Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-09

of the girl under difficulties and with consid-
cradle condescension on her part. She lets him
know that her name stands high in the social
world and that great favor has been con-
ferred upon him to permit him to bask In her
presence.
LAS a stin greater favor, he is allowed IN
q sudden emergency and for lack of another
player, to NIL In o hand at bridge. When the
game is finished he has lined the pockets Of
the gamblers.
Americans fall hardest for titles and when
the line is baited with the fictitious title OF
a sprg of nobility the victim swallows and Is
often glad to pay for the privilege of losing
money to SO distinguished parsonage.
UNJEARLY everybody plays cards nowadays.
and as money is more plentiful than it
used to be, the professional gamblers are reaping
a harvest. The country has become saturated
with rich bootleggers and oil millionaires, and
very often they don't care what happens TO
their cash
1T know man who not so long ago couldn't
pay the rent Of a cheap fat but his wife and
daughter recently spent fortune on them
selves in Europe. He returned with them look
ing for sport and he was not only willing but
anxious to meet the gambling fraternity. They
took more than 5000 from the man. but he
wouldn't think of attempting to prosecute. He
had enjoyed himself and considered that the
game was worth what 1t cost him.
Gamblers have no difficulty in picking up
cash once they discover its hiding place. Their
principal concern IS getting the right people to
play with them. They don't choose the game.
They sit down with any mans favorite game
and beat him at 1t, because they are invariably
three to his one.
Usually the money does not get back to the
owner If he refuses payment, they threaten
to sue him or expose him as a welcher. II he
can't afford the publicity doesn't know that
it is all a bluff, he pays. But sometimes they
slip and the roll comes back.
"A prominent Chinese merchant sat In q
bridge game with q crowd who were q little
dull. When one man slipped the Chinese dis
covered that they had been cheating him. He
was in the hole for $3,4OO and reported his
loss to the purser.
II met the boat at quarantine, but found
that the loser had changed his mind and would
not proceed against the men who had taken
his money. After some questioning learned
that his life had been threatened if he squealed.
Il persuaded him that his money could be
recovered and that his life would be in no
danger If he followed me. We went down to
the cabin of the chief conSpirator and told
him if he did not hand over the $3,400 he was
in danger of receiving some lead. The money
was turned over and then warned the man
that future meeting would result in his suf-
fering an accident from bullet. He dSap-
peared from the ocean.
THE men who work the transatlantic lanes
in the Summertime switch to the New York
Havana route in the Winter. Even when the
notices are posted and the purSer warns the
passengers about certain men who are known
to be professionals, there are people who think
they can beat q crooked game and they sit
down to play, knowing who their opponents
are.
"One man on the Cuban route lost $4,000,
but he was sure he hadn't been trimmed al
though he was warned in advance Of his play,
and he took his loss without attempting to
retrieve 1t.
"You can't stop card-playing, because 1t h
such a universally popular amusement, but n
you want to be sure it Is friendly game don't
forget the simple rule, Never play cards with
strangers on Shipboard.'"
Copyright 1929