The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-09-17
Signs That Gamblers and Shar.
perS Are again to Reign in
Mexican Town.

ThomHS ID. EDWARDS predicts return
Of gambling and all its former embel-
lishments. Rumors that concessions
have already been sold for big gam
bling devices arc strengthened by tho
fact that Juarez's sport loving palate
was uckled with brutal Sunday bull
fight only recsntly, tho first that had
been staged since the hasty departure
Of Pancho villa and his forces. Con-
sui Edwards looks for Juarez to even
tually open up again just as he ex-
poets the sun 10 continue rising and
setting.
Tho kennest set Of dishonest minds
ever congregatod In ono city were
there during the villa regime. These
Bharpers, who lived in luxury by their
wits were crooked as the Missouri
river-yet 1t was all picturesque.
The cabarets with their janglIng
pianos and vocal discords. the brill
liantly lighted streets with the wide
open gambling halls. tho cockpits and
the bull-hshts all held sway and were
the principal attractions that Juarez
had to offer, 1t has all changed, but
is expected TO return.
Ways Of the Sharpers.
The sharpers were past masters In
their art and had many schemes to re-
lieye the visitor OF his roll. These
confidence men and other dishonest
types used TO loll on the street cor
ners and watch the street cars unload
the occupants II was perfectly nat
ural for a visitor to cape and look
around him at the pIcturesqueness of
the old Mexican town. And right there
the confidence man recognized meat
He would trail Mr. Porterhouse-
or whoever he might be-and force
an acquaintance. Tho American in
Mexico always welcomes one who can
speak English. Thus II was no hard
task to get In the good graCes of the
visitor. They would go the rounds
together, and finally end up at some
petty gambling Gevice. Perhaps 1t
would be one operated by a Mexican,
small table and some cigarettes.
They roll the dice to see who would
buy the cigaTets. then for dollar or
two. The confidence man let his COM
panion win. Then he deftly worked
an old trick and took every cent the
innocent man had. a protest was
raised and an officer came up, but it
was seldom that an arrest was made.
Sometimes there was period OF
reform among the gamblers. For a
month at time they would leave off
snaring visitors into the gambling
halls. They did SIs several times on
the protest of the American consul.
If the visitor walked into the gam
bling den with the intention of gam
bling the gamblers were within the
law in Juarez if they fieeced him. 1t
was the practice OF decoying Ameri-
cans into gambling that was broken
up.
The confidence man would be SO
foolish sometimes as 10 state just what
he had made. Whenever lI made this
blunder the authorities Of Juarez as
sessed fine that would exactly cover
his roll, for it was well known that
even little Juarez wasn't proud OF Its
gambling institutions.
Just now, however, Juarez night life
is no longer of the crimson tinge. The
old Mexican town has returned to its
evening walks. moving picture shows
and carriage rides. The sound of the
electric pianos is not heard on Gale
Commerclo and the penetrating wall
Of the "vodeyille" sister no longer
floats out of the Tiyoli and the Black
Cat cabarets. Such resorts are now
laden with dust and inhabited by
sleepy spiders.
Juarez in the evening is as normal
as it was before the coming OF Aladero
and his reyolutionists. Slender boys
in slate Colored khaki puttees and
big six-shooters promenade with their
girls along Lerdo avenue and Com
merclo street; workmen sit in the
doorway Of their adobe homes and
smoke their after dinner cigarets,
while their children play on the side
walks or sit in the cool of the patos.
Gale Commerce. is more somber
than it was when gambling houses
ran wide open, with their flaming arc
lights in front to attract the human
moths, when the Cabarets had their
garlands of red lights strung across
the sidewalks and movies occupied
many vacant store rooms. There are
no street lights on the main street
now and the Illuminated face OF the
customs house clock is the only effort
at municipal lighting downtown. In a
long room where an electric keno lay
out used TO attract hundreds nightly,
the sole motion picture show now
plays 10 the music OF piano and
Z violin. with a hurdy gurdy in front
for ballahoo.
las yistas" are the most exciting
thing Juarez has for its evening di-
version. Instead OF an execution dali
~ or killing each night in the saloons
or gambling houses and an occasional
mutiny or murder, the people Of Juar-
rz get their drama canned from the
American side and it is shown on
the screen 10 the accompaniment of
American music Everyone seems 10
so to the movies in the evening. The
mayor and his friends saunter in after
dinner at Charlie SANS; the federal
officials, the merchants and their fam
lilies, the officers Of the Juarez gar
rison with their betrother and the
ragged high-hatted soldiers with their
"soldaderas" visit the 'vistas' night
y.
Enjoys Screen Tragedies.
Juarez gets its tragedies vlcarious-
y these days. I.ynchings, murders.
killings, and even executions are
shown to the residents Of the old