Evening star., 1903-08-25
THE OCEAN SHARPERS
HOW THEY PLAYED THEIR GAME
ON r. T. HILL.
BE Tried to Bring the Men to Justice
His Losses Much Exag-
gerated.

An alleged confidence man was arrested
in New York some time ago on the accu-
sation Of Robert T.. Hill. formerly a geolo-
gist at the United States geological survey
| in Washington, who claimed that he had
been fleeced while crossing the ocean. The
following account of the affair was given
to The Star by one of Mr.. Hills friends in
this city:
The New York newspapers in their state
ment that Mr.. Hills loss amounted to
$3.50 is said to be entirely erroneous. He
lost no more than $40 The story, whether
true or false, is an interesting commentary
on the methods of sharpers, either on the
high seas or on the land.
A Friends Account.
Mr.. Hill is now in New York city, but
was in Washington the first of this week.
According to the statement of his friend,
he was crossing the Atlantic in the Kaiser
Wilhelm II, when one day, while standing
In the smoking loom, he noticed three men
talking pleasantly together. They notion
ed to him, and said they were just going
out into another room to partake of a little
refreshment. and asked him whether he
would not accompany them. Mr.. Hill will
fngly consented, and they went out to-
gether. According to Mr.. Hill, one of the
party was hardly more than a boy. and he
man who was accused Of conducting the
scheme, and who was afterward arrested
on Mr.. Hills word in New York. called
himself Norris Levry and said he was thir-
ty-five years Of age. The third man did
not seem to be intimate with the other
two, and soon left the table where they
were sitting.
Tried Old sledge.
Mr.. Hill, finding himself alone with the
man and boy, entered into a game of
seven-up" with them at their invitation.
He said that he was aware Of the fact
that there were several poker sharps on the
boat and would have been on his guard
had suggestion been made that they play
that game, but after a time the older
stranger started a little game Of simple
cutting of the cards, and to make the
thing more interesting sovereign or two
was bet on who could cut the highest card.
The result was that Levry and his part
ner cut all the higher cards, almost with
out exception, and Mr.. Hills friend says
that he QdilD was firmly convinced that
the pack of cards was "doctored." He
discovered after time, he says, that the
edges of certain cards projected Slightly
farther from the pack than others, al
though not far enough to be at first no
ticeable.
Forty Dollars Was Enough.
When he had lost about $40 in this way,
Mr.. Hill said: WELL gentlemen, I guess
this will do" and left them He imme
diately reported the affair to the captain
of the vessel, thinking that was the right
thing to do, for the public good. The cap
tain replied that Levry had crossed the
ocean on his ship several times, and his
actions had been questioned before Levry
claimed, he said, to be a mining expert.
Although orders had been given to keep
him out of the card and smoking room,
the steward had not followed them strictly.
1t seems that the boy who claimed to be
West Point cadet was questioned to
to It's situation of all of which he showed
entire ignorance. When asked whether
Wes. Point was not situated on a lake he
said Yes" whereupon the captain told
that he had better quit this sort of busi
ness and return to Alabama, where he
said he had home.
Tried to Convict Them.
Mr. Hill considered it his duty. his friends
say, to expose the sharp and prosecute
him. In fact, he entered several times the
card room of the ship afterward. and see
ing Levry engaged in other games, in
formed the men who were playing with
him that he was "cheat." In this way
he succeeded in breaking up more than one
game.
However, it seems that Levry managed
to win large amount of money fraudu-
lently from two or three wealthy and we'll
known business men of New York. but
these men were not willing to undergo The
inconvenience Of notoriety necessary to
prosecute him. Mr.. Hill determined to do
it alone, and it was in pursuance of that
object his Washington friend says, that
he asked policeman to arrest Levry on
the arrival of the vessel at Hoboken. But
no one was willing to second his efforts,
and consequently, since the authorities
were not willing to push the matter farther.
being unable to find proper evidence on
which to indict him under the existing
law, Levry was allowed to go free.
1t is understood that Mr.. Hill feels very
much chagrined that the incident occurred,
and especially that 1t ended in the way
it did. Mr.. Hill has recently resigned his
position as geologist in the United States
geological survey.