Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-12-20
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I A Gentle CafhaYfic
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/! ForSick Headache, etc. !
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\ Annual Sale, 6,ooo, 900 boxes.
, 10 cents and IS cents-Druggists. 1

ssla-z.rfa----n-~--s
sort of way station on his trips east
and west
The last time Houck was here he had
Just returned from a European trip.
lie produced papers and letters TO
show that while ne was in London he
was feted and dlned by some Of the
upper crust Of English society. He
had passed there as wealthy and
travelled American. He had letters.
too, from Secretary Olney, Secretary
Carlisle and other leaders of the Amer
lean political world which recommend.
ed him in the highest terms not only
to the American representatives
abroad, but to any friends of the writ
ers who might meet him. And these
letters were genuine. Their authenticl-
ty could not be doubted. Houck had
a way Of getting entrance into the ex-
elusive clubs Of Washington, Philadel
phia, New York and other cities, and
in his role of gentleman Of leisure" he
had so imposed on men of high stand
Ing in the nation that they thought
him all lie represented himself to be
and gave him the letters of introduc-
ton that helped him to fleece the arls-
tocracy of Europe.
Houck invented the three card monte
game before he became of age. This is
trick with cards that has fieeced
more people out of money than any
other game ever practlced. The trick
Is played with three aces, two black
ones and one red. 1t Is always played
with a confederate to help, or stall"
for the game. The operator takes the
three cards between his fingers, show
ing them TO the victim, and then shuf-
fes them about and drops them face
down upon the table, offering to bet
pick out the red ace.
At this point the operator turns his
head moment to spit or to speak to
some one in the crowd behind him.
and In that moment the confederate
picks up the red ace card, shows 1t to
the victim, "crimps" the corner of the
card and slyly lays it down again, ap-
parently all unseen by the operator.
The operator again shuffies the three
cards and throws them upon the table
face down. There lies the card with
its crimped corner. The victim sup
poses, OF course, that 1t is the red ace
and bets and picks 1t up to find that 1t
is n black one, and he has lost his
money.
The operator, when he picked up and
shuilled the cards carelessly the Sec
ond time, with deft movement of his
| fingers removed the crimp in the red
nee card and put a similar crimp in n
black ace card. That was all there
was to the trick. Houck worked it for
| years in hotels, on billiard tables, at
| fairs and circuses and on railroad
trains and steamboats,. He taught the
| trick to Canada Bill, a noted gambler,
and the two worked together over all
the country. They paid thousands up
on thousands of dollars to railroad men
in the old days for the privilege of
working the game on trains, and they
made money.
Later, when nearly every state in the
Union passed laws aimed directly
against the working of the three card
monte game, 1t became Improbable
and was given up by Houck. But about
| that time an ingenious English cockney
| invented the three shell" game, which
was even more productive than three
card monte. and Houck took it up. The
three shell game is a modern improve
| ment on the ancient thimblerigglng
| game that was worked at English fairs
for many years. The old way was for
the operator to crook his knee over the
head of cane that stood upright on
the ground and move a small seed
around between three thimbles on top
of his leg, offering to bet that no one
could pick the thimble under which
the seed was hidden.
The lesson taught by the lives and
deaths of Houck and Canada Bill and
all the rest of their kind is that 1t never
pays to be dishonest or to live by ones
wits. These men may get great sums
of money by sharp practices in the
course of a lifetime, but they all die
poor, and most OF them die In prison
Canada BILL who worked with Houck
on trains out of Kansas City and
made probably $1,0000O0 in his life,
died n pauper in the almshouse in
Lebanon, Pa, and is buried in a pau
per's grave. Houck dropped dead on
the street In Durango, Mexico. and his
widow in Ohio had to solicit aid to get
his body home to give 1t decent burial
kansas City Star.
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