Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1914-01-15

AT EW fORk.-Money flashing in big
IN 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 J. 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 fake race
duly programmed to yield half mil
lion dollars by means of fake wire
tapping scheme 1t took in actual time
just six ticks Of the clock for talon
like-hand to reach through the Cash
Ter" 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.
lt'was the afternoon of February 6,
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 a mostsnatural and con-
vincing way.
Felix was manufacturer of musical
instruments, with place In East
Thirty-irst street, just off Fifth ave-
nue.. He was man who took an in
terest in observing the various meth
ods by which an opinion on n hazard
might be backed with money. Some
how Felix's prediction for paying
attention to pastimcs OF chance be-
came known until It reached westward
through Thirty.first street to the vi
cinity of Broadway, where men of rap
id-fire gambling tendencies congregat-
ed. 1t also became known ut the same
time that hidden in a secret compart-
ment OF the Felix office safe were so
$1,000 bills. "just aching to be taken
out for walk" as the Broadway
gamblers and crooks put 1t.
A T THE corner of Fifth avenue and
IA Thirty-frst street. four o'clock,
February b, 1905-the day before the
100000 was grabbed by the ta.on-like
hand of the fake "Cashier"-an i'm.
maculately groomed and garbed gen.
!tleman save his mustache final pull
and pat as he mentally closed all
the details necessary 10 properly ap-
proach Felix and acquire the $50, 900.
Tracy entered the Felix Office the
quintessence OF urbane suavity. Pro.
fusely. yet not fulsomely apologetic,
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-
quaintance, so he had made bold to en-
ter.
Felix was really glad to meet Tracy
or Mr. Charles j. Tompkins, as the
king" styled himself for this ven
ture-and you needn't smile in a 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 a magnificently good and
sure thing. that had been impaired
to him by 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"