The Savannah morning news., 1900-08-20
FARO BANKER FLEECED.
Gamestcrs Marked His Cards and
Took sI,2OQ
From lac Wnshinetnn Pnsl

Took goa.
From the WASHINGTON Post.
Admirers of the scenery of the Upper
Potomac. as revealed from the deck OF an
electric car on its swift-hying voyage TO
Cabin John Bridge have noticed quaint
httle cottage perched on the side OF the
hill, between The car tracks and the river.
some four miles beyond GEORGETOWN.
which bears the modest legend. Curtin 3
Gun House" This unpretentious
structure is only a few feet beyond the
District line, but these few feet are as
good as miles. for they put the place
wholly within the scope of Maryland ju-
risdicuon, and ii is far better for some
purposes TO operate inside the borders of
Maryland. my Maryland. than within the
District of Columbia For instance gem
tlemen of sporting proclivities feel safe
from the minions of the law when engag-
ed i'm bucking the tiger or any other game
OF fortune Ii upon the soil of the COM
tlonwealth presided over by the Hon.
John Walter Smith, while there is more
O. less nervousness and apprehension con-
nect-G with such matters when transact
ed inside the District
Curtn's Club, therefore, had become
quite rendezvous for Washington bloods
of excitement, and of late weeks there
have been some pretty stiff seances, many
of which exceeded in lateness the last car
from Caoin John 10 the city by several
hours. The majority of the patrons of
, the place were young in years but vete-
rams at gaming, and they won or lost wi IN
equal impassiveness Everybody was
treated well by the good-natured and pop
ular young man who managed the estab-
fC1U hon. LII
any source and until last Sunday nothing
happened to mar the serenity that lowered
in huge chunks about this miniature
Monte Carlo of the Potomac.
Broke Conduit Road Bank.
But on Sunday last something did hap
pen, and so far out of the ordinary, too
that the local sports have not yet ceased
discussing It. On that particular day of
the week the faro devotees are given a
chance to reduce the house bank roll, or
separate themselves from whatever cash
they may choose to risk On the IN n
instant the game was better patroniZed
than ever, and the playing was so spirited
that at its termination the house turned
up the box in token of its complete and
crushing defeat. quartette of town
gamesters having busted the bank. q"
went merrily off with 81 200 to be cut in
four parts, very fair proceeds for a mid
summer nights play. Had they won this
coin by ordinary methods there would
have been no resultant feeling of soreness
on the part of the easy-going proprietor,
nor would this story have ever been pen
ned, but the cold facts are that the kill
ing was the result of about as clever
a piece of rascality as has been work ed
In local sporting circles in many moon.
On the part of one of the principals in
the viliainy, the act was base and treach-
erous in the extreme. as low-down in fact
as any piece of double-cross crookedness
known to the fraternity. This fellow had
access to the room of the clubman, and
by burglarous methods got hold of the
Identical pack of cards with which the
faro game was dealt. At this particular
point some fine work was done In the
way of punching very minute pieces out
of the edges of each card. As fine as
these were they would escape ordinary
observation, and yet to persons cogniza MT
of their existence they were sufficient
to enable the player to down the dealer
every time.
Cards CIeverIy Marked.
Frlm these barely visible marks. the
eagle eye Of the chief conspirator could
tell the character of the card that lay
next under the one shown, the cards be-
ing dealt face up i'm faro. and a he bet
on sure thing his colleagues in the pot
following him, the break ng of the bank
was only a ques ion of a limited number
of deals. This particular bank was not
capitalized in excess of the $12'0 limit,
and when that was reached the lights
were turned out, and melancholy claimed
the losers for it's own.
1t may be asserted here and now that
had the house dealers been very ancient
and seasoned in their craft. instead OF APP
prentces no such sku-game would ever
have been handed up 10 them. Your past
master in faro science would have grown
sufficiently suspicious to change decks or
to find out the secret of those pin pricks.
Instead of bunch of successful sharp
RS there wou d have gene back to town
four discounted and beaten tin horns.
Three of he perpetrators dreading, per-
Immediately shook the dust of Washing
ton from their feet, and are now Spending
the dollars thus illegitimately gained by
the sad sea waves. and laugh no doubt
every little while as they think of their
exceeding cleverness.
AS for the unlucky loser he hardly
hcpes 10 get back any ofehis capital, see
ing that the law does not recognize faro
as a legitimate proposition, so the best
he can do is to saw wood, say nothing,
and find solace If he can in these lines
of Lord Byron, which tell us that
There is no power on earth or heaven
Which can evade. IL unforgiven
The patient search and vigil long