The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-10-20
THE GRATING CIRCUS
AN EXPOSE
By KID" HARRIS
AN EXPOSE
By KID" HARRIS
Continued from yesterday
Rarely Do Grafters Leave Show

asite circusmen leave the show for d ,
day or few days, and then only when !
wrong" officers, armed with warrants !
for them, follow the show in an at,
tempt to arrest them. In the event |
of police officers following graft |
ing circus to another town in pursuit |
of a gambler or a short changer, these
thieving showmen call it a "come-
through"
Settling With the Grafters
Some circuses that carry grating
games make a financial settlement
with the grafters every night. Other
graft-circuses settle with the thieves
once every week-on Sunday. The
settlement is made in this manner:
Dividing the Spells
The manager of the parasite circus
will call the "fixer" into his private
office on the circus train usually N
one end of the privilege cary. Then
the CRATER who operates the spindle,
for instance, is called into the office.
Says the manager: "Jos Doakes, how
much did you get today" The man
will answer somewhat in this wise:
Twelve hundred dollars"
Grafter's Percentage of Fixing"
Then the grafter's percentage of the
fixing" is deducted from $1,000. By
fixing" is here meant the total
amount of the money that the "fxer"
distributed that day. in bribing pub
/ lie officials. If there are three other
games besides this spindle mans
mans wheel, then Mr.. Spindleman is
charged twenty-five per cent of the
fixing. If the total fixing" that
day, was two hundred dollars, the
spindle man stands twenty-five per
cent of that sum, or fifty dollars is
deducted from $1,000, leaving $1,15O.
"Fixer's Percentage of Graft
Next, the ''fixer's" percentage is
deducted from the $1,150. The ''fix-
er's' percentage runs from fifteen
to twenty per cent. If there are two
"fxers", as there usually are, with
graft shows, they receive each, seven
and one-half or ten per cent. (Altho
oftentimes the boss "fixer" will re-
ceive fifteen or twenty per cent and
pay his assistant a fiat weekly sal
arv.) But the chief "fiXer" usually
settles for both "fixers". If the two
"fixers" percentage amounts to TWEEN
ty per cent, this twenty per cent Is
deducted from the S1,150. Twenty
per cent of $3.50 is $3.50. This
amount, deducted from $1,15O, leaves
balance of 1920.
. Circus Owner Gets Lions Share
This balance is divided, equally
between the circus owner and the MAJ
who runs said spindle game. That i:
to say, the circus owner and TIT
sDindle-game man each receive $3.50
: The circus owner. alone, receives S46O
CRATER Paws Booster Handlers"
. The spindla-gamc man, out Of HI
! $500. must paw salary or a percentag
- to each OF two or more confederate
- or accomplices ("outside men, an
:, 'booster handlers" as they are call
. ed. who have assisted him in tn
~ operation of his gambling device.
CRATER PAYS Booster Handlers"
g The spindle-game man out Of n
e $500. must pay salary or persentag
d to each of two or more confederate
: Or accomDlices ("outside men" an
If "booster handlers, as they are ca
# led. who have assisted him in tt
% operation of this gambling device.
Booster Handlers" or "Cappers"
~ These confederates are also me
. who travel with the grating circu
=" They dress to appear like unto ma
ives. These accomplices not on
play the game, and, apparently, w
money, but they also hire local your
A men and men of all ages in fact to
sist them on the games as "capper
a or "boosters' The patrons of Il
Mt show. seeing winning go, apparent
O. to men and youth of their vicinit
d. do not hesitate to play the game.
he How Short Change Money is Divid
II The short change pays the ''fixe
ten per cent Of the money he stea
after which he divides the balan
- ffty-ffty with the circus manag
t ment. Out of his fifty per cent
" the net Mr.. Short Changer must p
" a small sum to his accomplic'
Again the circus owner retains Al
~ of his fifty per cent.
- Grafters Travel in Circus Cars
is These circus grafters Cor ''grifter
sts as they are sometimes called ord
to arily occupy berths, sometimes sta
| tho G1r7,.ix-iIo ra ~ hnr