East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1909-11-10

Portland, Nov. 10.-George Ger
ringer, a wealthy wheat grower and
horseman of Pendleton,is $1,000 poor
er than he was a short time ago. I
c. Lane and two confederates, Har-l
vey Dale, a deck OF marked cards,
and framed up poker game were
the agents which separated Mr.. Per-
ringer from his wheat money. The
experience of Mr.. Perringer proves
the contention being made on every
hand to the effect that Portland is
harboring band of card sharks and
sure-thing men who are here to trim
the suckers" That they are not
amateurs at their game is shown by
the way they trimmed the eastern
Oregon horseman, who is not counted
as an "easy mark" by those who
know him out over the state.
Some little time ago people in the
Couch building noticed a tall. spare
man who wore a little fedora hat
pulled down over his eyes, very bus
lily engaged in some mysterious oc-
cupation in front of one of the win
dows in the Winfield House across the
street He first made his appear
ance about the middle of the week
and worked every day for several
hours. 1t was soon discovered that
he was marking backs of playing
cards. Taking a new deck the man
would pry off the revenue seal, take
the cards out and fix them up to his
satisfaction. Working carefully he
would then go over them closely to
see that marks were we'll made. and
at the same time so skillfully, that
no one would be likely to notice them.
Then the decks would be passed to
two other men for further examina-
tion. after which they would be ar
ranged by suits as they came from
the factory, replaced in the packs, the
revenue seal put back in place, and
hey were ready for business This
nan was II. c. Lane" and he ended
lis work on Friday afternoon,
Perringer Appears.
The next day, so the story runs. Mr..
'erringer came to Portland, or at any
ate ran across Lane. Perringer Is
lnown to be poker player of expert
ing to slough off a few sacks of wheat
n pat hand nearly any day Lane
old Perringer, so the story has 1t,
hat he knew a man who was good
licking, who had a bunch of money
nd wanted to sit in little game. He
that Perringer, Lane and
riend of his plan nights enter
linment and see if they could not get
little of the strangers surplus and
profits. Perringer consent
d to the scheme. and accordingly Sat
rday night found him at one corner
t a table with Lane, and the two
len who held the careful conference
/ the room of the Winfield House.
\ some way or other the stranger
id not give up his roll. Contrary to
lpectations Lane, his friend and
erringer gave up their table stakes
me and again and dug down into
ng leather wallets for new velvet.
ounced the hour of morning worship
lnday the game broke up with Mr..
erringer badly bent. The horseman
,came suspicious at the steady drift
his money from one side of the
Bile to the other. and before the game
as stopped he saw that he had been
mflammed. He put up more or less
a howl to some of his friends. some
whom thought it was n good poke.
hile others thought it was a shame
at the money was got away from
e Umatilla man in such way.
'rr,nger, however has taken no ac-
m against the men who did" him
d Lane and his two confederates
e still assisting Harvey Dale i'm
tching suckers.