The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-25
STORY OF THE ACE OF CARD STARTERS Clever Rogue Tells How He
 Worked Victims A TALE OF MONTE CRIST0 After Strenuous and Exciting Career Retires and Lives Quietly on
 Easily Acquired Fortune.
 Refuses to Play.
A TALE OF MONTE CRISTO

From London Answers.
 I was known for many years to the police and hotel keepers all over the world as "The Ace of Card Sharpers''- a description which delcately inferred that I was something more than king of my craft But there came a day when my character became too well known and the big European cities too hot for me. Such profitable profession had l found it that I was enabled-after very strenuous and exciting life, dur ing which l travelled all over the world in search of mugs and "the oof-bird''- to retire and live quietly on my easily acquired wealth.
 l never touch card now under any circumstances. I actually refused to play game in a neighbours house for monkey nuts last week. and watched, with the greatest amusement, our curate's wild excitement when he brought off a cast iron nap and drew 36 nuts in one fell swoop,
 A good many years ago, when l was in my prime and at the zenith of my skill as card sharper used to spend the winter season at Monte Carlo. l always made d point of staying at the very best hotels and mixing with the very best peo- pie. Being a good pigeon-shot. l spent
  got into the best sporting and gambling sets al Monte"
 In those days a lot of card playing used to take place for very heavy stakes in private houses and hotel suites after the Casino closed One season I knew there was going to be an unusual influx of wealthy young sportsmen who gam bled at cards in the most reckless man. ner. Two months before the season com menced l purchased very large parcel of superior playing cards. Then one or my gang went over to Monte Carlo and bought np every pack of cards in the place. The day after another confed- crate called on all the shops in the guise of a commercial traveller and of fered the excellent cards I had pur- chased at such ridiculously low prices that he quickly got rid of his stock.
 The three of us went, as usual, to spend the winter at Charley's Mount, and a right royal time we had of it. We. of course. posed as complete strangers to each other and gentlemen of leisure and means. We were constantly playing cards for heavy stakes, and invariably got up from the table big winners AL together we netted over s1OO,O0o during the season.
 Every card purchased by me and sold in Monte Carlo by my confederate had been carefully marked. They were the only cards on sale in the town, and everywhere we played we were confront ed with our own faked cards. The rest was all plain sailing and as We never played at our own rooms the cards were always provided by our hosts and sus- piclon never fell on us for a single moment.
 At every large terminus from which trains run to important race meetings q number of clever card sharpers congre- gate. One of gang keeps guard over an empty first-class carriage until a likely looking mug" comes along and then he politely engineers him into the vacant compartment. He follows him in ana the rest of the mob file into the carriage which they fill
 They pretend they are complete strang- CTS to each other. Wheis the train has glided out of the station one of them po-