The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-03-08
TOD SLOAN TOUCHED.
His introduction to Honest john More
Costly Than Meeting the Prince.


Sporting men the country over are
! having considerable fun with Tod
Sloan the famous American jockey who
has landed so many 'firsts" on the
English turf. His experience with
Honest John" as played by card
sharpers on the steamship which car
ried him to England, is looked upon by
| sporting men as another confirmation
of the theory advanced by gamblers
that the ''easiness" of a victim in
| creases with his accumulation of wis
| dom.
Tod Sloan is supposed to be thorough
ly sophisticated in the ways of the
world. He wears clothes that make
the apparel of the Broadway exquisite
look as though it had been acquired in
Baxter street, carries money in every
pocket and the band of his hat, spends
more for cigars every year than a
United States senator's salary amounts
| 10, and has an income greater than that
of President Mckinley.
lie has played every game of chance
IN the calendar from the time he shot
craps in an Indiana livery stable,
years ago, to his experience in putting
English bookmakers out of business,
but he admitted in the city court in
WV LOlh lIIdl ne WAS Il NeTlLdDle
'come-on" against a mild game of
cards called Honest John"
Young Mr. Sloane appeared as de-
PENDANT in a suit brought by Charles
w. button, who alleges that the jockey
owes him $3.50.
Justice Schuchman took care of the
case of the little man from Indiana.
Tod was attired as one Of the lilies of
the Held. He took the oath and told
how 1t happened. A great light dawned
on the court. and the case was dis
missed on that ground that it was
gambling debt.
The jockey was introduced to the
game while on a trip to England last
summer aboard the Kaiser wilhelm der
Crosse. Mr.. Dutton, according to the
story of the diminutive rider, acted as
master of ceremonies.
Honest John" is a very simple game.
A full deck of cards is dealt out to as
many players as assemble. There were
three when Tod Sloane shook hands
with Honest John" The other two
were Dutton and his partner. One of
the players acts as banker. All players
turn over card from the stack in
front of them. The man turning over
the highest card collects the amount of
his bet from the banker.
III the banker turns over a higher
card than the other players, he collects
from everybody. If ne turns over
higher card than one player and low
er card than another he collects from
one and pays one.
Tod Sloane played the limit The first
time he sat down he lost $500. Mott
having the amount IN change he re-
marked that he would pay when he got
to the other side, which was perfectly
satisfactory, But he sat in again
IN turn you one for $780," re-
marked Sloane, Ticking the ashes from
his cigar
Mr.. Dutton said the proposition was
worthy of favorable consideration, and
turned card. 1t was an ace Young
MI Sloane turned a card. 1t was also
an ace.
It's a split" said the jockey weari-
~ III double the bet"
"Oh, no, you WON'T" advanced Mr.
Duttqh L win. It's my percentage
I've got to have some percentage,
haven't II"
At various times in London he paid
Mr. Dutton $3.50, mainly because but
ton threatened to spread the report that
he was a ''Welcher," which means a
gambler who does not pay his debts of
honor; but when Tod got back to the
land of the free and the home of the
brave he inflated his chest and told Mr.
button that he would rather be brand
ed as a 'welcher'' than pay another
cent Thereupon Mr.. Dutton brought
suit
Its the way of the world" said
young Mr. Sloene. when I was in
troduced to the Prince of Wales I made
money, but it cost me $3.50 to get an
introduction to Honest John -