Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-11-05
SOLDIERS FLEECED.
Card Sharpers Ride on the Transports
and Beat Soldiers Out of Thousands.
New York Times

New York Times.l
The war department at Washington
has been compelled to take cogniZance
of the fact that six professional gam
biers who arrived in San Francisco on
1.-The transport Buford succeeded on the
voyage in robbing the soldiers of more
than $4,000. This robbing of the
troops under home orders by profess
sional card sharpers has been going on
for months, and the question before
the department now is how to keep
these men off the transport, and, fail
ing in this, how to prevent the soldiers
from becoming victims.
1t has been the custom since the in
ception of the Pacific transport service
for the government to offer transpor-
'tation for a reasonable sum to civilians
who desired to visit the Philippines.
Among those who awaited themselves of
this opportunity were the gamblers re-
ferred to. Once in Manila, they mixed
with the men, especially those belong
ing TO regiments under home orders.
The gamblers We're what sometimes is
described as good fellows" They
spent their money recklessly and would
not allow their newly-formed friends
TO spend cent. To say that they
soon became very popular with the
more cornwall of the soldiers expresses
the situation very mildly.
While they were in the habit on every
occasion of expressing their delight
with the life in Manila, it was neverthe-
less soon found out that they could
change their minds easily and were
41,s
sailing of a transport was bulletined.
Once on board the ships, the gamblers
would seek out their friends and pro-
pose a little game of poker, or some
other equally profitable game, to while
away the hours at sea. Most OF the
men had saved UP considerable money,
In addition to the two months pay just
received before sailing, and in a crowd
of say a thousand, which is about three
hattalions there would generally be in
the aggregate anywhere from $4,000 to
$4,000
From early morning until late at
night the game went on, and, tho at
first, as is always the case, the nom
professionals were the winners, the sit
pation changed after lew days, and
luck" began to favor the gamblers.
Day after day the gambling went on,
and one by one the soldier players
would drop out, having lost all their
available cash. Sometimes the COM
mander of the ship or some officer of
the regiment would find out what was
going on, and promptly put stop to it,
but this was the exception, and the
gamblers, as rule, had a free hand all
the way across.
Their dupes had no idea that they
were being cheated, and, being what is
sometimes termed game losers said
nothing of thier mosfortunes to their
officers.
Month after month the gamblers kept
up their trips between San Francisco
and Manila, and managed to remain
undetected. They would go over in one
transport and come back in another,
seldom crossing in the same ship twice,
with the result that when they en-
barked, either outward bound or homie
ward, their identity was not known,
and their profession was a mystery to
the officers, who otherwise would I'M
doubtedly have refused them transport
tation.
To get an idea Of the enormous win
nings Of these sharps, it may be stated
that there are engaged in the transport
service about twenty vessels, each MAX
ing on the average two round trips a
year to Manila. AS 1000 men is an av-
erage number of soldiers to the trip 1T
will be seen that taking the reported
winnings on the Buford as a basis the
profits of the gamblers would aggregate
about 100000 annually.
The stories told in San Francisco on
the arrival Of the transport are in many
cases very pitiable. Before leaving
Manila the men are given two months
pay, which is $31.20 to privates and
from s35 to $50 to the nom commission
ed officers. The amount of money in the
possession of the soldiers when they set
sail for home would therefore total any
where from $4,000 to $4,000, so it can
be seen at glance what harvest the
homeward voyage was for the profess
sional gambling passengers.
In great many cases when the
transports arrived in San Francisco the
and what would have been a very joy
full homecoming was turned into
gloomy and unpleasant one OF course
Us SOOu thS lIdHSpoIl WIS peTtHeu
the gamblers would hurriedly disem-
bark will well-filled wallets and get
away from the docks as soon as posi-
bic to store away or to spend their ILL
gotten money, and to make prepara-
tons for return to Manila in search Of
more funds
To keep these unwelcome passengers
eff the transports is now the problem
confronting the war department. That
some means will be devised to accom-
plish this mueh-desired end goes with
out saying. The commercial steamship
lines on the Atlantic keep a keen look
out for this set of passengers, and every
time one is identified a description of
him Is given to the booking office and
the fact of his presence is bulletined in
the smoking room of the liner, and the
messengers are warned to give him q
wide berth.
AS result Of this vigilance at this
time the Atlantic is practically free
from the professional gambler, and it
was these decisive means to suppress
him that undoubtedly led him to pat
ronize the transport.-New York Times.
a Thanksoivino Dinner