The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-07-02
PLA YED TWO QUEENS;
WON POT IN THOUSANDS
Storv How Natalie Sleight of Hand Wound Up Harry
Wilder's Career In New York-Stranger In Town
and Yet Surprised Vet erans-NOn Large Pile.

ham. who died in some hoSplta! IN
that city recently, was 70
be the man who was known as Harry
wilder about forty years ago. SAID
the era y-hairad, young looking man
in the cldb smoking room. And he
looked around somewhat Curlously 10
see if anybody seemed to remember
Harry Wilder. Nobody did. writes
the New York Suns poker liar.
Wilder was a gambler he con-
tinugd after a little pause, and he
was ;hc first one | ever knew who
seemed To realize all the possibilities
OF a gamblers career. 1t was no
thing in those days any
more than it is now to come across
professional gamblers who under
stand a great deal about slelSht OF
hand. but he was the first one L ever
saw who seemed to have AS much
skill in manipulating playing cards
as the original Hermann himself.
a. have myself seen him win a
large pot under circumstances that
left no moral doubt of the fact that
H. won by trickery. 1t might have
passed for one of those miracles OF
luck that will happen in the best
regulated poker games II 1t had not
been for some other things that We
all knew about him. but as 1t was
it was perfectly apparent that he was
Cnt6llnS. l1OuSn not II man III Tic
room could say how he did 1T.
1t seems as il he had determined,
in a spirit Of bravado. to wind up q
remarkab BILE series of exploits with
one SO daring and original as to eX-
cite wonder and admiration. That
particular game of poker was the
last he played in New York before
disappearing, and SO far as | know
ne never came back here afterward.
AT that time Union square was
practically the uptown center of New
IOrk. In the immediate ~neiShbOr-
hood could be found everything that
made the young metropolis. even at
that daY one Of the centerS OF the
earth for those who crave excite
ment.
When Harry Wilder came to New
York from nobody knew where he
went to Union square. You COuldn t
have kept him away with guns. He
WAS a perfect stranger to everybody.
So far as | know and believe he never
had q confederate. Certainly he
played "A lone hand in New York. but
il was only o short time before he
had the sporting world sitting UP
and taking particular notice.
He strolled into Chris O'Conner's
billiard place and making himself
comfortable in one Of the many
tnaIIS PROVIDED 1OT WdlCI1cU
some Of the games that were going
on while he waited. He knew OIL
Surmised that he wouldn't have tt
wait long. and when one OF the youns
dandies Of the day asked him in {
friendly way if he cared to play
game of pool he accepted the chal
lenge.
1T was the old story with a varia
ton. OF course. the young fellow
49, ynA who Lot "i}dor XVI,
the first few Games and then pro
posed a bet. Then he let Wilde
win a game or two more and offere
to increase the bet.
'It was just what Wilder wanted
and he tool his turn at losing unit
the young shark was convinced tina
he had secured a victim, but when
ca me 70 important money Wilder WO
every time by 50 narrow a lnargi
and with so dumb luck apparent
that the shark kept on until he ha
exhausted his esources. And mel
day Wilder went in the billiard PAL
Tor again.
Another man challenged him tn
time. and for some days the gam
was undertaken by one after anotht
Of the cleye-, players who made the
diving off strangers in the plac
but not one of them got any of Wi
der'S money to keep. and inside Of
week there wasn't anybody in Ne
York who wanted to try it any longe
Then they rOped him into a ia
bank. and he went cheerfully. thoue
he pretended to know very little abo
faro beyond having "a smattering
one or tive foo systems such as al
beginner learns about While he
being trimmed. He undertook
play them. too. in a childish way tn
encouraged the dealers at 1913 al
around at the Gotham to stack t.
cards against him until they had hi
on the run. But he confused the
three Or four times by suddenly shi
lag his play. apparently by Capri,
at the critical moment and got Az
with considerable velvet before tn
were convinced that he saw eve
crooked move that was made.
After that he was steered il
Petry's place in Lispenard str
and Petry dealt fare himself c
oy~nioC while Wilder sat apre1S