The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-09

Reformed Gambler Shows How 1t Is
Impossible to Beat Professionals.

'tAre you a sucker? Because. if so,
have a game here which would just
suit you"
The old gentleman with white hair
standing behind a table, who uttered
those words was Mr.. John p. Quinn, at
one time a noted American gambler.
For 40 years Mr.. Quinn followed the
profession of gambling as 1t is known
in America. Remorse, however. over
took him, and he is now devoting the
evening of his days to the exposure of
the various ways in which the unwary
who puts up their money against the
professional gambler are f1eeced. In
America MI. Quinn, backed by the
American Anti-Gam bling assoc iation,
has been the means of breaking up
numbers of gambling hells, and his
crusade in Chicago is history.
Mr.. Quinn proceeded to explain
that sucker is American for an
easily gulled person, and the game he
was about to expose was known to the
gamblers as the suckers striker" At
fairs and places like Hampstead
ton on which are painted various
numbers. At the foot of the machine
is ''boss.' or large knot, upon which
the man who fancies his strength is
invited to strike with a heavy ham,
mer. Up goes an indicator, ascending
can send it-that is all; the contestant
simply has the privilege of finding out
how hard he can hit, and if perhaps he
can send the indicator higher than his
rival.
Now, imagine a miniature machine
built on exactly the same scale and
small enough to stand on a table
that is the suckers striker" There
are numbers on the machine up to "a,
and the gambler displays a board
showing the same numbers, and
against them the odds he is willing to
pay. You strike a spring on the box
with your fist and up goes the indi-
Gator If it stops at, say, 16 you are
paid IS in return for the dollar which
you pay for the try If. on the other
hand, the indicator stops at 8 you get
nothing, that number being marked
with star on the board, meaning
blank. A confederate steps forward,
and, after varying fortune, retires the
sucker" is tempted, and is quickly
cleaned out. for the indicator never
by any chance stops at any number
except exc a blank, let him strike the
Asked to explain how it was done.
Mr.. Quinn replied that he never show
ed the working Of any of thse swindles,
because If he did SO it was certain that
INSCRIPTIONS people would take adj
vantage of the secrets expose to work
upon unSuSpecting people. He simply
wished to show how impossible it was
for any one to win money from the
professional gambler. 1t was notice.
able, however, that in the experiment
the indicator stopped at the number
and had to be released by the opera
tor 1t is pretty certain. therefore,
that there was machinery in the
striker, which enabled the gambler
to SO manipulate the catch when re-
moving it that he could make either
win or a loss a certainty.
The "squee spindle" is another in
genious form of mechanical gambling
A large fiat board, on which are
painted the numbers 1, 2, 8, 4, 5, and
star, is laid on the table, and heavy
piece of metal, in the shape of an ar.
revealed the spindle..is balanced
on little projection in the center of
the board. The company is invited to
back any number or numbers, and
one of the audience is asked to give
the spindle twist If most of the
numbers are covered with money the
spindle stops at the star or any num-
Der which may not be covered. In
fact the hacker never wins, the bank
always, for the spindle seldom stops
at any number which has money on it.
Mr.. Quinn did not touch the machine,
but sat with his hands we'll in view,
and declared that he could stop the
spindle at any number any one liked to
pied children's fund If he failed. Time
and time again he was tested, and al
ways the spindle stopped at the de-
sired number. Mr.. Quinn again re-
fused to explain how the trick was
worked, and remarked incidentally that
thisl was square spindle" captured in
raid at Chicago, and that upon it
thousands of dollars had been lost It
may perhaps be assumed that electric