Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-19

AND PARIS-WHf HERMANN DOES NOT PLAY
! CARDS GENERALLY
Notwithstanding that have made cards a
life study, and probably have had more ex-
perience than any other man living in the art
of handling them, | am a poor poker player
and invariably get beaten every time play
said Hermann, the magician. in Pittsburg
recently Il am not a lover of the game. and
only engage in it for little social pleasure and
excitement. We play great deal in clubdom
and natdom in New York. The people play
with can afford to lose $500 or so and not give
1t passing thought. Playing cards with this
class Of people is pleasure. There is no en-
ioyment in playing poker with professional
gamblers. They are out to get your money,
and by cheating they generally succeed.
II had many amusing things happen while
playing poker. In 1875. at watering place
near New York, 1 was accosted by we'll
dressed man. who asked me if | would take a
hand In game of draw. By appointment
met him at IL o'clock that night, and we pro-
ceeded to his room, which was over a cafe on
prominent street. He introduced me to four
other men and We sat down to play. had a
lear that everything was not on the square
after had been In the game but few min
utes. Each man bought S200 worth of chips
After losing a little money / saw had fallen
IN with gang of card sharps, who evidently
got me In the game to skin rae. / had consid-
cradle money about nv person. but was not
afraid Owing to the large number of high
way robberies that had had occurred within a
few weeks carried revolver on account of
being out late at night
Il noticed one man in the crowd who had
habit OF shutting the cards SO that the aces
always were at the bottom OF the pack. 1 very
lnnocently called his attention TO il and asked
him TO shuttle all the cards He looked sur
prised and laughed the matter off, saw HIM
cheating again. but did not say ANYTHING. At
the third offense got mad ct the thought that
the men evidently picked me up for a green
norm could not contain myself longer. and
Indignantly said: Gentlemen. / see YOU are
too
II a boomshell had exploded it could not
nave caused greater CONSERVATION. Every
one OF the men jumped to his feet and de-
manded an explanation. One grabbed a chair
and swung II up to bring it down on nv bead.
another seized heavy water bottle to throw
the contents In my face. / could see they
wanted to pick fight with me. jumped up
at the nrst sign OF hostlities. and, pulling NV
revolver, pointed it at them. saying: If any
one OF YOU moves I'll put bullet IN him. The
scene was dramatic and one 1 shall never
forget. Luckily had taken a seat with nv
back to the door. Keeping the gang covered
with the revolver in my right hand gathered
all my money from the table with NV left
and backed TO the door. 1 turned the knob
with the hand in which had the money and
swinging the door open backed out without
saying word.
while in Panama. in 1854 got into game
OF American poker with party o. nice people
We played ON an Ordinary green-top baize card
taDie. noticed one OF the men held remark
ably strong hands. especially when the pot
was large. watched him a while and saw he
had a hole in the table at the end of the cloth
pressing Will fon+ H. ,v,11
push up five cards into his hand. which be held
over the hole. i afterward heard of HIS death
and bought the table from among his effects
keep 1t as curiosity aud value il highly.
In New York not long ago 1 was taken in,
and could have kicked myself afterward for
allowing swindler to dupe me. We were at
a private room In a hotel where some friends
wanted me to take the conceit out of a callou
youth who had been Dragging about his skill
at poker. After the game had got good and
hot my friends dropped out and the youth and
myself went at it. The ante was IS cents with
dollar limit. Livery time my antagonist won
a pot he put the bills in his pocket and would
chip IN the money as he needed it 1 deter
mined to beat him at his own game After he
had good portion Of nv pile / started in to
skin him. / got all he had won and good bit
more. Occasionally allowed him TO win to
keep the fun up and enjoyed the young mans
innocence as much as my friends. Finally l
got tired of playing with him and cleaned him
he ever met before. and the people around us
could have Rugged me for the way took the
starch out of him.
when my friends told him whom he had
been playing with he did not express surprise.
He said he knew ne. This was a surprise on
US. then handed him his money back He
wouldn't take 1t. saying if he had won it he
would have kept it. and as had come by the
money fairly he wanted me to keep it, Ii had
worked the cards on him. he said. that was
his lookout. and be shouldn't have got into the
game If he thought ii wasn't on the square,
Alter giving us a very dignified bow. he babe
us good highland LETT L then told INV friends
that 1 would give the money to some charitable
institution. Ordering bottle of wine. gave
the waiter one OF the bills in payment He
came back with the information that il was
counterfeit Yes, SET: that guileless youth had
won my good money and rung in over 500 Of
paper on me that wasn't worth cent a pound
Il was stopping at the Richelieu in Chicago
in 1887. One night l was invited into game
Having nothing else to 90. 1 accepted the in
vltation. After seeing that was in the hands
of bad people left them my card and quit
The next day an envelope was handed me with
my money inside. The sharpers evidently
thought 1 would denounce them
Il like nothing better than a chance TO de-
nounce the short-card men / run across in nv
travels. On my last trip from Cheyenne met
some three-card monte men on the train They
had farmer in their tolls. and won over $50
from MIN. saw they were cheating him and
told him SO. One of the men pulled a gun and
exhibited a card upon which was printed
Mind your own business / determined TO
get the farmers money back got into the
game. The monte men were dead easv.' as
the saying is. l not only got the farmers
money back. but secured about as much be-
longing to the gamblers before they knew it
was time TO quit.
Zone of the most thrilling things / ever saw
at card table was at a gambling house in
Madrid. 1 was there in ls6s. They play
monte a game similar TO the American faro
Instead of using box they use the hand. One
man who had been playing good while drop
ped trife over $1,000. He thought the dealer
was cheating. He watched and saw him slip
two cards from his hand when he should have
slipped but one. Whipping out a dagger he
brought the point of II down on the hand of
the dealer and nailed the member to the table
There was big uproar, which resulted IN the
police raiding the place. Fortunately for me
L made my escape from the house. believe l
was the only one TO get away.
"A year previous to nv experience at Madrid
/ was in London and decided TO go on a visit TO
NV family in Paris. / had for a travelling COM
panion the secretary OF the Russian legation
As the train left Charing Cross three men got
into the carriage We occupied. When the
guard come for our tickets had TO open INV
purse. In the purse were some SO gold pieces
l was carrying to my sister. One OF the three
men saw them and started conversation with
me. He pulled cut Spanish piece worth
about sic In American money. and said he got