The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-26
And Jim Lane Quit the Game
Forever.
WAS ROBBED OF HIS PILE
AND QUICKLY LEARNED THE
TRICK HIMSELF.
Got In Game Where Another Man
Was Working the Same Graft-He
Lost His Nerve and the Most
Flattering Inducements Could Not
Make Him Try 1t Again.
Chicago Inter ocean,

Chicago Inter Ocean)
Jim Lane is in town, I hear said
the little man with the scrubby beard
as he threw down a winning king fun,
the middle of the table.
Who's he?" asked man across the
table.
Jim Lane answered the first speak
er, was the nerviest and best gambler
in all probability, who ever stacked a
deck of cards in this great and glorious
ker-playing country. He knows every
trick that was ever played with cards
and can work those same tricks better
than any other man ever saw or heard
OF. / don't mean Sleight-of-hand
tricks; mean the regular professional
gamblers tricks that are played to
win money dishonesty. He must be
80 years old il he's a day. but you
wouldn't think it if you put your eyes
on him. He's got a little, thin, boyish
face, and light moustache that will
never grow any larger than it is, and
altogether he has about the most in
nocent appearance. you would strike
from New York to Frisco. I've cross
ed the continent by stages. winning my
car fare at the great American game,
and never saw his equal in the lamb
like, innocent way. But. oh, how that
little fellow has fooled the best of them
In fact. think he was only caught at
the game once, and then the man who
caught him didn't dare to squeal, be-
cause he was working the same iden-
teal game. Jack Hale, who was known
all over the west as Dopey Hale, caught
him. At that game Jim Lane lost his
nerve. He neter got it back. either.
Lane was a natural born gambler
He couldn't keep away from the cards,
just the same as an opium fiend hangs
onto his dope. It's a disease. An old
uncle down in SaE Bernardino county
had died. and the bulk of his fair-sized
pile went to jim The young fellow
started in TO spend it right and left,
until he struck stiff poker game at
the old Fleming house in Frisco one
night. There were a lot of slick guys
in the game. and they let the young
chap win just enough the first night 10
get the fever in his blood the next
night they made his pile look sick, and
the rest of the week they kept him
busy writing out checks to square HIM
self. Then the gang who had fieeced
him left town.
Lane Gets Tip.
A bartender in the house tipped him
OF one night as to the character of the
went home and thought it all over. He
thought it all over many times, and
the next night he ran across one of the |
guys who had been in the game.
Come up to my room,' said Lane;
I've got something L want to show |
you.'
The other fellow went along. Lane
took him up to the room and then shut |
ting the door, pulled out a revolver and /
said he wanted to know something. The !
other guy put up a kick when the gun |
was flashed on him, but Lane made !
himself understood.
You and your crowd of thieves.
said Lane. have got away with my |
pile. That's all right. I got the ex-
perience, even if did have to pay for |
it. Now. I'm going TO get some of that |
money back You just sit down and |
teach me how to deal, cards so I can |
VIM
The guy sat down and for twelve |
solid hours those two fellows did moth |
ing but shuttle and deal cards The |
slick guy dealt seconds, stacked the /
deck in sixteen different ways marked |
cards, as he played them, and in just !
about nine times out of ten he would !
fool Lane completely. Then he began !
to explain all the tricks. He sharpened |
Lanes thumb nail SO he could mark |
the cards and filtd off the skin of his |
thumb so he could feel the marked |
cards as they came out of the deck
Lane proved to be an easy gambler. |
and when his teacher left him that
night he had learned the manipulation
Of every trick known to the gamblers 7
trade. Then he started in to practice
.hem and he spent weeks and weeks in
iealing out imaginary hands of poker
rhen he started out to play a little
de didn't have enough confidence at
irs+ TO try any of his games when
playing, but he invariably practiced
the cards. A good gambler. L
lave been told. can mark all the big
ards in the pack within twenty min
ties after the first hand is dealt. Lane
old me that he could beat that, and l
believe him.
by and by he started in to deal
himself some of the marked cards, and
lie invariably won, as he played in
James where he was the only dishonest
nan. His nerve came with his success,
nd in a year or TWO he was like a vet:
ran. He played like a flash of light
ling and never aroused a suspicion by
lis actions. He simply toyed with the
'lungerS who ran up against him. =
Finds Another Man Marking.
One night he sat down in game IN
when a rough-looking fellow with a
harp nose and sleepy eyes was play
ng. Jim didn't pay much attention TO .
i'm at first. but he never forgot that
anne. He didn't know 1t then, but he
'as playing with Doggy Jack Hale |
here were several young Frisco fell /
,ws in the game. Jim started in TO
lay in his usual manner The first !
ing that he got ir his hand was the
ing of diamonds, and he immediately s
unched the sharp corner of his thp-/, II
all into both ends of the card Inc I
cry sext hand the deal came around
} Jim. He shuffied and reshuhied and 6
flied. feeling card after card. He dealt &
ne hands out and watched for the [
ing Of diamonds. Suddenly he stopped a
the middle of his deal. a
What's the matter?" asked a man I
cross the table. Jim was white, but !
e went on in a minute, passing It off !
Y saying he had a cramp. The truth I
as he had found his king of diamonds
nd lad felt a double mark IN 1t.
somebody else had begun 10
ark cards Jim suspected Hale right IT
way. but he didn't find much 10 2
rengthen his suspicious. as Hale APP