Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1909-10-07
NO POSSIBLE SHOW TO WIN
Once Famous Gambler Tells How the
Greenhorn is systematically
FIeeced.

FISeCcQ.
A little white-baired, Diack-cuated,
bespectacled old gentleman, who looks
and is the personification of benevo-
leDce, that is Mr.. John Philip Quinn,
once notorious as the prince Of Amer
lean card-sharpers," but for the last
~ years reformed man. Mr.. Quinn
is now appearing at ST. Georges hall
in his most interesting performance
consisting OF an exposure OF the meth
DDS by which sharpers despoil their
victims. This is what he SAYS:
was born and raised, brother, in
the southern state of Missouri in days
when slavery was still in force, and
my father himself owned many slaves.
was wild lad; nothing could keep
me at school, and by the time was
Is | was the associate of professional
gamblers and sharpers, and before
very long | had definitely thrown in
my lot with them. | had an accursed
skill at sleight of hand, and for 25
years l lived by my wits and on the
money of fools, or suckers" as we
call them.
Was | ever caught? l was prose-
cuted II times as professional gam
bier, but those were days when
graft was rampant, and 1 always
managed to buy my freedom.
But in the end l went to gaol, and
the irony of it, for an offense of which
was entirely innocent. | was &C.
cused of completely in a gold-brick
swindle, but although l was by no
means new to this form of fraud, and
had worked it successfully more than
once, | had nothing to do with this
particular case. | went to prison for
IA months, and during that time be.
came changed man.
My little boy died while l was in
prison. Although l was a sharper I
loved him passonately and his loss
broke me up. When l came out of
prison l went to the house where /
had left my wife and children, only to
find them gone
The woman of the house did not
know at first for whom l was inquir-
lug, and then she said:
You mean the lady who had little
boy that died?"
Yes" l said, "and I want you to
show me his grave. l have something
to settle with my conscience there"
Then she recognized me and said:
why don't you live to be fit to
meet him in another placer"
Il will" l said, and for the last %
years l have been trying to get ready
to meet my boy"
l went off to Chicago, took a room
in basement, and started writing my
book, Fools of Fortune" which such
famous men as DR.. Talmage and DR..
Lyman Abbott, editor of the American
Outlook, to which Mr.. Roosevelt is
contributing, have described as the
best sermon against gambling they
ever read
One day got wire from brother
sharper, telling me to come to St.
Louis quick-there was "a horse for
s6,O0O,' which, Of course, meant a
sucker" to be sucked dry.
took no notice, and then one day
are you doing here's John?' said he.
told him and he scoffed. He tempted
me with the promise Of $4,000 for my
share, if I would stand in with him.
and he offered me hundred dollars
down
AS had about so cents in the world
just then, that 500 bill looked mighty
big and good, but put it away, and
in the end he shook hands, the tears
standing in his eyes, and insisted on
my taking $40 to help me along. The
last heard Of him he was doing ten
years, poor fellow. Well, since then,
brother, I have devoted my life to
stopping people from gambling by
showing them how impossible it is for
them to win against professional gam
blers.
Now, here's a point: At my per-
Torrance people know that I am
cheating, get they cant detect how i; It
is done But when man goes gam
bling he thinks the game is straight or
he wouldn't play-he is not looking
for Il trickery, and what chance then
has he OF finding it when, as Il say,
people right on the stage, watching
me as close as they can, can't see how
i cheat them.
Well. brother, guess my times up
meyer, never play cards with stran-
gers. Tor you are sure to lose That ID
what Ws call a cinch. -Pearson's
Weekly. Y