Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-06-11
LOST ANDWON IN GAMBLING
An OLD CROUPIER GIVES SOME
REMINISCENCES.
Big Establishments Get Enormous
Bank is Sure to Win.


FROM Ttt-Bita-
Il have been for many years connected
In one capacity or another. but principally
as d croupier. with several Of the gam
bling casinos of Europe" said a croupier
who until recently presided at one of the
roulette tables at a famous continental
public gambling establishment.
Few people have much idea Of the enor-
nous amount of money that has been
earned by the various gambling establish
ments. In the early days the annual
profits of the gambling house at Aix-la-
Chapelle were said to be f14.OOO. At HON.
burg the annual expense of the Kursal was
10000. and yet there remained a very
handsome profit, though / forget the
amount: neither can l now recall the prof
: its of Baden-Baden but as the company
which rented the Conversationhaus (as the
gambling establishment was called paid
about f11,OOO year for 1t, and contracted
to spend. besides, rs. 600 in improving and
maintaining the premises and grounds.
equaling $4,000. and still show big profit
you can guess the gross takings must have
been pretty heavy.
AT Spa (where the gambling establish
ments at one time belonged to the Bishop
of Liege) the profits were over ff0 900 per
annum- AT Ostend the club in a season of
three months managed. after paying tax
of fIoooO to the municipality, to make a
net profit Of f2sOOo0
The splendid revenue earned by the
Monte Carlo tables has now become pro-
verb. That these public gambling casinos
are productive of considerable harm it
would be idle to deny AS matter of fact
many more cases of suicides murder and
scandal occur at the various gambling re-
sorts than ever reach the public at all.
for the administrations of most of the
gambling tables expend princely sum an
nually in substituting large number of Eu-
= rOpean and American newspapers: in fact.
all that they can. in order to prevent such
horrors from being reported.
The papers thus subsidized are also
freely used for occasional puffs and para
graphs relating to sensational and often
Imaginary 'breakings' OF the bank. In
deed. you may be surprised to hear that
quite number of mushroom journals are
continually being started for the mere pur-
pose of securing the retaining fee paid by
the administration / could tell you the
name of one little paper the proprietor of
which was paid by the administration Of
certain gambling casino 100 900 francs
64vO TO keep 1t in a friendly frame of
mind at a rather critical time. Besides the
command they obtain of these papers the
administrations have other methods for
making the best of tragic occurrences.
Doctors Employed for a Special Use
AT one Of the gambling towns where
was employed there were three doctors
disspated. ignorant rascals, with no prac-
tiCe. and whose names would in England
have long since been struck off the medical
f'Slster-Who were secretly and unoff1clauy
paid handsome salaries by the 'administra-
ton for rendering certain professional ser
>Vices as occasion required. H. for instance
some ruined gamester. after losing his last
louis. shot himself in quiet corner of the
grounds. two OF the doctors would be sent
for and would. in number of instances
certify the death as apoplexy.' 'syncope'
heart disease, 'aueurism or 'sunstroke -.
and thus the inconvenience of an inquest
and undesirable publicity was avoided
One OF these rogues, l heard was paid zoo
year
Murders. too. were. whenever circum-
stances made 1t possible either similarly
hushed up or reported occurring some
where else i remember such case some
years ago The only son OF wealthy En-
glIsh merchant won about $4,000 at the
trente-et-quarante table. Instead of leav-
ing IL in the care of the 'adminiSt ration
which he could have done, he insisted on
taking his winnings home with him to his
hotel Before he had got very far he was
robbed of the whole sum- and knocked on
the head.
And in what form do you think the news
reached the public? Why in this: The
unfortunate young man. who had been on a
Notwithstanding expedition, was found
lying at the bottom of precipice with his
head broken. He had apparently missed
his footing. and thus met his ntimeIy end
That was the way 1t appeared in those pa
pers that mentioned it at all. AS a matter
of fact. the poor fellows body had been