The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-01-15
USED '4C0LD" DECK ID WIN SMALL
 SIZED FORTUNE
Man Who Swindled Movie Men In Poker Exposed and Kicked From
 House.

New York Jan. IS. - When the story was told along Broadway yes terday names were used, but the vic tirns of this remarkable card swindle are good sportsmen and their names cannot-be made public at present. There are a dozen or fourteen well known theatrical, motion picture and music publishing men on the list.
 A wealthy manufacturer, whom they allowed to play in their stud poker games, the story runs, fleeced them out of s350,000 by means Of marked cards before he was detected, beaten and thrown out of the home of the man who caught him.
 The victims, who first became ac- ouainted with the manufacturer at Far Rockaway and Arverne last sum- mer, now refer to him as MT. Trim mer," which will answer here. He is known as millionaire.
 MT Trimmer's "uncanny luck" as the other players called 1t, was mo- ticeable from the very start. In one particular game, for instance, which began on a Saturday night and con- tinued into Sunday, he cleaned up more than $40, 900.
 The daring of MT. Trimmer's play was what interested the others more than anything else. He would make bets against seemingly impossible odds-and win them.
 In stud" 1t may be explained that the first card dealt to each player is a dealt face downward. the subsequent four cards face upward. One knows four of the cards his op- ponent has, but doesn't know the fifth.
 But Trimmer always knew what he had and what the other fellow had. for his cards were what is known to gamblers as "readers." The ! design on the back of them-which l meant nothing to the others - told him exactly what denomination each l pasteboard was.
 i He once bet s6,50O on a pair of l trays against a possible straight''- ] for he knew by means of his marked
 deck that the concealed card of his i opponent did not complete the i straight
 1 At last suspicion intruded itself in to the minds of the other men. and ! one of them-at a party which Trim i mer had ranged-pocketed a deck i of Trimmer's cards and took them tc professional gambler for examina. ton.
 i They're readers said the pro- ! fessional- At the corner of each card ! on the back, was a design composed i of four fleurs-de-l -lis-the three leafeG 1 flower of France. If the right hand i petal of the flower at the upper right hand of the group was heavily shad- i ed the card was an ace. If the cente! 1 petal of that particular flower was ] accentuated, it was a king; if the shading was on the left hand petal il
 was a queen.
 There were four flowers, each with
 three petals. The shadings, therefore stood for twelve different cards, ac-
 cording to where they were placed these cards ranging down from the ace to the deuce. If no petal was i shaded the card was the deuce. Plans were then made to expose l Trimmer.
 A game was arranged for New 1 Years Night, and Trimmer was in 1 vited He went to the mans home l at 7:15, though the game was sched l u1ed for g.
 The game started at g o'clock, witt | eight players, all wel1-known Broad l wayites of the F'1ickers, Circuit ant
 Ragg type. Trimmer, because th' | play was with a legitimate deck, los | S65Q in a few hands.
 T think I'll change the deck" h: | said, and went to the buffet, return
 ing with a pack of the fleur-de-li I design. Shortly afterward the hos i said:
 Boys we're all supposed to be wis,
 fellows and old time card players. Bu
 I want to tell you that we've all beer
 ~oundly trimmed by a thief and , . rock" Then pointing to Trimmer
 he said; 'There is the mani