The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-07-23

come inside and informing him that the
price OF admission is only five cents.
once inside, the observer notices only
lot OF dirty, rusty wax figures, which.
Judging from their delapidated appear
ance have done service for a number OF
years.
Anyone who goes inside TO see these
should be paid for doing So instead of
spending his own money for the privilege.
But for the game" IL is the biggest
of skins. a game where IL is utterly i'm
possible for anyone except the "cappers'
TO win and a game at which. no one but
the cappers did win I'm period of over
an hour yesterday.
This swindle consists Of set OF en-
velopes, containing cards with various
numbers printed thereon.
On a canvas nearby there are other
numbers, corresponding 10 tohsc within
, the envelopes.
Certain of these numbers draw prizes,
although the large majority do not.
II may be well 10 state right here that
the numbers ending in l draw prizes,
while those ending in do not.
Thus 81. 81 and III are entitled to prizes,
while "a. 54 and "A are not.
The game yesterday afternoon was con-
Quoted by man apparently 45 years OF
age, aided by two cappers one about 81
years of age and the other about 2s or
20 years old.
These cappers were very lucky" as
one OF the men who lost all his hard
earned money remarked.
But the News man resolved to find out
why he was so lucky" And ne did
Upon entering the room the reporter
seemed to be very much interested i'm the
wax figures of ancient origin for several
minutes.
Finally he came up TO where the game
was being carried on and wondere,. how
IL was that one particular man won
every time, while the others could not
win at all
ORDERED TO PLAY.
He was conversing with a young man
nearby, when he was reminded i'm lam
guage none too nice that he should
play"
The News man was very eager to try
his luck and lost his quarter very easily
This he knew would happen before he
gave up the 25 cents.
BY paying the quarter he was allowed
TO stand In close proximity to the table.
and IL was not many minutes before he
caught on and had the inside workings
OF that skin" game firmly fixed In his
mind.
He noticed that every time the capper
drew out an envelope the card was only
partly withdrawn.
on the other hand. when one of the
suckers playing against the game drew
an envelope the card was drawn out en-
tircly and placed in plain view
This was the secret of the whole thing
on the cards inside were numbers as
before stated. The ones won: the fours
lost. The card was only partly withdrawn
when Mr.. Capper played and the cross
part of the four was left covered up.
This left the number a 81" and. of
course, the capper won. On the other
hand II the outsider pulled the same an
yelopc, the card was withdrawn entirelv
the figure was a 80 and the PLAYER lost.
Funny isn't it?
And then there is not such an .vfu,
chance OF winning anyway
For every winning envelope there were
four losing ones and this handicap
coupled with the intrigue practiced by the
proprietor and his cappers, made II i'm.
| possible for any one 10 win.
CHANGED THEIR CLOTHES.
Now. one word about these self.same
cappers. At three different times during
| the afternoon these cappers changed
| their suits and entered In an entirely ar
| ferent makeup.
| This was done evidently as a "null-on 1"
but did not work at all with the News
| man.
| The reporter. when he discovered the
| workings ~ the game, advised several
| young men nearby not To spend theIr
money. explaining at the same time why
| they would lose.
| As u happened. one OF the young men
ne advised was the younger OF the cap
| pers.
| Strange 10 say he did not heed IN.
| News mans advice. but played the game
| about Ave minutes and retired a winner
| of abort s3a. 44r
| Tie left the building then and stood our
| aide few minutes. Tie soon re-entered.
| however played again. and. as n matter
i Of course, won.
rhis plan was followed during the en-
tire afternoon and u was noticed that
| each fine these cappers entered they
paid their nickel. hut did not look a, the
| wax figures very much
when the News man vss explaining