Milford chronicle., 1895-02-08
eEArINa 4 CROOKED eAME.
A Victim Hires a Professional to Settle His
Poker Accounts.

Victim Hires q Professional to Settle His
Poker Accounts.
Il once fell up against skin poker
game said department clerk Of sport
ing tastes AT that time, being rather
young, took a great pride in my game OF
poker. A man whose acquaintance l had
made in a barroom steered me into quiet
little resort in an out Of the way place-on
Eighth street 1t was-in Philadelphia.
played there 18 times in all, and on every
occasion I lost In all was out about
S4BO think
'fI chanced to know a man who was q
professional card sharper A police detect
i've with whom he was on entirely friend
" terms had introduced him to me, and
finding him a very original person and
rather a curiosity in his way 1 had kept
m the acquaintance. To him I went on
this occasion and told him about my ex-
perience in the poker game aforesaid, It
was palpable swindle, against which an
outsider had no show whatever. Finally
I had seen the proprietor Of the den, who
regularly took a hand, hold out an ace
Of spades.
"To have made any protest on the spot
would have been to endanger my physical
safety. So, as informed the card sharp
ar. I decided on another method Of getting
even. If he was willing, would intro
duoe him to the game and we would d.
vide the proceeds. My suggestion was
eagerly accepted, and that very evening
my friend sat behind a stack Of chips In
the quiet place on Eighth street. He was
q man Of great skill in that business, and
the crude methods adopted by the petty
sharpers who were associated with the
management Of the gambling house had
no chance IN a contest with him.
LAS for myself, I took no part in the
amusement, but looked on in order to see
how things went. The capital, to tho ex-
tent Of $50, had put up, and was not
prepared to trust my sporting acquaint-
anoe to an unlimited extent. Though
friendly, he might not be able to resist a
temptation to get ahead Of his partner.
On the first night he won 500 and on the
next evening $l4O. These were large win
nings, the game being only 50 limit. The
next night he lost slightly from motives
Of policy. To make a long story short, he
won somewhat over 5000 in the course Of
q fortnight. A division Of the proceeds
made me about even, so that was satis-
fed.
IT wanted to stop at that point, In fact,
but my sporting friends appetite for gore
was whetted, and he desired to continue.
It is easily to be imagined that so MI sh
money could not be won in the establ b.
ment without exciting alarm and even
suspicion on the part Of the management.
Mere luck could hardly overcome the
skilled methods adopted for beating un-
wary outsiders out Of their money. So
had more than half a notion Of what was
coming when. on the last evening Of our
play at this resort, I was approached and
called aside by person whom had come
to recognize as the 'spotter' Of the estab-
liRhment. Said hei
"'I'm onto your game. Am in itS'
NO. replied, looking him in the
eye.
'''Then you gitl' he said.
IT walked out quietly and was present
ly Joined by my sporting friend, who had
received a similar warning. have not
seen him since, and shall never again
play cards in poker dive. Washington
Post.