The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-06-08
GAMBLING DEVICES.
ELsCTRIClTY EMPLOYED BY SCiEN-
TlFIC SHARPERS.


Tirnc-But the Fools Still Hot.
IL Is time worn motto that man is
1ool who attempts to beat another at
MS own game. Nevertheless there Is
perpetual and rich crop of gulliblos who
Insist upon throwing their hard earned
money away i'll tho vain and elusive
hopc that a fortune is within their easy
grasp.
Tho method is to them Of no conse-
quence They sincerely believe that tho
means deserve tho end, and with this
harmful and foolish idea In Wow they
seato on their downward career, fully
believing themselves competent to got
the best of the sharper. But the sharper
Is proud of his name, and ho does his
best to deserve his title He generally
Succeeds and then lies In wait for an
other victim. Tho sharper is cuto one,
and 1t seems almost pity that his en-
erglcs are not put In moro useful direo-
tons His inventive ability is far above
the average, and he contrivos devices
Which are marvcls in their way; but rs
Josh Billings torsoly puts 1t, cit IL n
darncd poor way"
fresh Ill our minds are tho develop
mcnts which resulted from raid by tho
police on one Of tho most prominent
gambling establishments.
Extraordinary devices were found,
and everything was conducted on q scale
OF magnificencc and ingenuity that was
marvellous to behold Electricity played
prominent part. In fact everything
that could DO done to further tho aims
OF tho gamblers i'll dishonest way was
Carried out TO point bordering OH per
fiction.
There was ono device for stopping tho
passage of Il marble at certain point,
Which could be changed at the will and
discretion of the operator in charge.
Each compartment was regularly num-
bcrcd and had underneath it small
sccrctcd electro magnet, tho wires from
which were so connected with spring
contact points placed under q foot
board. which i'll turn was situated and
hidden on the floor, that tho ball could
be arrested i'll its progress Mt any point
Here, though, was apparently diff
Guilty i'll connection with it's successful
operation While it is truo that the
ball could be stopped, tho suddonncss
of tho stop would immediately attract
the suspicious Of the players It was
evident that tho stoppago must be per-
formed gradually, so us to appear nut
C'al a quick glance Mt tho wheel show
e the operator which compartment was
the most profitable one for him Tho
ball slowed up, stopped, and no gather
ed In his i'll gotten gains.
The gradual slowing up was by suo-
ccssivo number Of weak impulses sent
through the adjoining electro magnets,
thus rctarding the progress Of tho ball,
which was completed by al inner
sphere of soft iron surrounded by
highly polished celluloid coating Great
skill Oh the part of tho operator was of
course required to avoid detection But
the men who worked this schomo felt
so sure that discovery was impossible
that their very boldness and audacity
furthercd their work. Murder, howev-
er, will out, and tho secret was finally
laid bare to q curious crowd
Another device that attracted consid-
cradle attention was planned to deceive
the most inquiring. A table was de-
vised tho top Of which contained
number of squares laid off similar to
q chcssboard. Immediately above tho
center of the board was suspended
light metallic board by means of Il slen-
der silkcn thread a compond mcchan-
tcal motion at the top of triangular
framework placed Immediately over tho
center of the board caused the silk
thread to take q rather cratic course.
On the boards woro placed u number of
statucttes somewhat similar to chess
men, but all of approximately the Same
height The suspended ball was started
on Its cratic course while tho table was
slowly revolved
Bets were then made as to which par
ticular piece would remain erect when
all others were knocked down. Piece by
piece they dropped until but ono re-
Lined, and this one of course was de-
clared the prize winner. The game was
even more audacious than tho one above
mentioned, but if anything it was more
ingenious.
The way in which it was made "a
sure thing for its posscssors was as fol-
lows: Underneath each individual
square was rather strong electro mag
net, all the north poles pointing upward.
Each magnet was separately controlled
I'm m adjoining room, a signal being
communicated to the operator by any of
the we'll known systems common with
so called second Rght' performers.
Inside Of the light suspended ball was q
compound permanent magnet with tho
north pole pointing downward Each
marker, which l described as somewhat
similar to IL chessman, was loaded with
piece of soft iron passing through it's
axis The pieces for as many PLAYERS rs