The Minneapolis journal., 1902-06-28
HOW The BIG MITT''
WAS WORKED HERE
Perfectly Arranged inde Which Made the Sucker Give Up His
Money, Stopped His Mouth and Sent Him Out Of the City Crate
fu to Those Who Feeced Him Assistant County Attorney al j.
Smith Gives Detailed Description Of the Game.

Of,all swindling devices on record, none
lis so Ecunningly conceived and cleverlys
operated as the ''big mitt" game which
has lately been given such prominence
through revelations Of the police inves-
tfgati0n. "Mitt''in the parlance of the
CRATER means hand and the "big mitt"
therefore Is a big hand Inasmuch as
the game was usually worked on coun-
tryman, the supposition has become pre-
valent that the 'sbig mitt" means any
game worked on the hornyssfsted, big
handed farmer, but the term among the
operators has restricted meaning 1t
signifies big hand at poker and Assist
knows the game forward and backward
through his examination of "big mitt"
witnesses, thus describes the trick.
Equipment =" ~. 's# .[.t
First-A "joint" or quiet room, conven-
iently situated and fitted with chairs and
table; not necessarily a gamblingroom on
its face. ~
second-A head operator who presides
over the room, deals the cards and 'makes
the talk" g
Thira-A "steerer, who ingratiates him
self into the confidence of the Sucker" on
the street and apparently remains his friend
to the bitter end.
Fourth-A "silent' confederate who sits
in the game and doesn't say a word, but
proper time: @'. t.}
= Fifth-A "cold deck; t. e., deck Of
cards carefully arranged beforehand so that,
when dealt, certain hands will fall to GER
tain men. : .-.- s- - : ~ - -"
Sixth-A fixed police officer or a fic-
titious detective to throw scare" into
the victim when the trap has been sprung
and 1t Is desirable to get rid of the sucker" "
With this In mind, the reader unfamil-
lar with the "big mitt" will readily grasp
the significance of the details Of opera
tion Take the case of Roman MEX as
an instance. Mick is the man who lost
$3.50 in cash and draft for SITS to the
gang. In this case Billy Edwards was
head operator William Atkins steerer,'
Orin Crossman the silent confederate
and MEX the sucker -
Atkins meets, Mick on the street and
gets his confidence. They ,"round up the
town" together till Atkins has ascertained
that MEX has big roll, then on the
steerer's suggestion they drop into Ed
wards place for little social game Of
cards. The game is stud poker, one card
being dealt face down and four cards
face up. to each player. This face down
card, known as the "buried card" is
the key to the situation as all can see
the rest of each hand. Crossman sits in
Tue game. fOr 1eW .nanQS ANYBODY wins,
Mick getting slightly the best of 1t and
being jollied on his luck by Atkins. When
Miex's gaming instincts are thoroughly
aroused, the deal comes to Edwards and
the 'cold deck is cleverly substituted by
a sleight Of hand trick. The sucker" is
then handed the mitt,'' in other words,
the fxed hands are dealt. When the deal
is completed, the hands on the table are
arranged as in the diagram Crossman
the silent man, 1t must be noted, has
allowed two cards to fall so that each
covers one spot Of the three of diamonds,
making it appear like an ace. This Is
the pivotal point of the whole. game
Crossman also has two other trays and
an ace up and his buried card is tray
giving him four trays and an ace. +
40 III. D,
Edwards, having three queens-the best
hand in Sights entitled to open the bet
ting. He is an actor of no mean ability
and as he looks over the board he
soliloquizes: Atkins here is out Of It;
best in sight is pair of tens. He carat
have king buried. for Mick has two and
have one. Mick, there, can't fill on
kings, for the same reason, and he can't
fill with an ace for Crossman has the
other two. Two pairs the best MEX
can do. Crossman has two trays and two
aces up and he can't have an ace buried
for the other two are in sight; if he's