The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-07-12
.FIxED, A ROULETTE WHEEL.
Gamblers Vfctimixed by q Gang OF
Travelling Crooks.

Special Disps tch to the Post-Inteligencsr.
TACOMA July IA little hole in the
outer rim Of roulette wheel In one OF Ia
eona's first-class gambling resorts; a hole
with q diameter no larger than viii admit
a large darning needle Is what b left 10
show the owners how four clever grafters
cheated the game 10 the extent Of some
thing like 800. The gang vino won this
money few days ago, like the scheme
they have for besting the wheel. were new
to the local sporting fraternity, and sue
ceeded IN making their way 10 new fields
before their clever crooked work was I'M
dersiood ny their victims. Now the game
In shy several stacks of gold that would
not likely have been won out ION the
square, but like sure-enough sports the
losers have made no kick other than to
tell their trouble 10 their more intimate
friends.
AS explained the work sprung on the
Tacomans was not known here and re-
CURED much cleverness 20 he operated sue
etssfuily. The rim. in which u small hole
had been drilled, is that part of the wheel
which is not put under lock and key when
the game is closed. being allowed to remain
In the table. Some time after the game
was closed the grafters got access To the
room in which this table steod and bored a
small! hole In this rim on the side furthest
from the dealer. near the end of the table.
To be worked successfully. as will be seen,
1t required one we'll up In the game to stand
at the hole.
A piece OF steel wire long enough to
reach through the hole In the rim and TO
protrude slightly on the inside was the in
s'rument used. The player who won the
money was the confederate Of the chief
operator. and placed his money on numbers
occupying SEINE one-third OF the wheel.
The operator with the wire then watched
the wheel closely, and when that section
OF the wheel bearing the numbers played by
the confederate whirled around opposite
the tiny hole in the rim he would push his
wire through the hole far enough 10 pro-
trude across the track on which the bal,
travelled, The wire being in the way OF the
ball a. u CAME spinning along the track,
would cause the ball to bound from the
track Into the buckets of the wheel
thorough knowledge OF the wheel al
lowed or calculation close enough to per-
init the man with the wire to dump the
ball In one of the twelve buckets REPRESENT
Ing the twelve numbers being PLAYED bv
the confederate. BY waiting until the bah
was almost ready to leave the track of its
own accord, the clever swfnsiler could
dump IL In way natural enough TO ESCAPE
the suspicion OF the dealer Two other
confederates helped the scheme along by
playing small money promiseuously about
the layout In such way a. 10 draw the
about due 20 fall into the wheel The
money was Won In one evenings ny. ard
It Was not until the gang had left the city
that the little hole IN the rim of thu wheel
was found. aud the owners or the game be-
came aware Of having been given the
worst az H.
The gang that won the money makes this
work specia3ty-travels on II exclusively
Portland was worked before Tacoma. and
IN IN" Oregon metropolis two houses were
skinned The first wheel beaten thera
Was 'doctorrd' AS was the wheel here hut
afteF winning The money the gang found
an opportunity 10 plug The hole. 50 their
scheme could not he detected They then
took in" second game and left town
The clever workers are credited with hav
ms hailed from Chicago. and with having
done up at least one game in each town
III which they stopped along the route west
ward. II Is not known here where the
gang wcnt 70 from Tacoma. but local sorts
are qu'ie certain they viii hear OF the
scf' ifrfs IN some nelghboring city within
a sf'ort time. as the men work quickly and
~levery