The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-21
SHELL GAME In SOCIETY.
A Manipulation Who Did Not Beat the
Piayers-in the Game.
Washington Star.

Washington Star.
Among the more or less novel features
In connection with Mrs. Cornelius Wander
bits .much-described midway and the
atrical fete at Newport the other day was
Harry Wallace, the famous manipulation OF
the shell game, said an attache or the
secret service. wallace is really no longer
in the shell-game business. having made
enough money to retire some time ago, but
the inducement offered by the Vanderbilts
was so tempting, L understand, that he
felt bound to consent to show the swell
guests at the affair how the jays are
plucked at county fairs and the like by
means of the elusive little pea that never
happens to be under the right shell. The
arrangement with him was that he should
return all of the money that he took from
the Vanderbilts's guests, and this he did
as soon as he won it.
But the shell game at a swell society
fete wasn't exactly a new thing. although
the Nanderbilts may have thought that it
was. 1t was one of the features of a mid
way entertainment given by a famous
Chicago woman during the worlds fair on
the grounds of her palatial home. She en-
gagged as many of the regular midway
people from the fair grounds as she could
get. and she commissioned a Chicago de-
tect1ve TO engage the services of a first-rate
shell worker, SOS to carry the fair idea out
as realistically as possible.
The detective got hold of a star man
among the Western shell workers.
Now, you've got to be on the level,
you know the detective deliberately, ex-
EldlHcO u the shell WOTkeT.. NO pIOny
business. All you've got to do is to show
'em how the CRAFTS worked. and then pass
'em their money back; see? There's a
couple of hundred in it for your time and
trouble, and that ought to be enough to
make good. hadn't it?'
Sure thing said the shell man. L
wouldn't swing the dudes and dolls for
their dough for anything. How could there
be any bogus game in it, anyhow. when
III be handing 'em their money back as
soon as l take ii in after showing 'em
that they don't know IL ALP
The midway show of the famous Chi
cago woman was a hot success. and the
most entertaining feature of il was the
stunt of this shell man. He did his own
barking for his game. and his booth was
crowded from the hour the reception began
until the windup. He went through the
performances just exactly as IL he had been
working II on the outside OF a country fair
grounds. and ne pretended to be as nervous
over the probable descent of the constables
as If he really had his winning clothes on.
evening clothing failed, as OF course they al
ways did. to point out the shell covering the
pea, he calamity handed them back the bills
Of large denomination which they passed
over to him In making their bets just for
fun
THE shell man was voted all kinds OF
an amusing cuss. and the hostess was con-
graduated upon having introduced so novel
a feature. But when on the following day,
and for several days after that, counter
felt bills of large denominations began to
appear All over Siicdso, anu WHEN IL De-
came certain that the bills were being
passed by fashionable men and women of
the town.. the enthusiasm over the amusing
stunt OF that shell man all oozed out. The
Secret Service Bureau got after him, but
it couldn't do a thing with hin He didn't
leave Chicago. nor did he make the slight
est effort to keep under cover. OF course.
he mildly denied that while working his
shell game at the fete he had handed coun-
terfeit money back TO the players instead
OF the good bills that had been passed to
him. but that's what he had done. all the
same But II couldn't be proven. none of
the phony money being found Ia his pos
session when the secret service men grab