Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1912-06-14
........ .MBLING
DEVICE
BY JAMES B. BRlCE

railroad building that started in thn
republic some years ago was employ
ed as an engineer on one Of them ant
had an opportunity to witness this ant
other Mexican characteristics.
There were railroad followers who
Dreyed upon the wOrkmen. taking espe
cial care to be on hand when pay day
came round. On an evening of one OF
these pay days went into tent
where | had seen one of my men go. a
Young Mexican whom | employed for
an AMMAN was interested in him,
for | knew that he had wife and
some babies who kept pace with him
as he passed from one end of the line
to the other for in Mexico there are
persons who have no homes, sleeping
in the open air. father mother. children
and dog hudded together to keep one
another warm.
| Manuel-that was my axman'S name
was in the tent seated before table
shaking dice with the man who owned
the outfit. There were several other
! W vi hltlGu III tuc pave WIZ uuu NilhIb
a few minutes been cleaned out of the
pay they had that day received. ]
stood looking on. Quite likely had
not been there the proprietor would
have made short work of Manuel; but.
seeing me, he put off the denouement,
permitting the aXman to get little
ahead.
But l soon noticed that whenever 1t
was for the rascal's interest that the
dice should fall with large numbers ur
they invariably did so. In short il
looked to me that he had some power
over the dice to make them fall as he
wished. Manuel's pay was very small.
and he had not much to lose. While
he was playing, little woman, rather
pretty, came in with baby in her
arms and stood over him. He looked
up at her, and l felt sure she was his
wife. She had not come there to get
him away. She was as infatuated as
he.
Doubtless she had been living with
her little one for weeks In this way.
hS IoolllS LIS Weehly NuSeS every
Saturday night, both expecting that
the day would come when they would
have Il run of luck and win enough
money to go to a bullfght.
After she came in the proprietor let
Manuel win little. The gambler was
afraid that might exert influence to
have him sent away. so he did every
thing temporarily to favor his victim |
| confess | was more interested in the
dice than the victim. If they were
simply loaded he could not manipu-
late them us he did; they would al |
ways roll high. At least it was my !
opinion that no skill in throwing would |
avert this. 1t occurred to me that the
gambler had some way of controlling
The dice that was not visible.
Living in scientific timesv | was not
ong in forming Il theory. There must
De some electric connection between
nm and the dice. Then | bethougbt
myself of pocket compass which al
ways carried and which | continually
Needed in my out of door work. TAX.
P''i'ioh pi'CA ol lne gambler,
Vhere he would not see me, took
Tut my compass and looked at it.
The needle vibrated violently.
My theory was confirmed. There
must be Il magnet somewhere near
stopping, l looked under the table. If
lad four legs, and in its center was |
oS attached to the underside. So far I
0 good. That box contained the mag.
ct.
That l felt sure of. | knew very
'elI that by attaching a metal Dlota
one side of die and rolling the
1t above the magnet while the chr r
1nt was on the metal face would he u
e'o 10 the table. leaving its opposite
ice up If there was no current IN
lie dice would roll by chance Soma.
ines lhe current was on; sometimes
was not.
now brought my watchfulness to j
'ar upon the gamblers movements >.
hoticed that every time he thrav :.
IN there was a slight movement of ,
) r'ght lag The leg was not readily p
en' Delng under the table, but | was
tereSted and did my best to see,
aS convinced that attached to tba
OF the table was an electric kew -
III mat when he pressed his loo
alhst the key the current was turn, 81
on. "' 'u'n'
30 absorbed was In nv puzzla tbot
,aileu 10 notice that Manuel had hrt
lew coppers left when had reached
conclusion. whispered to him r. ba
10 the chief engineers office and CO
MN 10 send me few men While
was gone l sat down at the table us
pay I'LL he came back. On his ro- ha
u win the men lifted the ton off m.
'aDle and exposed magnet and 80,
p''tery Just where | expectnd
'acned to the table leg was the kew fol
oruered the gambler to return tho s;7
'ney he had won from Manuel and 80
others and to get away from our gu
'Xlmity as soon as possibIo -. o', yo
ulu nave him locked up. He ra fire.
NED the funds, and | saw him NO ~
'u'' alas! When the next nav do,