The Washington weekly post., 1899-06-20
UNIQUE GAMBLING DEVICES
Clever Contrivances of >harpcrs to Ip,r,o
Winning.

winning.
From the PsilsIeIpnis Times
Gambling is only polite form ~ ,r...
ihS' therefore u Is not rruark.fr. .h..
confirmed gamcStCTs should ~ta.r. .., t,....
as Il means ot enhancing their chance. d..
Winning nut u Is remarkable Thar 1rr.r
sdmest'rs should be >o blind to tb. ...
I wees invented by more ingenious f.U,r.
ana fortunes have been won hv clover
SharperS, from men and women who has.
peeH "elI aliFe 10 their own interests md
not wanting in cunning suspicion f.
.leFef cohtrlVances Of their own couSr~I,..
tion.
IL Is not often that gambler f. -lff-
O"I'-y 'HletprlSlnS and mean as 10 E7vr
- - r"iu room specially constituted To facij-
,''te HIS HetclnS his victims and visitor.
but - even this length Went "A man ,.h.
ieSi'i'e MS vast private fortune SYSTEM.
lcaIly preyed upon the pockets af d..
wealthy acquaintances The room y.a.
constructed SO small that only Suffrfaur
space was allowed for "a square tabIr ...r.t
the chairs of four players the ohi..r ..
'hls being to prevent onioOkefs OF any ur.
StdnGlnS feElnd the particular chair ,,Ff l
the most always took
me room was magnfccuth- d,rurttr..
ana hidden I'm the deeBly-cary..E bI4,A ..l
pdnellng were two spy holes from which ..
person on the other side Of Tho wall ,Yf,..
see every card OF the person sitting ,ur.-
site the host When cards were Tci,r
played a confederate of the Gusr va. sE
ways watching unseen from these rufr.
having MS nnger upon an electric hurf1u
rms button communicated with q Iarg.r
button hidden under the Garnet furf #.
front OF the hosts chair, and hy this
means the confederate was able 10 CON.
muntcate to his master wnat ,- -ss were i.f
the hand Of his tete-a-tete PLAYER
Sitting down in his chair, me 4r.l
ScOundrel put his toe on the iuvisihT, huf-
ton under the table and received fnc
news one push Of the button giguIFaI
hearts. two clubs three diamonds. ami
four spades. II was the coufedsr4tsr.
duty 10 first wire what was strongest sr.t
in the hand before him. Thus ~r-
push OF the button informed lH. arch
thief that his tete-a-tete's strongest sut
was hearts, and so on When 10 h4H
been communicated how the suits stood iu
strength. it was the COnfederatc'- duty 20
wire what the cards were. starting with
the highest in the highest suit. and going
To the lowest in the lowest. So gUirkI.
could this scheme bc worked that VcTr
often the host knew his tcJe-G-rrtr's cards
before the latter had properly arranE'.
his hand"
After the strength Of the suits had lr.r
communicated in this way, the host tr.r
twelve rapid taps on the. sole OF his shoe.
and he knew this meant the queen OBJ.
hearts. a short pause, and then ten raG.|
taps told hun the next highest card wa
the zen Of hearts. And 81 on. IL b. said
that, thanks to the ingenious -'Urw..
which was never discovered during fH.
inventors life. many wealthy person.
were brought To the verge or ruin. HH.-
their host entertained them iu regal -'F...
A somewhat similar. but Jess -grrs--'H.
scheme was that in the practice Of who.
certain continental dr-sSmaker V1- H..
tected. This woman, like many utuer- n.
her calling. made 10 d custom 10 eUt.TfrH.
her customers at gambling 90 %" --'f..
Of her private apartments, and she prU.
ably found ii lufuitHl} more iutfH'...
than her BrOf-SSpd trade, 10 which 30 H..
tTacted customers Her plan was t0 stan
her husband outside the room, which Ha.
built in another room, so that pa tE.
ran between the TWO walls on three -is'-
and through an unseen opening All aIH''
the edge of the ceiling tnf man C"HiI
the cards Of the players. but hi~ VIZ.
who sat with her back 10 the single Nt..
Walking in the passage the man exam.
ined the cards 0f the unsusp"ctlng play.
crs, and opening a small trap in M va.
exhibited similar cards drawn from re-
pack he carried. Owing 10 tho Igh' hh.
was thrown down upon the tahl, dhi DOL.
the faces Of all players bur ihr 'i'-S-
maker. the exhibited card roliI Do. -' y
by her only. her eyes, shaded from the
glare Of the lamp, were accustomed 70
the dim light in which the cards N'i' 'A-
hlbit-d, but 20 the 0tntT play Ela' .l's
from the glare such dimu,-S ""I.@ nav
been az impcuetraDle AS iA" adi A".sa ''
night. In this way the man "da able %
snow his wife exactly what cards N't
in the hand" Of the player behind "Hom
he stood and when one hand had Dee.
disclosed in this manner hC moved Ou
TO the next.
But II was TOO clumsy 10 be- entir"I
successful. victims Drramc 7uSpieioH- ".
the drcssmakeT's extraordinary TuH- H'
luck and her habit Of constantly lOokiE-
up AT the walls. and on" DAY a victim
COntrived, during her hOst's absence. 10 IT..
the gas shade % suit her own eyes. ar.
during the game followed the s.beUrE
eyes the moment she saw them rise. Fn-.
the feline had escaped from the wd.if.
The dressmaker vanished.
Many attempts have been made IN ir-
vent system Of OFnAmgHflug tho IB.a.
Of cards i'm such way that n prrsu
knowing the secret can read them B..
the difficulties in the way are MAu.fas
and gamblers Who have attempted -4..
frauds nave generally been speedily d..
tected.
II Is a pretty well known fact. how
ever that A notorious Western crook
who died in prison not long ago. Dar SUI
cessful ~ this connection. He lHyent"
Il pack Of cards and demonstrated how
readily he could read tham by "a"
backs while no Cne else could HircOF-
or anything iu the least rI-Pi"i"Ir Or
suggestive about them. Th~y af' ApN ..
the hands Of the police. aHd nave Dr'
examined by hundreds 81 persons. D..
no one has been able 20 r'al ih"lf 80.
declared that the secret Was worm go
4 year 10 him for Iye year. and mat :.
sold two similar packs 'or 800 each.