The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-06-30
MONTE MEN x IN.


New M@TEMa@nn A@t@mxam&0 @@xMm ME@mGM
swindlers ~ His-Trfcas.
II am not . lucky card player at any
time said Professor Hermann. ~
did win 92, 800 at one sitting at Del
monico's night, but that was the
largest sum ! ever won. i can play only
with my friends, for In o company Of
strangers IL I were 20 win and they
were to find out that ] wa q conjurer,
the impression would be that / manipu-
lated tho cards, and that, you know,
would DO unpleasant For Amusement
! frequently play and show . little par
ty OF friends what could be done with
cards by practiced fingers Yes, many
times / have found my power to manip-
ulate the pasteboards very handy, and I
have frequently been able to Illustrate
sharpers who purposed 10 fleece the mn
wary.
II remember that in 1867 I sailed
from New York to France to visit my
relatives In Paris, and ! carried four or
Ave $40 goldpieces TO give to my
friends children. Arriving al Havre, /
met q friend in the person of the secre-
tary Of the Russian legation at Paris,
who was also journeying toward the
capital We went ON together and occu.
pied toward the same compartment ON
the train. At one of the stations three
men came into our compartment. They
were Frenchmen, and it took only o
glance to show that they were gentle
men who lived by their wits. They were
dressed I'm the latest fashion, though,
and apparently found little trouble in
getting an excellent living in their line
OF industry. When ] gave the conductor
my ticket, ] took ont my pocketbook,
and me OF the three, q nice little Pari-
sian. caught sight of my gold double
eagles. He was at my side, while his
companions sat o. the opposite seat.
"That fash OF the gold was enough
for the fellow, and he began his game,
He asked me III / were an American, and
il ] knew anything about gold coins,
this TO open Q conversation. I replied
yes TO both questions, and ON my ask
ing why he desired to know he pulled
q goldpiece from his pocket and asked
me what it q He had got il for moth
ing. he said, in q card game / told
him IL was o Spanish ounce worth GIG.
Then he and his friends began to play
cards, and he said he would show them
the game at which he won the ounce.
Il was the old three card monte trick,
well known In America, but oompara-
lively new in Europe. The three sharp
era, posing as casual travellers, placed
their layout, and the little man at my
side showed them how easy IL was to
pick mp the ace from the o~vercoat,
which formed the card table. Quite q
little money changed hands, and / saw
that my friend, the Russian, was get
ting Interested Like all Russians, he
had q passion for gambling.
Have nothing TO do with this
game, / told him. Leave them to me.
] manifested an interest i'm the PLAY,
and when the fellow sang out, "A hun,
dred francs you can't pick up the acel'
| cried, i bet you, and as / flung down
the money 4 seized his hand, which was
lowering over the three cards In d row
and overturned the ace. The window
was partly open, and swiftly picking up
the cards { flung them out, or rather
they thought 80. The sharpers raised Il
pretty row and talked very ugly for
awhile. Then I thrust my hand into
the little mans vest and pulled ont the
cards N at q time. You should have
seen the looks On those fellows faces.
You're a conjurer,' cried one Of them.
YES, I am Hermann, ; I replied, and /
know three card monte better than amy
OF you. They left the train at the next
stop and sneaked away, looking very
cheap. They We're raw hands at 1T -
Chicago Post