The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-04-15
THE GAME OF CRAPS
You've Heard of 1t, Maybe
But You Don't Know
How It's Played.
COME SEBEN, HONEY, CONF 'IEBEE'
Here's the Modus 0perandi-
Gambling Hells Where the
Game Displaces Faro.

Jersey City is ''craps' mad. Nearly
every morning the Police Justices have
offenders against the law concerning
gambling hauled up before them. and in
most cases the culprits are ~boys-boot-
blacks, newsboys and street gamins,
generally, who have been caught
tagraate dcltcto. and they suffer the
usual fines or punishment which fits the
crime. The average newsooy doesn't
need much of a layout" to play "craps."
Given two dice, some permissible more
pennies the merrier. of course. On every
corner in the downtown districts The
newsboys and bootblacks. at almost any
hour. can be seen playing craps"
The game seems to possess q singular
fascination for the youthful mind,
whether it be in the Uranium of an
Italian, negro, or youth OF Hlbernlan
descent. Recently Justice ODonnell, as
told in THE JERSEY CITY News. tried his
hand at the game when some OF tne
him. Justice O'Donnell wanted TO
know, you know" all about the game,
and he learned, at the cost of a few cents.
Il GAME SPREAD.
But more singular than all is the TACT
that the game-if game it can be called
Is plHySo AlhiAly w OOyS Il hSSAOS
aud find nc favor among the older heads
among the whites in The community. In
nearly every place where these Two
classes coDgregate the game Is played,
aud, to q one unacquainted with It's
intricacies, the study OF human nature
afforded by the groups thus formed
would furnish a genre picture which
would remain 10 the memory while men,
DRY lasts.
Aside from that point, the game has
certain ly gained great ~ascendaucy In Jer-
sey City. How il leaked out-so to speak
land became the property OF the news,
boys, bootblacks and street Ramins, VINO
SO frequently come under the terrible
judicial eye, is a matter which The NEWS
takes great pleasure in showing. FIRST,
let any doubling Thomas, to satisfy him
self. verify the statement mentioned that
the game is rampant. and It can De verl-
fled. IL any observer were TO take the
pains to investigate the reason why there
should be a gathering OF boys on corners
or secluded spots anywhere In the city.
Aud this is how the game became so
prevalent, and why is has invaded the
ranks of our boys. and finds favor among
the colored population. To the certain
knowledge of THE JERSEY CITY NEWS
there are within a pistol-shot OF the
NEWS Office three gambling bells. where
craps Is scientifically ~played-that is TO
say, where there is a reg layout Tor
playing the game.
WHERE IT is PLAYED.
few nights ago a NEWS reporter paid
q visit of inspection to those places In the
ompany of an habftue of the craps
joints" The first place visited was at
No. 271 Washington street. This house
was evidently an old homestead, n &C
cording to the information furnished to a
NEWS reporter. IL is now owned BY or
leased to q man named Gray. When the
reporters and his guide entered the place
it was well illed with negroes, but ons
white man, beside the reporter and his
guide, was present. There were tables
scattered around the room. and in what
was once evidently the sitting-room wa'
a table fer the players of craps. The
table had the proverbial green cloth
cover, but was different from any other
table in the usual gambling bells, because
Of its peculiar shape.