Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-21

clubs military officers. government func-
tionaries and others who depend upon the
regal favor. hesitate to be seen at the
tables. 1t was, therefore, to supply a long
felt want that the now famous Club der
Frohlichen" was started. The members
consisted of officers of the guards of cav
airy regiments in the neighborhood of Ber-
lin, officials from the different ministries,
members of the reichstag and the Prussian
diet, with a sprnkling of bankers, racing
men and bourse operators. Though called
a club, the der Frohchcn" was only the
loosest kind of an association, with neither
club house, ballot nor annual subscription.
At the beginning they were simply friends
who met irregularly to play baccarat in Sc
cret. AS the circle Widened, the club took
rooms in an expensive hotel. officers and
landed proprietors from the provinces were
admitted to its reVelries; and as these
could come to Berlin only once a week,
the gambling often went on steadily from
Saturday till Monday. Champagne flowed,
| for the kitty was a noble one. The en-
trance door was hidden by massive mirror.
The members tiptoed in and out, as gamb-
ling friends are wont to do in the hotels of
every land. The dangers that they feared
were all from the outside. Yet their real
danger was already with them, for Chopard
had joined the Club der Frohlichen.'
Big Losses.
losses. A Hungarian nobleman, Baron c.,
had lost 120,0o0 marks. A young lieutenant
had been relieved of 60,Goo marks between
Saturday and Monday. Last month
number of smaller players were regularly
cleaned out" Two cavalry officers were
forced to resign their commissions, and 1t
is said that two dismissals from the guards
had taken place. At the same time rumors
began circulating that these losses might
be looked on in connection with a new adj
mission to the club. He was elderly gen
tleman. distinguished and courteous. His
entrance had caused some comment, for
his gray hairs looked strange in sucn youth
full, boisterous company. He was so frol-
licksome. however, that his age was soon
forgiven him. He lost large sums. He won
larger sums. In any case, he was hand
some winner.
He would win all a young mars money
and then lend it back to him. He ar
ranged loans in the outside world. He
soon became extremely popular with GER
tain members, who were also noticed TO
be winners. With them he gave entertain
ments. In a word, he was charming per
sonage. Suddenly, however, the rumors
about him gained extraordinary definite
ness. 1t was said that this charming per-
Sonage was the friend of Reuter- and See
mann two notorious card manipulators of
the continent. The baccarat a the Club
der Frohlchen' began 10 take on new
and GREATNESS interest Certain other
members began to be talked about, Men
on the brink of ruin watched Chopard
feverishly as he dealt cut victorious Fights
and MES night after night. One morning,
when the game was over, group Of flush
ed and desperate young officers sat round
the table. The floor was deep with scat
tered cards. One of them began idly to
range up, side by side, lot of lucky
Fights and mines. He turned them face
down, as if to do trick. Then, suddenly,
he started up with a ferocious Colt i'm
Himmel,'' They had discovered Chopards
trick. The cards were marked, and yet
not marked.
Game of Raccarat.
Now, baccarat is the most honest-looking
of all banking games in this, that the
bank" changes frequently from hand to
hand. One moment your friend may be
banking He goes broke" Then you say,
Here are 5000 marks. Does anybody bid
more for the bank?" Without entering
deeply into the details of the game, it may
be said that all the players, ranged into
two groups, bet against the bank, each
group independently. The banker deals two
cards to each group-called the right and
the left-and two cards to himself. The
best combination is the number o. which
may be formed by 81, 3-6, SAGE. or and
any picture card. Only the last digit counts
in the addition. so that a 3 and 5-for ex-
ample-wh!ch add up IA, count only 4. The
winning combination is the one that comes
nearest to the lucky 9. Each side concealS
its cards; but if third card be demanded.
it is given face up by the banker. At ace.
-, q
some stand; a 6 is fair; a 4 is good. Both
s and win on sight. if formed from the
first two cards dealt. The highest wins
when third card is given. These are the
essentials of the game. The great essen
tial thing for the swindler of the Club
der Frohlichen'' and his associates was
to get at the Fights and mines. The way
in which he marked them without mark
ing them is supposed to be a new thing in
card sWiudiing.
Clever Marking.
The ordinary way of marking cards by
means of a small dot or erasure in one COR
ner of the design on the backs. would hard
ly do in a large club, where the sharper
plays against a number night after night.
in the bright light. The thing has succeed
ed often enough; but marked cards are
ugly things, well marked or i'll. They may
always be discovered. People get into the
habit of examining the backs when they
have lost continually. To this day no one
dares say openly how Chopard. or Wolff
managed to introduce his arranged packs
into the "Club der Frohichen." There
was no steward. Several members-friends
of Chopard-bought cards in large guam
titles at various shops in the near neigh
borhood. To arrange his trick Chopard
must have bought up cards beforehand by
the hundreds OF packs. If you will exam
Inc any pack Of cards sou Will see that