The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-26
FINDS DEFECT IN
ROULETTE WHEEL
With Winning System Engi-
neer Wins 100000 From
Monte Carlo Bank
snSosa elAc,x Arn ss,s
C. N. Williamson in Mcclure's Maga-

c. N. Williamson in Mcclure's Maga-
zine.
In the history of Monte Carlo, Jaggers
has become almost legendary. He was
an Englishman, whose photograph is 3.
cherished possession in the hands of the
one person now left at Monte Carlo who
seems to have known him. He was an
intelligent mechanic or engineer from
the North of England. He was not a
gambler, but he had heard of Monte
Carlo and of the wonderful roulette
wheels so ingeniously made that no one
could beat them. Curiosity took him
there when he had put together a little
money and earned a holiday. He did
not intend to play. 1t was the wheels
themselves that he wished to see.
When he found that he was not sup
posed to keep seat at the table and
watch the game for any length of time
without playing, in order to study 1t III
peace and in a scientific way he began
to venture a few 5-franc pieces. He had
a favorite table where he happened to
feel more at home than at any other. and
while laborcusly taking down numbers
in order to make a record, he hit upon
an astonishing discovery. Some of the
numbers appeared more often in a days
play of about 400 eoups than they had a
right to do mathematically, according to
the laws of chance. Jagers continued his
tests for several days, until he was salts
fed that the particular roulette wheel
under observation had some mechanical
defect-that it was not truly balanced,
but had bias in one direction which
caused the ball to fall more often in one
quarter of the cylinder than in others.
Not word had the silent man of the
rorth spoken to any one Of his first sus-
picions or final discovery. On the fault,
not of roulette in general as a game,
but of this roulette wheel in particular,
did Jaggers then and there find his un-
scientific but amazingly successful "sys-
tenn" He decided to risk in the venture
all the money he had, knowing that.
though he must fall occasionally, he
ought to win far oftener than he lost.
At first he played quietly, with small
stakes Then he increased them until
soon he was playing with maximums on
the wheels favorite numbers and win
ming immense sums of money. Feeling
sure of his ground Jaggers now engaged
a staff of men to play for him, taking
their turns at the table as the croupiers
do. and his wins continued till the CAST
no authorities became seriously alarmed
Never had the Casino, in the whole his
tory of gambling at Monte Carlo then
comparatively shorD suffered SO severely
in its hitherto impregnable pocket. See-
ing that Jaggers always played at the
same table, the management removed
the cylinder from that table at night
and transferred it to another.
Jaggers, however, was not hard
headed Yorkshireman for nothing. He
had expected every morning to find that
luck had suddenly deserted him because
bis wheel of fortune was lost to him for
ever among a wilderness of other wheels
useless for His system His eyes were
sharpened by the knowledge that pins
point difference was life or death to his
interests and he had observed on his
cylinder a tiny white speck by which he
could identity 1t among many others ap-
parently alike. Each morning, on ar
irving at the table he glanced at the
wheel and made sure Of the white speck
before beginning work and on. the day
after the secret exchange lowering IN
spectors saw the terrible Jaggers reduce
ing his great stakes to q few paltry s.
frame pieces. Presently he rose to Try
the same small game at another table
and so on until his eyes lighted upon the
blessed speck. Then he and his star OF
clerks began to plunge again.
The system began to seem super
natural and in few months Jaggers
had taken from the Casino the unprece-
dented sum of 100000. the autnorlties
began to suspect that all the cylinders
were imperfect. The maker was sent
for and each wheel was subjected to
rigid scrutiny The faulty one was dis
covered and taken away and next morn
ing Jaggers tide of fortune turned. For
few days he went on playing ana lost
back to the Casino some $200,0o0 <or mis-
enormous winnings. Then ne was wise
enough to see that he was beaten. He
discharged his staff. ceased play and re-
tired with the comfortable sum OF s4oo,ooo
intact Never did he appear again at
Monte Carlo. but his memory has lived
there since as classic one.