The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-03-01
A SMOOTH GAME.
Being Worked Along the Omaha
Road.
Three Card Sharpers Who are Operat.
on the Trains in Minnesota
and Iowa.

The conductors on all the trains and
the police officials of the large cities
along the Omaha and other railroads
in Minnesota and Iowa have been fur
nished description of three card
sharpers who are operating on the
passenger trains of the different roads.
The icon" men came to this section
of the country three weeks ago, and
when their game gets pretty we'll
known they will shift their operations
to some other section.
The way the trio operates is this.
The three men will board the train
separately at Sioux City, for instance,
and casually come together. One will
produce pack Of cards and propose a
Same of cinch or ''seven-up, and
they will cast about for fourth man
to take hand in the game. Some
likely looking individual will be Sc
lected and invited to take hand.
After few rounds at the game, one
of the three will remark that he wish
es the game was poker, as he has a
good poker hand. His partner will re-
mark that he, too, has poker hand.
The first one will offer to bet five dol
lars on his hand, and his partner will
take him up, and the money is placed
in the hands of the stranger. The first
man shows up four aces and his part
ner four kings, and the money is turn
ed over to the first man, who remarks
that he is sorry that he did not raise
the bet, as he believed that the other
man would have bet higher on his
kings. The man who had the four
kings says that this was SO, and that
he would have been willing to bet as
high as $40 on his hand.
The game of cinch or "seven up"
proceeds again, and presently the
stranger is dealt four aces. The sue
cess of the man who bet on a similar
hand, and the talk of, the one who
was willing to bet so freely on four
kings, generally inspires the stranger
to remark that he has a good poker
hand. One of the others will say he,
also, has good hand. The stranger
will think that he has sure thing
and will offer to bet, and the other
man will raise him. The betting
goes on until the limit is reached when
the victims money gives out. Then he
will throw down his four aces with
THAT was too easy air, and glance
triumphantly at the other man, who
takes his victims breath away by ex-
posing a royal flush, and the money is
turned over to him by the stake
holder, who is one of the other two
players,
A travelling man was caught for $40
on an Omaha train in the southwest
ern part of the state the other day,
and wanted to add certified check for
800, but the icon" men would not
take it, suggesting that he get it
cashed and put up the money. When
he discovered how he had been taken
in, he telegraphed to Chief Bowen to
arrest the men when the train should
reach Mankato. Mr.. Bowen did not
care to run the risk of making the ar
rest without warrant on the brief
statement contained in the telegram.
A Swede was taken in for the extent
of his ready money on another train,
and other instances have been re-
ported.
When the men make haul, they
will leave the train soon and take an
other, probably fearing arrest if they
go to a terminal Two of them
are described as being smooth faced
and one as having black mustache.
They are young men and resemble
college students in general appearance.
1t is thought that they cane from the
east to this territory. Their game is
worked very smoothly and people who
hear the complaints of the losers do
not waste much sympathy on them.