire. he was
drugged, and then, during his heavy
slumber, the great canopy above the bed
settled down noiselessly, slowly surely
smothering the life out of him. Then he
was stripped and cast out into dark
street or thrown into the river. to be
gathered up by the police as one of the
unknown dead of the wicked city.
All this is of days gone by, like the bed
canopies and the dark streets. Nothing
is easier than to ramble i'll the Paris of
today, and the bodily danger is no
greater than at an American faro bank.
The risk to the pocket may be greater
but that is because of the odds against
the player as things are done in Paris.
The month of October of this year has
been filled with legal trials both in
France and Germany, which have
brought out details that would be incon-
ceivable if the world had not a long expe-
rience of the passion of gaming. Even
so, it is like certain. version of a Bible
text, which has it that 1.-The number of
fools is infinite"
EVOLUTION OF CLUB DIRECTORS.
In Paris we have had the prosecution
Of the Bertrands, one of whom was the
director of the Betting Club. Twenty
years ago these three brothers were sta
Die boys in the country at the chateau of
the Count de Damas. They drifted up to
Paris, and, as. late as ten years since, the
one who is now notorious was opening cab
doors for odd pennies before the railway
station of Saint-Lazare. Then they got
employment at their old trade in the
racing stables of one of the Rothschild
bankers. ----
From the society of Jockeys. where
doubtless they used well their opportuni-
ties of studying the betting kind of man.
they little by little made their way to the
head of different gambling clubs. Their
dealings have been brought before the
public by the holiness of one of them.
VINO demanded at law from a single
debtor some 2,000, 600 francs The debtor
was supposed to have borrowed the
money for the working of mines of false
amber" Driven to the wall he put the
police on the track of discovering the
true nature of these loans One had been
duly signed before notary for 800 900
francs but there had actually been paid
into his hands only $1,000, which he had
promptly lost back over Bertrand's bac-
carat table.
DALLIANCE OF. A DIPLoMATIsT.
A cloud of witnesses. now came for
ward in the press and before the Public
Prosecutor. An attache of the Austrian
embassy wishing TO continue his play
at the club one night, had borrowed TO-
600 francs in money from the accommoda-
ting director, who insisted on adding TO-
600 more in chips. Before the budding
diplomatist had risen from the table he
had lost both chips and money This sort
OF thing has been going on since before
the exposition of 1899 Meanwhile the
chateau of the Count de Damas came into
the market. and the Bertrand brothers,
with natural affection for the scenes of
their youth, were on the point of buying
II up. BY mere chance it escaped their
hands; but they have heen leading a
brilliant existence. The modus operandi
which makes such things possible is full
OF interesting details.
The first step is to turn the law which
prohibits not only professed gaming
houses but also games of chance. even in
authorized clubs. Trente-et-quarante is
game of chance, and is not tolerated
whist Is not game of chance, but of
commerce." that is, it demands skill on
the part of the player, and is as lawful in
aclub as at home BY virtue of this dis
tlnction, the gambling game Of games has
become baccarat. This has been reck-
oaed not to be one of the prohibited games
OF chance, for, after the distribution OF
the cards to the two sides, there is need
OF skill on the part of the PLAYER or banker
IN the draw. Hence gambling in Paris
may be considered as practically limited
70 the baccarat table
BACCARAT IS THE FAvoRITE.
In the real clubs, which are exclusive
N their membership -cercles fermes as
Lney are called -baccarat also goes on
last and furious. But it is played by
gentlemen who win or lose among others
OF their kind. They are of known honor.
and there is no professional INTERMEDIARY
OF croupier to handle their money. The
slightest suspicion of cheating at cards
would lead to public scandal a duel or
an expulsion from good society. Paris
lans have not yet forgotten when the
Young Spanish Count de Casa Miranda,
VINO afterward married the Swedish
singer, christine Nilsson, detected black
sneep cheating at baccarat in his club
spot.
In these open" clubs, which are moth
ing but gambling houses whitewashed,
everything goes on differently. One man
% often at once proprietor, director,
money lender. He is served, indeed, by a
cashier and eroupiers and garcons, who
walt for other reasons than to serve cafe
ana liquors. But it is he that is legally
duJhorlzed to keep the club OPEN" and
professionally fitfed tO do so