The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-20

ana ne wOuld PICK out some nkeiy fOOhlnB
victim on a train and sit next to him or
writing room Of a hotel. After some
preliminary conversation leading up TO
the matter in hand he would produce a
telegram, which he had previously sent
to himself Of course and which contained
the following message and always spelled
in this way by he operator: =
r. N. Thompson:
Sorry TO inform you pools on Saturdays
race not collectable.
"How's that for hard luck?' he would
ask, showing the telegram to his victim.
Just ten words. but two OF them spelled
wrong. They always put a p in my name
and none Of those operators knows how
to spell collectable."
What's the matter with it9" the victim
would ask; 1T means able to collect.
A bet naturally followed. with an agree
ment to leave II to any dictionary. the
victim to win il il was even spelled
both ways, as many words are.
The writer was on a train between st:
Joe and Kansas City once when a bet OF
this kind was made and $50 handed to
the conductor as stakeholder. the die
tionary to be found in a shop opposite
the station when tho train arrived ut
Kansas City. the conductor also holding
the telegram. The conductor thought he
would take a piece OF that bet himself.
but before doing so he went back into the
other coach and consulted q certain
country school teacher who he knew was
on the train.
The school teacher gave his opinion 10
favor OF the teiesram's spelling in so iouc
and confident a tone that the duc
had to explain TO other passengers what
was up. and he was finally commissioned
to tell the man that owned the telegram
that he could get all the money he wanted
on that bet, and the travelling man
promptly put up every dollar he had with
him, some 5000. and he gave the conductor
500 OF it afterward for getting the pets
word was spelled with an ~ when they
got to Webster.
There was a time when the lower class
of sharpers turned a dollar occasionally
by sure thing bets on the play OF words.
One of these tricks was to bet a man
that their watch was nearer the city nan
clock than his.
II on comparison they were nearer
the right time he paid over his money
and thought nothing further about it,
but II he wal nearer the right time he was
told that they were not betting on the
and as the gambler was standing'between
him and the city hall his watch was nearer
the city hall clock. raj it not?
There are a number OF games still in
common use by the gamblers who hang
around saloons in which it is impossible
famous Of these. which still numbers its
victims by the thousand every year. 10
known as the strap game.
An ordinary strap about thirty inches
long and three-quarters wide is doubled,
one end being left a little longer b the
upon itself in such n manner that there
are apparently three loops when the
strap is laid on the bar, but IN one can
SET which Is the end loop. 49,.
The victim is asked to stick a pencil in
between the coils anywhere he pleases
and then the two ends OF the strap, are
pulled. II the pencil catches in the loop
and holds he wins. II the strap pulls
free he loses.
The first time or two that the strap is
coilsd the pencil is certain to catch and
this induces the victim TO bet heavily
that he can do it again, but the moment
he has put up money enough to satisfy
the man who is showing the trick the
strap is SO ingeniously coiled that II is
impossible to catch 1t no matter where the
pencil Is placed. 100
When the famous Canada Bill threw
three card monte it was Il sure thing game
for him, although 1t ~ usually only a 9
shot for the ordinary gambler. The
writer once saw this expert on a cattle
ferryboat that crossed the Jefferson
BAYOU between Texas and Arkansas IN
the old cattle driving days,
He had two or three cattlemen in tow
and a bunch Of cowboys looking on.
The trick was 10 find the ace Of spades.
One man had bet heavily and turned
nm the ten OF hearts. leaving two other
cards living there. Canada Bill offered
to give him a chance to get even oy bet
ting him he could not tell which OF the re-
maining cards was the ace Inc cattle
man lost that bet also.
ONLY one card now remained face down
on the layout and Canada Bill jokingly
offered to bet his man double or quits
he had not nerve enough to pick hat last
card for the ace. OF course the bet was
promptly taken-an lost ms would
three cards was the spade ace from the
first, 80 that it was impossible to win, no
There are a number OF swindles, usually
played with prepared apparatus, which
are sure thing games Persons uavetilns
guard against men who offer to match
Coins by spinning. These sharpers usu-
ally work in pairs and are provided with
coins slightly bevelled on the edges. 80
that when the coin is spun II must always
fall upon the same face, ,n,o
lose the partners use coins that wall. fall
with the same face up. so that all three
coins must fall alike or the victim must be
the odd man. When the game is odd man
first out the sharpers use coins that TALL
on opposite faces. 30 that ii il impossible
for the victim to be the odd man.
Some OF the cleverest swindling tricks
are based on the principle Of making the
victim believe that he has a man beaten at
his own game and Is betting on the sure
thing himself. The black jack and ace
trick described in THE SrN on February
Fl il considered to be the greatest money
maker in this line that ever happened.
AS many OF those who set these traps
are comparatively ignorant men 1t some
times happens hat there is a flaw In the
! scheme which better educated men viii
, detect. A rather amusing instance Of
! this kind happened in Atlanta.
! A New Yorker who is well known in the
: dry goods district and is also famous
as a whist player happened to be drawn
g into a friendly game OF euchre At the
hotel. during the course OF which the
i usual proposition to bet on the i've cards
/ as n they were poker hands cropped up,
. The game having been naturally intro
!, duced In this manner and the dry goods
: man allowed to win O bet or two the gam
/ blers proceeded to spring their trap for
the sire thing by Offering to bet on the
k. frat three cards dealt.
y IA the Now Yorker found that
/ tbree aces had fallen to ais share he
4 M t,lrally took the bet. putting up $50
=. On the showdown the gambler produce
the eight, nine. ten Of hearts which he