Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-12-24
CROOKED GAMES
Are EXP OSED.
CHICAGO PosToFFICE INSPECTOR
STARTS CAMPAIGN AGAINST
GAMBLING SHARKS.
THREE ARE INDICTED.

Catalogues Of Firms Advertise Devices
Boosting Of Ingenious Crook
edness In so-caIIed "Games
Of Chance"
Chicago, Dec. 23.-Loaded dice
F! marked cards, poker holdouts, cold
, deck machines, fixed roulette wheels,
crooked spindles and electrically and
mechanically controlled games of all
kinds will become dangerous goods to
advertise and sell il campaign inaug-
urated by Gen. James E. Stuart, post.
office inspector at Chicago, is success
full.
At present and for many years
these goods have been sold in vast
quantities with no pretense of conceal
ment. Circulars, Boosting the ingen-
ious crookedness of the swindling de-
vices of various firms, have been cir
culated through the mails despite nu-
merous protests from citizens and, in
particular from parents whose sons
have been ruined by the offered lure
Of graft.
over four years ago Gen. Stuart
asked the department of justice for
an opinion as to whether or not the
traffic could be stopped as "a use of
the mails to defraud.
Indictments Sign Of Success.
After four years of hammering he
was at last authorized to proceed, and
the last grand jury indicted Jacob
Schimberg, president of the Slack
Manufacturing company, 126 Franklin
street, and Edward O. and Richard w.
Hood, operating as H. G. Evans & Co.,
1O4 Van Buren, street, on evidence pro-
vided by Inspector Mullen.
Here are some extracts from the
catalogue of the latter firm:
AS to dice:
eve wish particularly to call your
attention to our transparent work. We
load these goods in the birds-eye spot
work. We also load the common ordin-
airy concave spot dice. The work )
executed so cleverly that they defy de-
lection. We also manufacture trans
parent dice for Klondike or bar dice,
which are neither loads nor shapes.
vet are much stronger than either of
these. We also manufacture a shape
or buffed transparent dice that will
go for square 80 times out Of. 100. One
of our most clever productions in the
transparent line is our adhesive dice.
Wise ones will stand for them just the
same as the novice
All Ways for the Wicked.
Scores Of sets of dice are listed,
each a cheat in different way. AS to
one such set labeled Loaded transpar-
ent crap dice, regular concave spot"
the maker says:
"We honestly can recommend them
for bankers use and for the protection
Of your game.
"Players have confidence when
shooting with set of these dice for
the simple reason that they can see
through them, They do not excite sus-
picion. The work is there, but cannot
be detected" $40.
Amalgam and celluloid rope "for
loading dice also is advertised, along
| with ink for marking cards, thumbnail
pricks and ''daubers" for marking
cards while in play; "relectors made
| to fit on ring; ''burrs' for drilling
dice; trimming shears with micro
meter" attachments, to cut a piece Oh
! q card no wider than tissue paper is
thick; corner FOUNDERS and instruc
lions for using these and other de
vices, also are. advertised boldly.
Give Gambler Third Hand.
'sHoldout" machines, designed tc
reach out from gamblers sleeve
lift card from the table and draw i
up his sleeve to be "held out unit
needed are catalogued in great mum
Der and variety. Some work by ches
expansion, some by : arm pressure
some by lifting or Strengthening the
/ leg and others in mysterious ways
not made clear.
/. "You can go and come with YOU
hand fat on the table while your op
ponent is calling your bet,' is the
claim made for one of them, which |:
also warranted to work noiselessl.
and to be disable with white or fan
mel shirt.
Poker tables into which the "hold
out" is built also are advertised will
assurances that they will stand thu
closest inspection.
/ There is a special section wher'
short card players" and "cold decl
machines" are listed.
One of the bright features of tn
stock is holdout with mirror at
tachment by which the player cal
read his opponents cards as he is deal
them.
Another is concealed in pocket
book which, it is contended, may b
laid on the table before the playe
without arousing suspicion.
Mechanical Hand at Work.
A slight pressure on the pocketbool
however, causes the mechanical ham
to. leap forth, grasp the card and carr
it back into hiding.
AS to one of the holdouts, the mar
, ufacturer enthusiastically states:
Nothing suspicious, no Immature
moves, no strings nor rubbers to brea