The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-03
ROBBED BY SKIN GAMES
FAIR GROUNDS ROADHOUsE' GET
TING MUCH OF SOLDIERS MONEY.
Notorious Violations which Mayor
Taggart Promised to stOp-Ihe
157th Is No More.

Gambling is going on openly at the road
house just outside the south gate at the
fair grounds. and hundreds of dollars of the
money which the soldiers have just re-
ceived from the paymasters are pouring
into the pockets of sharks" Since the men
have been discharged the, military author
tiles have no control over them and If any
protection is given it must come from the
city authorities Mayor Taggart promised
to stop gambling and law violation at this
place, but instead has left the young sol
diers a prey TO these harpies. 1t is hoped
by the army officers that the city author
tiles may be awakened to a sense of duty
before the One-hundred-and-ff ty-eighth
Regiment is paid off tomorrow. All sorts
of skin games are running. One man COM
menting on it yesterday said it would not
surprise him if the victimized soldiers were
to turn upon the gamblers and beat them.
or clean out the place.
The old shelf game was worked on the
front porch of the saloon building yester-
day and met more than it's old-time sue
cess A fat, smooth-faced man stood at a
board upon which were three polished
American walnut half-sheils, and a small
rubber ball. A soldier would come up and
lay down his money. One of the shells was
then placed over the ball, and the positions
of the three shells were changed in the
sight of every one. But when the soldier
pointed out the shell under which he had
seen the ball placed. he was astonished to
find that the bail was not there, and he
had lost his money. Most gamblers think
highway robbery is a more legitimate form
of crime than operating one of these games.
There were plenty of soldiers who knew no
better than to try the scheme. Especially
this the case with the intoxicated men.
Yesterday of the shrewder men APP
preached the man who was handling the
shell game, and asked him, why don t
you have soldiers for shutters so somebody
would have a little faith in your
.! am going to try thai, after a while .
replied the gamester, will you be around
here? DO you think you could work it?'
Another game was worked at the very
gate of the grounds. man took $40 bill
and two 81 bills and rolled them up in small
pieces of paper. The choice was sold for So.
The man drew what he believed the pack
age containing the $40 and found instead a
piece of candy. Several other games were
played at the roadhouse and in its vicinity.
Several of the most noted gamblers in the
city are there part of the time and succeed
in making big hauls. They are careful not
to carry their games too far, for fear of
the "blanketing" which the discharged SOL
diers are ready to give when they begin to
realize how much they are being cheated.
The remaining three companies OF the
One-hundred-a nd-ffty-seventh Regiment
were mustered out yesterday and TOOK
trains for their homes. Everything went
off according to the programme. The en-
tire dred-and-ffty-eig Regiment
will be mustered out Friday. While at
breakfast yesterday morning some of the
One-hundred- acknowledgements boys showed
their high spirits in a general slirmish in
which the pans and their contents were the
missiles Milk and bread flew in all direc-
lions. Piepan met piepan with a crash.
Spotted coats showed where the greasy
meat had gone home But no person and
mr.
of the mess were rs happy as the boys
themselves.
Adjutapt Powell, of the One-hundred-and-
fifty-eighth Regiment yesterday received
notice of his appointment to the position of
assistant adjutant general of the world for
the Knights of Pythias His rank will be
brigadier general.
The weather has been ideal for the muster
out of the One-hundred- fifty seventh
Regiment, and the members of the One
hundred-and-ff ty-eighth devoutly hope that
they may be as fortunate.