Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-04-30
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CHARLESTON IS "wIDE OPEN"
amblers and Con Men Making Hay
mt the Exposition.

Gn nmblers and Con Men Making Ha.
Mt the Exposition.
Bunco steerers and confidence mer
who saw the chance of a harvest witt
the opening of the exposition have
found this an easy field of operation
and already Lave found scores of vic.
tins, says a Charleston dispatch
Gambling is wide open, and while nc
complaint is made against the "legit-
innate" establishments the new places
have been operated in such a manner
that all gamblers are coming under the
ban. The lines will be closely drawn
after July, when the exposition Is
scheduled to close.
Several professional confidence work
ers who have been forced to leave
many cities by the police. have secured
a foothold mere and they have made q
sporting life nard on strangers and in
nocent countrymen. The failure of the
local authorities to drive them out has
caused no little comment, for the fleec-
ing goes on from day to day and scores
of visitors have suffered.
Following the old-time custom here
reception committees representing the
exposition have been appointed to meet
trains and escort prominent visitors
to hotels and clubs. In many instances
these committees have not fulfilled
their obligations. and this has left ar
opening for the bunco men. A few
weeks ago the confidence men met a
special delegation from Nashville, In
troduced themselves as leading bank
ers Of Charleston. After a round OF
pleasure the visitors were escorted to
n CLUB" the most notorious in town
and before they got out many Of them
had been relieved Of a few hundred
dollars apiece.
A New Yorker. however. who was in
troduced to the mysteries of the "skin'
club and lost $500. was not inclined tc
submit. He saw a lawyer and a lead
ing politician. and told his story. The
politician went to Mayor Smyth and
demanded that the nlace be closed
The mayor promptly ordered the chief
of police to close out the swindlers. II
was done, but the gang moved to an
other location and has continued tc
trim the unsuspecting.
A steamboat was chartered to make
regular trips to Fort Sumter. So many
strangers were anxious to see the his
toric fort that the managers did tre-
mendous business. In the cabin Of the
boat there was a "skin" gambling lay
out. So many visitors were f1eeced
that the owner of the boat was forced
to have the gambling feature elimina-
ted. But other boats have been en-
gagged, and the gambling has not been
stopped. No Legitimate" game Is al
lowed on these boats and the crooked
devices make it impossible for the
players to win.
The racing season here has helped
to whet the gambling appetite and has
attracted many bunco artists who 9TH
erwise might have stayed away. The
gambling games at the track are run
so openly that the association has been
injured and to this in a measure is
due the opposition from the turf gov
erning bodies. Under the grand stand
there is layout like that Of a minia-
ture Monte Carlo.
But now the race track has passed
into disrepute and the better element
avoids it. The track will rank with
Gloucester. Guttenburg and the other
outlaw associations. for it is not run
for sport, but for strong-arm profits
The place was boosted because it was
an exposition feature. 1t Is now slow
ly dying.
When the best element withdrew its
patronage from the races spectators
saw the opportunity for a poolroom
and last week very elaborate estab-
lishment was opened. The room got a
license from the city and secured as
manager a man known in sporting cir
cles as straight" Now a second is
being fitted up.
The worst feature about the gamo-
ling is the work of the bunco steerers
w. H. Mallett, a gilded youth of Jack
son. Ga, was feeced out of $500 or
Monday afternoon. His is a typical
case. He was met by the reception
committee" and was finally landed in
Queen street, where he saw his first
game. and was asked to play. Before
he knew it the lad was 5000 to the good
He declined to accept it saying that
he did not gamble. The gang told him
that he lacked not only sporting blood
but money. Then the boy produced
money and diamonds, worth 5000. Be-
fore he knew it he was pinned to the
floor, his valuable were stolen and he
was left alone.
When the New York delegation to
the exposition arrived here this week
the "bunco committee endeavored tc
be pleasant But they found the New
Workers too sl.rewd and have left them
alone.