The Washington herald., 1907-09-08
CARD SHARPS AT SEA
How Passengers Board Steamships Are Warned and
the Gamblers Are Watched
PAssENGERs

PASSENGERS
on this steamship are respectfully
WARNED
against engaging in
GAMES OF CHANCE OR CARDS
with
STRANGERS.
Any one going 10 Europe on the bis
liners may see this warning, or enc IL
the same general terms. hung couspicu.
ously In the smoking room OF his steam
ship, says the New York Times. It means
that there are professional gamblers
aboard ready to fleece him out Of his
ready cash at poker. dice. OF a confidence
] game.
Who are the social hyenas? The Ras-
sengers, more or less confident Of their
owa respectability. look on the strangers
around them with suspicion. All the men
are Wen dressed Many are habitues Of
the smoking r0oms-jovial fellows with
money in their pockets, racy stories on
their tongues, and the incl.pation to while
away tedious hours with poHer. II taxes
an expert to pick out a criminal. especial
" a card sharp. Which Of these men are
! thieves.
The captain and head steward Of the
liner probably know them by sight and
watch their every move SO do tho de-
tectives on the piers at Havre. Chcrbourg
and Southampton. So DO the officials at
Scotland Yard, London, and at police
headquarters IN Mulberry street in this
city. Thanks 10 the Berullon systems the
passengers who cross in the big liners
every summer may learn 70 know the
card sharps as we'll as the police do
There may be a thick-sat man. Slightly
above medium height, with black hair, q
face slightly poclImarked. eyes that stare
inQuiFingly, and large thick-liDped
mouth dropping at the corners. Look Tor
scars on the left forearm and on tne back
Of the left hand II this description fits,
the passenger may be Doc Owens, or
Jacob owen. one Of the best-known card
players Of the ocesn liners. DOC owens
declares he has given up the game, and
is ont of 1t. He turns up every now and
then. however. CT liners where the pas
sengers are feeced.
4 Big SHindIe.
Another six-foot fellow seems to be TOO
duH and heavy 10 be a swindler. lie is
about forty years old. and weighs fully
90 pourds His double chin ana thick lips
add to the general impression Of torpor.
As likely as not he viii have a thin. short
mustache. and dark brown hair VIII be
brushed straight back from a forehead
that mas a scar upon &c. a mole In front
Of his left ear viii be good point o.
Identification. Such is a description of
TnT a11-c
Mccormack. an American by birth, "A
bookkeeper by occupation, a travelling
salesman in appearance.
James StrosRider is very much the
same type of man-six feet tan. heavy
brown-haired and blue-eyed. He is. how
ever. more OF the blonde type a scar
extends down the right side Of his face
and aions the nsck beneath il.
The popularity Of brown hair and blue
ewes Is also to be noticed IN Jerome Nc
Kay. whose Journeys over seas are OBJ
iects Of deep interest 10 the officers Of
the big liners McKays long lip has d
decided outward curve. Hes face habitu
ally wears "a look of impassive calm.
when his hat IS of, passengers may note
a scar on his forehead. II be should be
dealing cards. some Of the men around
him might alsJNnOtiCe that the middle
and third fingers Of his left hand are
twisted.
A cheerful little man with beady eyes
and a lower lip that hangs out in
stubborn sort of q way may give another
name and tell a different story. but the
police know him as Harry Cohen. and
he IS "sheeny Nike" or BLACK Mike"
with his pals-a bookmaicer by occupa-
ton and a "con man" in the detectives
books.
How They Book.
For one thing. il is next to impossible
TO prevent the gamblers from boarding
the big liners. AS the manager of one
of the companies explained last week
passage is refused the card sharps if
they are known and ask for staterooms
at the main booking office
we say the liner is full" said the
manager. But what Is TO prevent them
going to any steamship agent and book
ing under another name? Or how can We
stop them IL they rush aboard at the last
moment and say 20 the steward, Here
We are; you must fix us up? This is
favorite trick
once aboard ship, the booking agent
continued. the known card sharp is q
marked man. The head steward and his
staff watch him in the smoking room.
note with whom he talks, and reports to
the captain at once if the gambler plays
cards 4 foW hours later the lOungers in
the smoking room viii see one Of the
stewards enter and hang up another sign.
It is three feet wide, about one-half as
high. and has a legend in letters four