The morning times., 1896-05-17

~ % UMAN ingenuity has reduced card
- playing 10 a mechanical art
from which all element OF chance
is eliminated. With little con-
trivance of steel tubing, elias
tic bands, and silk cords, used
In q manner which defies detection, the
INSCRIPTIONS man who sits in card game
or any kind may shape the outcome to
suit himself IL makes no difference what
precautions may be taken against cheating.
the result will be as the sharper desires
The cards may be Shuffled and cut and
recut by every participant in the game:
10 all outward appearances everything
VIII be fair and straight; but the manipu-
iator viii have an advantage which no
run Of luck can overcome. He may use
this advantage TO give himself strong hands,
or he may place The winning cards in
the hands OF a confederate. He may even,
should his stealings be greater than he
thinks it wise TO take away at one sit
ting, placate the losers with d sudden
run Of big hands, and in this manner let
them get back a little of their money
Fortunately. this cOntrivance has thus far
been furnished 10 less than two dozen
sharpers of The miscalled - genteel'' class
and their operations have been confined to
circles where the money loss has not
created any scandal.
Of the men who arc using these ma
chimes six are working them in big card
games in European watering places, nearly
Il dozen are robbing rich passengers on
ocean steamers. and the Others are pla "
lng IN heavy games in eastern clubhouses
frcquented by an exclusive set of high
rollers. With one of these machines a
man could. If he were so minded, get every
dollar in sight in a card game, but the
inventor has been adrOit enough to place
them only in tie ha nls of men who know
how to use them without exciting sus-
piCion; who viii he content with moderate
winnings, and even stand an occasional
loss for sake Of appearances. Profess
ional gamblers who think they know all
the tricks of the trade have been relieved
3f large sums of none by the working OF
ine machine: but as a general thing the
operators ccnfine their efforts to the
rObbing of rich amateurs, as the pro-
fcssional who loses after knowing tie mas
q shade the best of il at the start is apt
u get too inQuisitive.
MADE BY A CHICAGO MAN.
sad TO say. this mouey-getting contri-
vance is the invention of Chicago man,
aud the few that arc in use were made
by him in that city. In sporting parlance
it would be described as "a holdout'' but
IL can do more things in an entirely original
way than any piece of mechanism of that
sort ever put on the market. Besides this
an ordinary gambler who has from SO
10 $40 may Ia ke his pick or hOld-OutS at
any of the numerous places where they are
openly sold in every large city, but after
buying it would be of no use to him save
in games made up of the softest sort of
suckers, for the hold-out graft" is so Well
known these days that it is a rarity to
find poker player who is not able to pro-
tect himself against it. But the new ma
chine costs 5000, and is sold only after the
most diligeut inquiry into the capacity nf
the prospective purchaser for using it
iutellgently. To begin with there must he
an introduction TO the maker through the
medium Of truSty mutual friend who will
vOuch for the character" aud good sense
of the would-bebuyer. Next the territory
in which it is 10 bc used must be definitely
settled upon, for the maker will not Ia Ike the
chances Of two OF his ma chimes being sprung
In the same game, as il might lead to un-
These details being arranged, plans are
made for the manufacture OF the machine
itself, as none are kept in stock The
first move in this part Of the negotiations
is deposit OF $500 in cash, without which
the inventor will not proceed Having
secured the money he makes an intricate
lot OF measurements of the customers $