Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-10

any one else" he says. He was .orced to
send me that telegram.-recalling me and
disowning my work. He wants me to stay
in Europe until l have secured justice for
him - His campaign has been SO far sue
cessful that he has secured the dismissal
of the obnoxious resident Supereur. 1t is
likely that he will be able to induce many
other reforms in the administration Oh the
French protectorate. But the game of the
thirty-six beasts-that is another matter.
\, lille Prince Iukanthor does not dwell on
it in his public discourses. the re-establisn-
ment of the gambling monopoly in the
hands of the royal family is nevertheless
the vital matter of his protest Is it a
great bunco game played by the old king
on his confiding people?
Like Roulette.
In every city, town and hamlet of Cam
bodia the game of the thirty-six beasts used
to have its daily drawings, on a great
scale much as l have described it in the
palace of the Tour du Monde All through
Indo-China 1t is the one game, though
PLAYED with certain variations depending
ON the various localities. Essenua ly 1t is
old friend, the roulette wheel. which
has thirty-s.x Coms ar ,ments SO. mum cred
frCm l to 81 Only, where The rouiet tie COM
partmentS, colored red and black al, ornate
ly, and numbered thus from 1 to 81, lends
itself TO all SORTS of deceitful "mathemati-
cal'' calculations and combinations, red or
back, odd or even, first and last eight, en-,
the columns, squares and single numbers,
the tableau or layout of the thirty-sx
beasts only shows, instead of numbers,
these same thirty-six beasts. 1t is roulette
paved with the single numbers on.y rou-
lette turned into a kind of lottery. OF
course, after you have bought a ticket on
the oyster, you may buy another on the lion
o.. the thouSand-eg, or any other, and so
on
In some parts of 1ndo-China they have
always used remodeled roulette wheel to
determine the winner. In other sections
no win is nv lra uripo lnts Ar
Pnom-Penh the Cambodian capital, they
say that at one time this kind of ond me-
chancal chance also ruled the game. In
any case it does no longer; and here is
where one of the most curious specuationS
comes in. AS have seen in the case of
the Cambodan eXlles of the exhibitions
Tour du Monde, an eiected president de-
cideS the winner each time out of his own
head. OF course, he she decided it b.
fore any tickets were issued; and the n
ming beast, as so decided. was folded into
an envelope and sealed This is exactly the
way they play the game in Pnom-Penh-
and who should be the president, who
Should decide the winner. made the first
great controversy between the French resi-
dent and old King Norodom.
The game comes off anyWhere-in the
house of the local banker, on the porch of
a pagoda at the foot Of an systematically
smiling Buddha. All Cambodian subjects
children and soldiers. All that one needs to
do is to procure from the local concession
airy play slip for each beast one desires to
play, at the price of 40 cents apiece. The
next thing is to select your beaSt-a grave
choice that often takes several days re-
Election. Dreams, Omens, premonitions play
a great part in the choosing. When the
choice is made and indicated the slip
one slip for each beast, for you may bet on
one or two or any number-you hand the
slips in and get new receipt for each.
This part Of the game comes off exactly
like the Paris mutuals of the Paris race
tracks.
While this is going on in every part of
the Cambodian realm. the president" at
Pnom-Penh the capital, Is supposed to be
deeply meditating over his choice of the
winner. The president, chosen by the king
! has always been some aged man, man
| Of honor and considerat ion."
Change in the Deciding Factor.
But how did your people happen to
change the manner of deciding the winner
| thus?" 1 asked one Of the Cambodians at
the exposition. THE winning beast was
| originally decided by chance. by drawing
lots or by turning a roulette wheel, 1 under
stand?'
| "Oh, yes was the answer "but to have
president decide it makes it fairer."
How do you make that out?'
You see, when 1t depended on the chance
| of a mechanical drawing the sorcerers-the
| good, strong ones-coulo easily tell the win
| ming beast beforehand. But they cannot
| look into the mind of pure, honorable old
| man!'
In confirmation Of this seemingly over
| credulous statement, a strange story Of
| Prince Iukanthor and the Namur Casino S
| roulette wheel comes from Belgium. The
young Cambodian. to relieve himself of the
| cares of his great political fight, made a
short trip to Namur from Brussels. Namur,
one of those Belgium spas that have done
| so much to lnjure Monte Carlo offers the
most liberal roulette game on the continent.
! For months back they have been advertis-
: ing in London, Paris and all the great
! cities. Casino Of Namur: Abolition of the
the yielding up to the player of the banks
old ''rake-off" or commission. The bank
puts itself on an exact equality-they say
| with the public.
| Prince 1ukanthOr, becoming beneVolently
| interested in pretty girl whose habit it
was to pass some time every day around
the tables. had confided to him a long tale
of financial woe. The poor child had lost
| all her money
Il myself have little money" replied the
prince. But be here ready to play the first
| turn of the roulette tomorrow afternoon,
and perhaps can give you good tip"
| The fair creature was tempted to turn up
her fair nose al what she imagined to be
so empty promise; but one Of the princes
followers warned her to take it seriously.
| The next afternoon. an hour before the
| roulette began to spin, Prince 1ukanthor
| said to her: AT the first turn Of the rou-
lette play No 8. Put on it all you can
She put $50 on the No. 8. The No. Won
and the bank paid her thirty-six times hel
$50. that Is. the satisfactory sum of $500.
How did you do it' Can you do II
/ again? Why, you might win a fortune"
she exclaimed, all breathless with excite
ment.
at Is not fitting that prince should
gamble for his living" was the proud reply
And he refused to give another tip of any
kind. But how did he do it? This Is wha
they say-and some believe 1t. Iukanthol
assigned to each number Of the Manu-
roulette the conventional beast that CORE
spends to 1t on the old roulettes of Cam
bodia. Then, by some occult system o.