Evening star., 1932-11-06

" oVefDOard With his bank roll be-
cause the spring water trans
parency of pair of dice con-
vinced him that if they were loaded the fact
would certainly be apparent to the most astig-
matte eye.
And, when the fleeing was done. and the
affable stranger departed doubtless the victim
argued with himself much after this fashion:
I held those dice up to the light and looked
right through them-they couldn't have been
loaded-they must have been all right"
The chances that the highly educated
dice which divorced our friend from his money
were produced in one of 4 number Of thriving
factories sprinkled about the country-which
turn out nothing but equipment for the pill
gliding bamboozlers who reap the golden sucker
harvest.
These artisans have a business-an art
which has not been contaminated by the de-
preston.
New York's police department. like police
departments nearly everywhere, Is constantly
warning against gamblers Particularly are
they hot on the coattails of those INSCRIPTIONS
gentlemen who are not above marking or stack
ing q deck of cards, or of employing q thou
sand-odd diversified methods of cheating.
A T present Commissioner of Police Edward
P. Mulrooney is directing a concentrated
drive against some $4,000 speakeasies, stores
and clubs, where slot machines and other
games OF hardly any chance are operated.
Rarely IS a gambling raid conducted that
does not produce crooked cards, dice or some
mechanical device designed to cheat gullible
victims
Not SO very long ago, in a raid on suite
In hotel at Saratoga N. Y, detectives un-
covered q homemade coEtraption which must
have cost q number of unsuspecting poker play
ers considerable cash.
table was rigged up for card playing in
the parlor room Of the suite. On another table
sat an extremely innocent-appearing box, ap-
proxinnately foot square, done up very neatly
in brown wrapping paper, tied and addressed,
and giving every indication of just having been
received through the mail
In an adjoining room, a hole had been cut
tE the wall the wall paper restored and all
traces Of the alteration removed. man stood
on table in this ante room and peered through
the concealed opening at the cards in the hand
OF the victim, who was always. of course, seated
with his back turned to the lookout, and so
that his eyes would not rest on the au-impor-
tant box.
A N electrical wire, prudently concealed, ran
~ from this box down the table leg under
the rug around the wall, and finally into the
other room, where it was connected with
control box, near the hand of the lookout.
out read the cards in the hand of the dupe,
pressed the buttons on the control box-and one
by one, symbols and numbers flashed up on
the package in the other room; family but
plainly visible to the eyes Of his confederates
Detectives raided the suite and arrested three
men who had, over period of several weeks,
successfully worked their system.
It is just one among countless others.
In another and more recent raid New York
police seized set of magnetized dice, con-
trolled by q dry cell battery and seven magnets
which were hidden under q crap table" By
switching the current on and of, the dice were
made to roll up any combination the manipuia-
tor desired.
I AAGNETTZED dice sets are not unusual.
iVi In fact, they can be bought directly from
the manufacturer, and are listed in the cata-
log Of one such establishment under the head
ing Counter Electric Magnet" This brasen
little catalog describes the device in this man
ner:
This handy outfit consists OF one magnet
and coil and one floor switch or push
button. This is the most practical magnet for
ordinary use and can be placed under any
counter. table or bar, and viii work through
one inch Of wood, glass or other material Dice