Polk County news-gazette. (Benton, Tenn.) 190?-191?, 1914-01-15

NEW YORK.-Money flashing in big
N wads; hoarse voices calling bets
telephone bells ringing; messen-
gers dashing hither and thither; tele-
graph saunders clicking; excited
groups circling about bulletin boards;
everything in a tense yet subdued
hubbub as John ]. Felix hurried
through the smoke-laden atmosphere
and thrust $4,000 into the Cashier
window of fake poolroom to bet on
fake horse, running in a fake race
duly programmed to yield half mil
lion dollars by means of a fake wire
tapping scheme. 1t took in actual time
just six ticks Of che clock fora talon
1ike-hand to reach through the Cash
ier'' window. grab the $4,000 and jerk
the notes back to the other side OF
the partition. That was the last that
Felix ever saw of his money.
It was the afternoon OF February G.,
1905, when this famous bet was made.
The poolroom was very close to the
old Fifth Avenue hotel, and it was
fitted up to play the plausible, pool
room part in most natural and con-
yinctng way.
Felix was manufacturer of musical
instruments, with a place in East
Thirty-first street, just off Fifth ave-
nue.. He was a man who took an in
terest in observing the various meth
DDS by which an opinion on hazard
might be backed with money. Some
how Felix's prediction for paying
attention to pastimes of chance be-
came known until it reached westward
through Thirty-first street to the vi
cinity of Broadway, where men OF rap
dd-fire gambling tendencies congregat-
ed. 1t also became known at the same
time that hidden in a secret compart-
ment of the Felix Office safe were 80
$1,000 bills, lust aching to be taken
out for a walk" as the Broadway
gamblers and crooks put it.
AT THE corner of Fifth avenue and
IA Thirty-first street, four O'Clock,
FEBRUARY 5, 1905-the day before the
$50. 900 was grabbed by the talon-like
hand of the fake "Cashier"-an i'm
maculately groomed and CARRIED gen
tleman gave his mustache a final pull
and a pat as he mentally closed all
the details necessary to properly APP
proach Felix and acquire the $4,000.
Tracy entered the Felix office the
duintessence of urbane suavity Pro
fusely. yet not fulsomely apologize,
and in crisply polished phrases, he in
troduced himself as one who had met
Felix in a hazard parlor" and had
been attracted to him by his sports
manlike bearing. Passing by he had
noticed the manufacturer entering his /,
place of business and had recalled him
at once. 1t was impossible to with
stand the temptation to renew ac- /
uuaintance, so he had made bold to en-
ter.
Felix was really glad to meet Tracy
or Mr. Charles ]. Tompkins, as the |
king" styled himself for this ven
ture-and you needn't smile in sar-
castically superior way to see how
easily the clever crook wormed his
way into his victims confidence.
Tracy. just as he was saying good
by at the door, turned in most casu-
al way and expressed a polished regret
that Felix did not have the time to
learn of magniicently good and
sure thing that had been impaired
to him by a gentleman ION honor not
to divulge single part of it. Felix
had the time and insisted that he had
IT. He was already captivated by
Tracy and was eager to discover how
he might become an associate of his
visitor. This was the sure thing"