Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-07
NOT ON 1HE SQUARE
Gamblers Do Not Deserve
Their Good Reputation.
----.
III
A FLORIDA. INCIDENT
WHICH GOES FAR TOWARD PROV
ING THE STATEMENT.
Proprietor Of a Big Resort Who Over
reached Himself by Not
Playing Fair.

William Travers Jerome, New York's
square-jawed young district attorney, goes
on adding to his reputation as a puncturer
OF pat phrases" remarked a newspaper
man from Florida who "Sundayed in our
midst" on his way from New York to his
own balmy region. "A little while ago, in
magazine article. he inserted an effectual
ice pick In that age-old myth to the effect
that there Is honor among thieves He
shattered that fantastic maxim without
half trying, and, inasmuch as he has had
good many years of experience with
CRIMINALS or all classes to back him up, his
conclusions are pretty liable to be correct.
Last Sunday in New York newspaper,
Mr.. jerome took little fall out of that
other iong-standing axiom which says that
there IS squareness among gamblers He
hit the nail on the head again. If there
is any public official In the United States
VINO ought to know more about gamblers
and gambling than Mr.. Jerome l can't re-
call his name just now So that his
Kidding of this 'squareness among gamb-
iers, tallacy makes authoritative reading.
HIS deEverances on the subject of the
lack OF SquareneSS among gamblers re-
minded me of a little story the scene of
which is close to my own home in Florida
which is not very far from noted Florida
winter resort. That resort Is a place
bitter in the north by wealthy New
Workers.
ITO that resort came, two years ago last
October, young Chicago chap whose med
zeal man had chased him south for his
health He was a clever young fellow, and
he became acquainted with most of the
town officials, including the mayor. They
liked him because he was good story
teller and finished sort of all-around
man, with no 'buttinski characteristics He
was on pretty chummy terms with all
hands of the town officials before he had
been In the place month.
Saw His Opportunity.
"One day this young Chicagoan fell to
reading, in a New York paper, of the raids
which were being made upon some of the
famous gambling Institutions of New York,
including Canfield's 1t gave him an idea.
THAT afternoon he foregathered with
some of his friends among the town off,
Gals and submitted a few casual inquiries
to them.
Was there any kind of game going on
at the resort during the winter season? was
his first inquiry. No, there wasn't any kind
OF game, he was told. There had been, in
former years, some propositions made as to
starting a game while the big winter sea-
son was on, but the propositions had been
made by obvious grafters who were looking
for all the best of it. and SO none of them
had been let in.
well, then--this from the young chap
from Chicago to his chums, the town Off
c1alS-hoW about game, conducted in a
high-class manner, in a high-class plant, by
the top-notch people at that sort of thing.
1t was a frank, out-and-out sort of a
question, and the town officials were more
than willing to meet the young Chicagoan
half way.
THE fact was they told him. they had
been thinking for some time that first
rate institution of hazard, properly conduct
ed on the quiet, so as not to give offense to
the conservative people who annually visit
ed the resort, wouldn't be such a bad thing
when he had got this far the young Chi
cagoan put himself Immediately next to the
right people and then led up to a straight
business-like proposition.
In general terms, the proposition was
that he'd go to New York and get the prop
er sort of square gambler to open up a high
grade game at the resort by the time the
winter season began. He'd guarantee that
the games would all be on the level and
that they'd be run just as much sub rosa as
possible. He only wanted the straight word
of the people he was talking with that the
concession for the game would belong to
him, and to nobody else.
An Amicable Agreement.
They gave him that word without any
hesitation.
Then he talked to them about their end
He figured that about one-fifth of the prof.
its ought to be about right as a payment
for the concession. They thought so, too.
Thus 1t was arranged, very amicably. I
am telling the story just as it happened
with no comments as to the ethical swery-
ings of the parties involved.
The young Chicagoan took train for
New York as soon as he had shaped things
up this far. Two hours after he arrived
in New York he was IN private conference
with a noted New York gambling house
proprietor, man whose New York estab-
lishment has gone on doing business so
am informed, when most Of the other New
York plants were closed or subject to in
cessant raids.
THE young man from Chicago, just up
from Florida, spread out his goods before
the New York gambler. who instantly fan
cied them
"'Well, three-ffths Of the profits will be
yours said the young man from Chicago
arriving quickly at the point The people
with whom 1 am doing business get their
one-fifth, having declared them in to that
tune for the concession Mine is one-fifth
of the net, leaving you the three-fifths.
That all right?'
Couldn't be better was the New York
gamblers reply. Good thing all around
I'm dead glad, I'm willing to admit, to
terms, and 1 congratulate you on your
headwork in getting the thing fixed up the
way you've done it.
And so, you observe the thing was go
ing right along on creased skids.
Getting Ready for Business.
The young Cn1cagoan, as soon as he had
made his deal with the New York gambler,
returned to Florida and took six months
lease of a fine old vacant mansion on the
outskirts Of the winter resort. Two weeks
later the decorators and furnishers took
possession Of the mansion, having been
sent down from New York by the New
York gambler, and before the winter sea-
son had well begun the old mansion was
fitted up like a modern palace.
sThe New York gambler arrived at the
resort with his manager and picked staff
early in December when the moneyed ones
from the north began to arrive in Florida
in droves and the game was on.
From the very outset the game was a
huge winner BY the beginning Of the new
year 1t was evident that 1t was going to be
one Of the most profitable games in the
whole south. 81
'The people from whom the young Chi
cagoan had obtained the concession went
about the obtaining ofFtheirs in thor
oughly business-like manner. They put
into the ~rehabilitated old mansion, as the
Of their interest, quiet but
watchful gambler from Mobile. At mid
night on Saturday, every two weeks, the
New York gambler handed him an amount
exactly one-fifth of the profits
for the fortnight. So the town folks of
the FLORIDA resort had no trouble about
their collections, and the haul-down for
tbara WAS sounething tidy.