Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-01-19

gamblers. and. in fact. representatives OF
every class which goes to make up the
underworld.
Altogether the room would contain pos
sibly 400 players. and in those 400 play
erS the visitor would see 400 criminals
gambling away the proceeds of their
crimes,
There is no other establishment in the
city where this scene can be duplicated
100 criminals gambling away the pro-
ceeds OF 400 crimes.
On the tables would be seen piles of
currency and bills of various denOmina-
tiOns. On some Of the tables. for in
stance. are piles of pennies. This is the
penny stuss bank at which the man
whose hoard has been reduced to its
lowest level may still gamble with his
small change. Then there are tables piled
with small silver cOins-these are the
nickel stuss banks where the limit of
play is ~ cents. Quarters and halves
are piled on other tables, the limit of play
there being 90 cents. Separate tables
provide for those who want to play up to
limit of 81, s.. s.. $40, SO and so. re-
spectively
The f1fty-dolar table is known as the
big bank" 1t is controlled by the man
who runs the place. All the other tables
are rented out to any one who wishes to
engage them. The demand for the prvi-
lege of acting as banker is great that
each day there is a waiting list, the APP
plicants being supplied with numbers and
following one another in regular rota ton
as the tables become available.
For this privilege, well for the
privilege of playing. 10 per cent of the
winnings must be paid to the cashier OF
the place. and the patronage is grea,
that this percentage amounts on the aver
age to 500 day. indicating that as
much 5000 a day, about three
quarters of a million dollars a year
changes hands at this place alone. and il
all represents the proceeds of crime
Every little while the visitor to this
"hang- out will hear the words "card
money called from different parts of the
room. That is the signal for one of the
floor walkers of the place to go over anC
check up the winnings at the table from
which the call came, and figure the per
centage due the house 1t means thai
either a player has had enough the
banker has decided to give up his table
The percentage is then taken over TO the
cashiers cage. where ii is placed in 4
ter.
Stus> figures 10 such an extent in the
life of the underworld. and is so closely
connected with this particular section o.
the city, that perhaps a few words re
garding the game may not be out OF
place.
Twenty years ago the most popular
game in the underworld was "twant,
one One day Russian immigran
named Nuchem. drinking i'm an East Sid,
cafe. produced deck of cards and show
ed some OF the players how TO play tn,
Russian game of ''stuSS." 1t soon becam,
popular. Before many months twenty
one was entirely dropped and everybod,
played stuss. Today there are nearly /
hundred 'stuss banks" being resulari,
operated in this one police precinct alone
and. of course. the private games tina
go on there are innumerable.
person wishing To play stuss enter
one of the many "stuss banks and step
up to table at which sit two men, tn
dealer and the lookout. In front of TIN
dealer lies a deck of cards Strewn oil
the table. face downward, are numerous
other cards.
The player takes one of these cards AM
with il cuts the deck. He then place
the card he used for cutting. face down
ward on the table. having looked at i
himself without letting. the dealer see il
He places the coin or bill he wishes [,
bet on top of this card and the gam
starts.
The dealer deals the cards off the deck
the first card being turned up and place
10 his left. the second being turned III