The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-06-19

lie. nat nave L zone Will
It? I have squandered money like a
prince and borrowed it a week later
like a beggar. I have missed my
breakfast in order to Skin" a green
horn of 500 and lost it all before
got my lunch. I have helped a stran-
ger unload $4,000 in a framed
up" poker game and then gone
around the corner and lost the whole
roll bucking another poker game.
There is n thing I'm sure of-I'm
smart enough to get another mans
money, but I'm not smart enough to
keep it.
I saw in a 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. I 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 a hotel, there was an Oregon
gambler who ran a faro game on Wa
bash avenue exclusively for bunko
men: That's a fact. He had a big
play. too, and went to Europe on his
profits. Every night you'd see the
ICON" men line up around his faro
table and 60 against the same game
in which they had trimmed the yok-
els earlier in the evening. 1t was a
private game and none but Icon
men and crooks had the entree. No
body seemed to think it strange, and
we lost our money about as regularly
as we made it. Of course, we didn't
always lose the first night, but it was
only a matter of time.
There are ne 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 I
made half Of $500 and lost 1t before
I had the price Of a lunch out of it.
1t happened this way: {
My partner and 1 picked up a fell
low in a place on O'Farrell street who
was anxious to beat the races. We
we're ready to help him. My pal told
him he knew a horseman who had
something good coming of in a few
days, and introduced me as the man.
I was oflsh and didn't want to have
anything to do with outsiders, but
finally, after the stranger had bought
a dinner for all of US, I warmed a
little to him and agreed that I would
let him in on the deal.
"We'll make no Mistakes" said I,
when it had been agreed that our
host was to be a party to the clean
up. "My horse worked the three
quarters in thirteen fiat this morn
ing, and there isn't a thing in the
race that ever did better than four
teen and a half. But I'm taking no
chances" Here I leaned over toward
them, looking around cautiously, as
If afraid Of being overheard and low
cred my voice.
"I've got an electric boot" I whis-
pered, land I'll win that race If I
have to turn my nag into a dynamo
to do it,"
Our intended "a properly i'm
pressed, and we made a date for the
following morning, when I was to
have the electric boot in evidence.
I had to borrow $25 from the own
er of the poker game where I usually
lost my money to buy the boot the
first thing in the morning.
I was up bright and early and
bought the boot and spurs. Inside
was as pretty a little battery a. 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 c%ontrivance worked. He
was delighted. Then I told him that
he would have to give me his money
to bet, as 1 didn't intend to trust any
body with the secret Of the horses
name until post time, and he was
about to demur.
Look here" said 1, It'll write the
name of the horse on a sheet of pa
per, put it in an envelope addressed
to you and leave it at a 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
overcame his scruples. He handed
over $500 in gold to me to bet. I
was to keep a third of the amount
won to give to the Jockey"
In this sort of business the money,
of course, is not bet at all. 1 wrote
down the name of a horse that didn't
have a chance and put it in an envel-
ope and pocketed the 500 as a clear
profit. The sucker" came to me for
an explanation that night, and I
showed him a fake ticket shoMing
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 in such a hurry to get the
electric boot in time that I missed
my breakfast. When I separated
from the 'greeny" it was after 12-
inst time to take the boat foE the