The Monmouth inquirer., 1926-05-06

with him, always at his table. Jaggers furnished
the capital and paid his assistants fixed sums at
the end of each day, after the winnings had been
handed over
When his winnings amounted to more than $780,
600 the authorities became desperate and sent to
Paris for experts who, after examining the losing
wheel found it slightly out of balance. 1t was
Immediately scrapped and since that time each
wheel is tested carefully with level every morn
ing before play starts.
Monte Carlo today isn't what it formerly was,
according to the complaints of habitues, who re-
member the Casino when it was the haunt of
monarchs and the nobility They don't like the
intrusion of curious tourists who shoot the works
to the extent of two or three dollars and call it
a day. OF course, the big plungers are ever at
hand, hut the romantic tales of the tables seem
to have occurred with greater frequency in the old
days than they do now.
There's a story of a captain OF a French war
cruiser who after losing the ships funds of which
he had charge, demanded that the management
make good his losses. The officials were deeply
moved by his tale and synpathized with him as
they always do with people who have lost large
sums. But, they shrugged their shoulders his
proposal was out of the question. "All right" re-
marked the very much ruined French navy cap
TAIN ''I'll give you until tomorrow to return
the amount of my ships funds If you don't
shall bring my ship into the harbor of Monaco,
command my men to train our guns on this Casino
map. A little more trouble for at this time
is as nothing"
Whether it was bluff OF not the threat worked
and It is recorded that the captain received back
the money he had taken from the ships safe.
Monte Carlo does everything in its power to
avoid scandal. So great is it's generosity that if
a player lose his ali he is offered a strong incen-
tive not to blow out his brains. This incentive is
called the 'viatique,7 and all the unfortunate one
has to do is to tell the proper official that he is
broke and that he wants his 'viatiquep The Off
cial scribbles something slip of paper and
directs him upstairs to another room. Here he
repeats the story of his losses after it is veri
fed the management provides a second-class pas
sage home with enough extra change for expenses
of the journey. OF course, you can't go in pur-
posely to lose your last dollar in order to get a
5000 'viatique" back to your home thousands of
miles away but if you're a bona hde loser you
can rely upon the Casino for assistance which
is given gladly in order that you won't commit
rash act and put them to the trouble and grief of
burying you in that tragic plot of ground on a
steep hillside outside the own-the Suicides
cemetery
Suicides at Monte Carlo average about twelve
year and of this number more than half the man
agement would like us to believe, prove not to be
gamblers at all, but and once In great while,
women who have lost little nothing at the
tables and have played only with small amounts
in the hope that gambling would be held respon-
sible for their acts The for choosing
Monaco is the convenience with which any one
bent on self-destruction may here achieve his ends
In the principally there is no bothersome coro-
ner's inquest and thus family quarrel the de-
spair of a Tilted lover or the shame Of betrayed
husband can be completely hidden.
Although a few real tragedies have occurred in
the gambling rooms, the employees are thoroughly
schooled in the art of making irregular happen
ings pass Off as regular or at most, as mere
trivialites If you faint or collapse at play, two