The morning call., 1894-03-15
GAMBLING GAMES.
The Plate and Ferris
Wheel Must Go.
The Former Is Anything but Trial
of Skill-How 1t Is Worked.
Angry Saloon-keepers.

Police Captain Douglass came down to
the old City Hall Tuesday night with a
message from the Chief that was pregnant
with trouble for The proprietors of ferris
wheels, crap and plate games. What that
Clysisage was the proprietors of these sinful
lgames learned TO their sorrow yesterday,
and there Is gnashing of teeth, blasphemy
and bitter grief all along Kearny street.
no on the ''coass" and down on the front.
Within twenty-four hours every ferris
wheel must be removed from the saloons
and cigar-stores, and every plate and crap
game must be broken up. That was the
order given to the police and it will be en-
forced.
No description of the game of craps is
necessary. The ferris wheel is nickel in
the slot device, and there are many of
them in use in the oily. One of them In a
saoen on Market street mas yielded Its
proprietor an income OF $500 month.
II is an exceedingly simple game to play.
A nickel is dropped into a slot cut Ia the
top of box, and if it descends in GER
tain direction the player wins three
nickels. 1t generally descends in some
other direction.
The plate game which engendered bad
feeling between certain estimable police
men and a feverish afternoon paper is a
complex affair. 1t is played by a dealer,
two or three campers or "steerers" and
as many suckers" as car be caught. The
game is generally played in a cellar. which
must not be too brilliantly illumin ated.
One of the cappers stands at the door and
speaks in glowing terms OF the wonders
and beauties of the exhibition that is
about TO be given inside. Other cappers
90 up ana down the steps. Those who 90
down have expectancy stamped on their
faces Those who come up are apparently
delirious with Joy. The dupe enters, but
finds no exhibition.
There is long, smooth table at one end
of the room. Thirty circles red, white
and blue are marked upon ii, and on a
convenient stand is pile of tin plates.
On the table is placard bearing numbers
that correspond TO the circles on the Ia BILE.
The lucky man who covers one of the cir
cIes by plate thrown at it receives the
prize that hangs under the corresponding
number on the card. The dealer starts
the game. He takes a plate and throws it
and emphatica!ly declares that he has COW
cred circle. A capper steahhly ap-
proaches the plate and returns with the
information that the circle has not been
covered. The dealer bets that IL has and
the capper takes the wager. The dealer
then inspects the plate aud acknowledges
that lie was mistaken, whether he was CT
not The capper pockets the money and
makes way for his acc0mplice, who is
equally successful.
Finally the dupP, seeing fortune smiling
before him, calls for a plate. The dealer
bets him that he cannot cover the circle on
which the other plates lie. The bet is
taken. the dupe throws and loses. He can
continue TO throw and lose while bis cash
lasts, for he does not know that the plates
given him are heavy and rough, while
those tina. were used by the dealer and
cappers were light and smooth. His plate
stops before reaching the plates on the
circle, or striking them by its weight and
roughness carries them off the lucky spot
The police called this game Of skill. Ii
is played in another way. which Is charm
ingly simple. The plates used ire Of iron
and the circles are Of the same metal
When the capper throws his disk the cir
Gle Is magDetiZed by a battery or magnet
concealed beneath the table. and the
whlrling plate cliDGs to it. When the
dupe takes the plate the magnet or bat
terry Is detached from the circle and the
plat6 passes Dyer