The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-12-21

gambling exposures on shipboard, were
accidents If customary reserve is re-
Taxed on these voyages, so is customary
vigilance A pair or quartette of
card sharps may travel back and forth
on the ships of a single line the year
round and fleece their victims right and
left without even attracting suspicion
to themselves.
Even when suspicion exists it is so
extremely difficult to get conclusive ev-
idence of collusionz between players
that those who feel sure they have been
plucked lack the nerve 10 ma
charges Besides, no passenger is VIII
ing TO be the central figure in a scan
dal.
A New York lawyer early in the pres
ent season, however, clinched a sus-
picion against two smoking room poker
players quite to his satisfaction he
is young and beardless, and every
where except in court has manner
that betokens extreme diffidence. 1t
was on the outbound trip that he
achieved his suspicious and determined
TO prove them in an original and profit
able way.
One evening when there was a vacant
seat at the table occupied by the sus-
pected parties the young lawyer hest
tatingly asked permission to sit in. y
1t was affably granted. As he had an
ticipated. he began winning at the
start He thereupon enacted the role
of a youth with a suddenly acquired
passion for poker, and raised the limit.
His plan worked to perfection. Feeling
sure of their prey, the sharpers let him
go on winning till he was $1,000 ahead
Then in one hand they took back $780,
1t was his first loss Of any conse-
quence. so. making up his mind that
a turn of the tide of winnings had been
n Ia
Of winnings and withdrew.
The next day he kept away from the
card room On the second day follow
/ ing his profitable play he entered the
card room and was Immediately asked
( by the suspected pair to ''siJ in" for q
while
The young lawyer said he didn't feel
, like playing.
you felt like it the other night. -
protested one of the men, and you owe
US our revenge"
You refer to my winnings, / sup
pose" said the lawyer. We'll, there we
disagree. 1 call them voluntary contri-
buttons
So saying the lawyer walked away.
The scene being Witnessed by a room
full of passengers. poker languished
during the remainder OF the voyage.
In times past well-grounded suspi-
cions have existed that the captain or
Purser, or both, gave countenance to
professional gamblers travelling con-
stantly on their ships, and shared in
the proceeds. The captain is the rec
ognized social leader on a big pas
senger vessel. Whoever he recognizes
is recognized by everyb body else. En-
phattc recognition of this sort would
be very valuable to a card sharp, as it
would not only make him popular, bat
allay suspicion that might otherwise be
directed against him.
But it is exceedingly doubtful if any
thing of this kind goes on nowadays.
And it should be understood that the
ships chief executive should not be
suspected of such connivance. even if
he has shown affability toward a de-
tected swindler. 1t is money in cap
tain's pockets nowadays to be popular
with those who travel on his ship. On
some lines the captain receives. be-
sides his salary, commission on every
passenger ticket. and on every hum
bred weight of freight. above a certain
minimum.
Men of social inclinations are apt to
advise their friends to travel on boat
whose captain has been especially civil
to them. And for the same reason ex-
porters and importers viii favor that
ship in the transportation Of goods
AS has already been stated. profess
sional gamblers who ply their trade
aboard Atlantic liners do not bear their
trade mark in their faces or IN their
manners. They appear Ike other fire.
quent travellers, and neither the cap
tain nor any one else can judge from.
their exterior that they are not gen
tlemen OF leisure or men Of affairs
II may be argued that the constant
voyaging of these professionals is
suspicious circumstance which the cap
tain ought to take into consideration:
but there are plenty Of other men who
travel as constantly. The Junior mem
Der of one New York wholesale house
makes twelve trips 10 Europe yearly