The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1907-07-23

paper ana 1Ot down the amounts I've
made during the past year I'm my pro-
fession as a confidence man, the total
5taggers me. What have done with
At? / have squandered money like a
Prince and borrowed It a week later
IKE n beggar. I have missed my
breakfast I'm order TO Skin" a green
Sorn of 500 and lost It all before /
got my lunch. have helped stran-
Ger unload 100000 in u framed
up" poker game and then gone
around the corner and lost the whole
roll bucking another poker game.
There is one thing I'm sure of-Im
smart enough to get another mans
money, but I'm not smart enough to
keep It,
i saw in n paper the other day a
list of the salaries they pay to Con-
gressmen, members of the Cabinet.
Supreme Court Justices, Governors
and a lot of those big guns. l make
more than any of them, and I haven't
a cent when the notice comes up
from the Office to pay the room rent
or move. It's always so with bunko
men. While he is framing up a game
that will Skin" other suckers, :"
somebody else has a game waiting
that Will Skin" him
Why, back in Chicago, where we
used to work the crooked faro dodge
on every stranger we caught lettering
around hotel, there was an Oregon
gambler who ran faro game on Wa
bash avenue exclusively for bunko
men. That's fact. He had a big
play too, and went to Europe on his
profits. Every night you'd see the
con" men line up around his faro
table and go against the same game
I'm which they had trimmed the yok-
els earlier in the evening. 1t was
private game and none but "con"
men and crooks had the entree. No
body seemed to think it strange, and
we lost our money about as regularly
as we made 1t. OF course, we didn't
always lose the first night, but It was
only matter of time.
There are no faro games in San
Francisco, but craps, poker and the
races do just as well, and keep the
gang hunting fresh marks without
any let-up. Not very long ago 1
made half of 500 and lost 1T before
l had the price of n lunch out Of it.
1t happened this way:
My partner and / picked up a fell
low in place on O'Farrell street who
was anxious to beat the races. We
were ready to help him. My pal told
him he knew "a horseman who had
something good coming off in a few
days, and introduced me as the man.
| was ofIlsh and didn't want to have
anything to do with outsiders, but
finally, after the stranger had bought
a dinner for all Of us, / warmed a
little to him and agreed that I would
let him in on the deal
Wen make no mistakes" said I.
when 1t had been agreed that our
host was to be party to the clean
up. MY horse worked the three
quarters in thirteen fat this morn
ing, and there isn't a thing in the
race that ever did better than four
teen and half. But I'm taking no
chances" Here leaned over toward
them, looking around cautiously, as
IL afraid of being overheard and low
cred my voice.
I've got an electric boot" 1 whis-
pered, "and I'll win that race if l
have to turn my nag into a dynamo
to do It,"
Our intended was properly i'm
pressed, and we made a date for the
following morning, when l was to
have the electric boot in evidence.
had to borrow $25 from the own
nr nf 4
lost my money to buy the boot the
first thing In the morning.
was up bright and early and
bought the boot and spurs. Inside
was as pretty a little battery as you
ever saw. 1t seemed a shame that
the boot was not to be used.
My man showed up, prompt to the
minute, and I proceeded to show him
how the contrivance worked. He
was delighted. Then / told him that
he would have to give me his money
to bet, as I didn't intend to trust any
body with the secret of the horse IS
name until post time, and he was
about TO demur
Look here" said !, "Ill write the
name OF the horse on a sheet OF pa
per, pa it I'm an envelope addressed
to you and leave II at messenger
office with instructions for them to
deliver It to you at post time. You
are TO give me your money now to
take over with me. If that doesn't
suit you everything is off as far as
you are concerned"
He hesitated a minute, but we had
assured him that my horse would be
as good as fifteen TO one, and the
thought of the amount he could win
overcamo his scruples He handed
over 500 In gold to me 90 bet 1
was to keep a third of the amount
won to give TO the Jockey"
In this sort of business tho money.
OF course, IS not bet at all. I wrote
down the name Of horse that didn't
have n chance and put &c I'm an envel-
opc and pocketed the 500 as a clear
profit. Tho Sucker" came to me for
an explanation that night, and /
showed him a fake ticket showing
him that I had bet the money. OF
course he had no redress.
But to return TO the fate of the
500 after It dropped into my pocket.
/ had been I'm such a hurry TO get the
electric boot I'm time that I missed
my breakfast. When / separated