Evening journal., 1900-02-08
SECRETS Of MONTE CARLO
Lucky Numbers and Some
Strange Fatalities
CANDIDATES FORSUICIDE
Systems Founded on Reasons Which
Even the Casino Company Cannot
Find out--The Various Degrees Of
Damnalion Of the Place.

Damnation Of the Place.
did not stop in Monte Carlo long,
but while waiting for q train | went to
he gan bling house or casino door.
,ave my name and address, according
To- custom. received card OF admla-
SION and entered the room.
! wandered over to one of the tables
which was crowded with players. just
what game was being played | never
Knew and never asked, for I knew
worry little about gambling. Probably
those who have been there. or are
familiar with the gentle art" Will
know what tho game was when I de-
scribe a. The table was covered with
reen and red cloth. n / am not mis-
aiken which was was marked OF into
naces. where the players threw their
sold The dealer threw a certain NUM-
Der Of cards, face upward. and upon
lem depended the winnings or los
ngs One large space seemed 20 be
snecially unfortunate for the players
70 lost again and again. the crounicr
ralling In the big piles BY and by
threw a twenty-franc gold piece upon
The space thinking it had lost so many
llmes it was now in the law of chance
lme for 1t TO win. But | was unfamil-
ar with gambling house methods. Tho
rOwd gathered more delsoly about
the table. and ] was pushed back by
those 20 the manner born Before
7 could again get to the table and hold
ID my money. my 20 franc piece had
won six times. doubling. OF course,
each time. I poured the 1880 francs
nto my pocket and left the place. /
nave. however. since talked with re-
Tired Monte Carlo officer. and he has
old me the following. speaking of the
ouiette wheel.
Although Il Is impossible TO direct
he wheel according TO ones wishes.
hat doesn't exclude 'a5 stem" There
.re good and bad systems, but
ne majority of those have seen ad-
anced have in them q kernel OF veri-
similitude. It's perfectly true that
even times out Of ten either "27' or
@" follow upon zero Ten years
81 observation taught me that "i' and
70 are lucky numbers, and that "32
invariably followed by "3l. " "33.
"a, $50" or &C. but the why and
wherefore Is as much a puzzle TO all
concerned as the real state Of things
on Mars ] saw the bank trcmblc q
NNNHMNtM NNNAEN ANAAA AlAN NRAANAAA Nl"NA'
ouslaucht OF the figures named; time
and again ] attended deliberations Of
the directors and the croupicrs trying
20 get 40 the bottom of the mystery.
All theories and combinations all
ohanges in arrangements of the tables
JAILED The only remarkable thing
repeated examinations by experts
Yielded was that every wheel has lit
he idiosyncrasy Of its own. some tri.
ling imperfection or superstition eX.
erting certain tendencies.
"Of course. suicide candidates prof
ted by this uncomfortable inclination
1i the wheel as well as the next per.
ION but On most cases the gain was
temporary only. When myself and
The croupiers OF the suicide table saw
a man or woman succumb to the gam.
bling fever. we were struck with hor-
ror, anticipating danger whether the
8arty won or lost. for the respite in
rolved by good luck was hardly OF
much account seeing that the anna
feur who wins never knows when his
trOke OF good luck Is exhausted and
eopardizes his gains as quickly as
hey are made.
Il am not superstitious by any
aeans. but can't bring myself TO doubt
hat strange fatality attaches TO the
eo.called suicide table. It's an octopus
nat sucks IN victims from all parts
I the globe. Our croupiers are hard
ned men 20 be surc-its their bush
ess 10 be soulless. to be machines:
but the suicide table has. TO my lmowl-
dge. given three or four Of them
-cart disease
Whether any of the suicide candi-
iates have a foreboding of evil when
hey come to our table. / don't know
certain it is that few try nard 10 es-
ape their goal They come fanked
ly hunChhacks, loaded down with
mulets. primed with prayers or hold
ng pieces of haugman's rope between
heir fingers. Others try TO insure
heir fortune by paying the Croupier
90 francs before the days work be-
ms OF course, he accepts the bride.
Why shouldn't her He isn't tamper-
ng with his employers profits.
Nothing daunts these suicide can
idates. though. There is q tradition
Monte that combinations and sys-
ems don't go" between the hours of
$50 and 1880 p. m, and ! am quite
IRE thai there are more exceptions
10 that ule than 20 the other inox-
iainable wheel laws alre - men.
i1ned Yet the suicide table is crowd
"a with wheel cranks during these
aial periods, while an other wheels
rln low.
zone day five seasons ago my neigh
Tor at the table was a young Partisan.
lie sat In ono of tho one-death chairs.
and won and won When the doors
closed be carried of 200 600 francs.
imagine my dreadful anticipation
-hen. next morning. I found him sit.
ing TO the left Of the croupiar. felt
Ike tearing him away or slipping q
ard into bis hand warning him
eainst the awful significance OF the
hair be had chosen, but my official
character forbade me to interfere,
nd. besides. my advice would have
cen scorned in all probability, for the
GLOW gambled like one mad. He lost
md lost He lost the winnings of the
lay before and 100000 francs Of his
ewn money. / saw the cold sweat
tand on his face. saw the goose
Kin on his head. When his last thou
sand frame note was gone he rose, and
waying 20 and fro like a drunkard
stumbled out of the hall laughing i'm.
moderately. Tho next day he was
found dead in his hotel"