The morning call., 1893-12-08

the scene yesterday, 'but they ought to be
'on to- that game over there. That's the
old trained-bild trick and the coldest fake
yet.
'Come in and I'll show you how it's
DONE" continued the quiet man. "It's
cold robbery to be sure, but the way they
work 1t Is slick enough TO make II fine
art"
Inside large tent at the west end of
Fakirs' row the reporter found two in
closures rallied off with rough planks. which
swayed in under the pressure of a surging
crowd of would-be spectators. The char
acter CT the crowd was in the highest de-
gree mixed, comprising the most decent as
we'll as the toughest element. Within
each inclosure was a hard-looking fakir.
The inclusure 10 the left was the trained
bird turkey raffi )" and TO that the two
visitors turned their attention.
1t was very simple and must have been
seen by most people. The mali had twelve
| cards. which he sold TO any one who would
buy for 10 cents apiece. The cards bore
the center of the railed-Off space stood
birdcage containing two or three half
starved linDets, and before the cage was
shallow box, partitioned off, each partition
filled with cards set on their edges. So
much Tor the machinery.
As for its working: After little patter
by Mr.. Leatherlungs, who explained that
the twelve cards brought In the aggregate
81 20 and that the prize was dollar or q
turkey, the balance oil 20 cents being re-
tained by the management for the "educa-
ton" of the birds, the rest of the game
unfoded itself. A wretched bird was
bribed by one blrdseed to pick out a card
from one partition in the shallow box; its
number was osten tatiously announced and
shown around. and that holder OF a card
bearing corresponding number was asked
IL he wanted the turkey or would sell it to
hn intn for oil 10 inv ~
took The dollar and the game" proceeded
| as before.
watch that little man in brown. chew
ing tobacco" whispered the quiet man,
indicating nondescript tough, edging h i'm
self next to the far rail. "pll bet you $50
to 81 80 that he is the next to win."
1HE CALL reporter had too much conf
dence in his companions judgment, as well
as too little loose change. to speculate on
this bold proposition, and compromised
on good cigar.
The little brown nondescript worked his
way to the front and secured card. pay
ing his 10 cents and being careful to ask
for exact information how to play. Sure
enough, when the winning number was
announced ii was found on his card and
he pocketed the dollar, with loud express
sions Of surprise at his good luck and the
cen is! This is a gold mine; blessed If |
don't try it again." he vOciferated, thereby
inducing several weil-dressed countrified
people to hazard their dimes for a card.
''He won't win this time," whispered
the reporters quiet mentor; lit will be
that young fellow in the corner on the
same side. viii you take the same bet
again?"
But the reporter thought one sure-thing
cigar was enough TO lose. and sure enough
the ''yOung fellow in the corner won the
next game. After that a tall man with
boodshot eyes was the "lucky winner"
being also picked out beforehand by the
nad another turn. In the score of games
played while the visitors remained these
three were the only ones to win.
'And yet people don't catch on" COM
mented the unobtruslve man. "You see
the crowd is constantly changing and the
cappers move about.
"How is it worked? That shallow box
is divided into twelve compartments, as
many as there are cards sold. Each CON-
partment contains numbers corresponding
with the numbers on a card. The fakir
has learnt the numbers on the cards and
in each round he manages to sell at least
one card to 'capper.' Then he entices
down the half-starved bird and moves the
shallow box Just to the place required, so
that the little feathered biped must pick
out of q certain compartment. That par
ucular compartment contains numbers
W bHUoc OD tu6 Cdlu VI lie
capper, who. of course, wins
ut makes me tired" concluded the quiet
man. as he watched a crowd Of new arr-
vals pressing up to the slaughter.
Sometimes they let a stranger win a
little to encourage the others. The miser-
able turkeys in that coop are known as
rejects in the trade and won't weigh more
than three pounds apiece. The nnfor-
tunate stranger winning one generally has
expended 80 cents and could get good tur-
key in the open market for 10 cents
pound. instead of a wretched mass OF skin
and bones,
IF. by any chance. the bird picks out
the wrong number the fakir sticks it back
in the box, announcing that the bird has
drawn two and must try again. Just
look at the dimes rolling in." and the
quiet man groaned in disgust.
At the other side was similar game. the
numbers being Arbitrarily" selected by a
marble inserted at the top of a machine
and travelling down among q lot of pegs in
plain sight to emerge at the bottom and