GAMES AT FAIRS AND CIRCUSES.
There is scarcely a person who has visited a county fair, or patronized
a circus, whose attention has not been attracted by the presence upon
the grounds of an immense number of “fakirs,” as peripatetic tricksters
are often called. Probably many excellent people have wondered how it
happened that men of this class were allowed to introduce gambling
devices upon grounds which were supposed to be used for purposes of
rational entertainment, even if not of instruction. No gambling device
can be operated upon any fair-ground without the consent of the
directors of the Fair Association having been first had and obtained.
The members of this august body are usually selected on account of their
social prominence and their supposedly high moral character. It would
be, therefore, charitable to suppose that they are not aware of the
precise nature of the schemes the manipulation of which they tolerate.
A county fair, however, is essentially a money making scheme, and the
license fees derived from this source constitute no unimportant feature
of the managers’ revenue. Sometimes the “fakirs” gain permission to work
their various schemes through the ignorance of the directors. More
frequently they are well aware of their nature, and exact high fees in
consequence of this very knowledge. To illustrate: I myself once made
application for a license to operate a hap-hazard upon the grounds of
one of these associations. The secretary was a bank cashier, and the
moment that he saw my machine, exclaimed: “Why, I know all about that
thing. You can stop that whenever want to. Pay me $50, and you can go on
the grounds and ‘skin’ all you want to.” Naturally I paid the sum
demanded, and I happened to know that some fifteen or twenty other
contrivances of a like character were admitted to the same grounds upon
the same terms. This is but one instance of many that I could cite, in
which the director was equally well convinced that my contrivance was a
“fake,” pure and simple.
Such a transaction is a high-handed outrage upon the community. The men
who license schemes such as are described in this chapter are licensing
scoundrels, in comparison with whom pickpockets are respectable, to prey
upon their own towns-people, pocketing the money which they well know
has been made by fraud.
Sometimes it is thought necessary to preserve at least the semblance of
innocence on the part of the managers. When the application for a
license of one of these machines is received by the directors, some one
of the latter, whose conscience (?) will not permit him to sanction
schemes of fraud asks if the device in question is to be operated as a
“gift enterprise?” By this, he means, are there to be any blanks? If so,
his high moral sense will not permit him to tolerate its introduction
upon the grounds over which the Board has control. This objection is
easily removed, by introducing into the scheme a number of articles of
valueless jewelry, the presence of which among the prizes usually
removes all conscientious scruples of the objector. Occasionally, when
the moment for taking a vote arrives, “Squire Brown” is conveniently
absent, and the majority of the board acts without him. Sometimes the
gamblers are told that it will be necessary for them to submit to an
arrest and pay a small fine in order that the scruples and prejudices of
the public may be appeased. I have myself known this to happen more than
once.
After the license has been granted and the various games are in
operation, it is not an uncommon occurrence for the town marshal or
sheriff to put in an appearance, and extort from $5.00 to $10.00 per day
in consideration of there being no molestation offered. This payment is
what the “fakirs” call “sugaring,” and I have never known one of these
officials for whom the dose could be made too sweet. I have submitted to
this extortion of blackmail (for it is nothing else) several times when
I was convinced, to a moral certainty, that the directors were receiving
a percentage of the money which I paid over to the officers.
Sometimes a different policy is adopted by the managers. The prosecuting
attorney and sheriff find it necessary to leave town on urgent business,
and are therefore totally unaware of what is going on. In such a case, a
purse is usually made up for these officials by contributions from the
proprietors of the various “fakes,” which is always understood by the
gamblers to be intended for the sheriff and prosecutor. It may be that a
portion of the money raised sticks to the fingers of the man to whom its
payment is entrusted, but my own impression is that in a majority of
cases the greater proportion of it, reaches the parties for whom it was
intended.
It is the hope of the author that what is here said may serve to open
the eyes of reflecting citizens to the grave character of the evil which
is pointed out. Too much cannot be said in reprehension of such conduct
on the part of men to whom the community entrusts interests of such a
character. And if any member of any Board of Directors of any county
fair will carefully read the pages which follow, he will, at least, find
it forever impossible hereafter to plead ignorance, by way of
extenuation of a vote to tolerate the introduction of any of these
devices among his own acquaintances.
NEEDLE WHEEL.
[Illustration: needle wheel]
This is an exceedingly ingenious and very delicately constructed piece
of mechanism. The accompanying cut affords a view of its appearance, but
cannot be understood without some explanation. It consists of three
parts. The outer rim, which is stationary, contains thirty-two metal
grooves, or pockets, numbered, apparently without special arrangement,
from one to thirty-two. Inside this rim, is a circular piece of wood,
resembling a wheel, but without spokes, which is covered with cloth.
Above this, and of about equal size with it, is a saucer-shaped piece of
wood, in which are bored three holes. On the table on which the wheel is
placed stands a wooden box, containing thirty-two compartments, numbered
consecutively from one to thirty-two. In these compartments are placed
sixteen money prizes, which the players believe they have a chance to
win. Apparently, the chances are exactly even, the number of prizes and
of blanks being equal.
When the game is played upon fair-grounds, and the directors of the fair
insist that it shall be operated as a gift enterprise in which there
shall be no blanks, articles of cheap jewelry are placed in the
compartments, which under other circumstances are left blank.
The mode of playing is as follows: One wishing to win a prize pays fifty
cents or $1.00 (in proportion to the size of the crowd) for the
privilege of making the attempt. He then places a marble in the upper
wheel or saucer, which is given a twirl, either by himself or the
proprietor, the lower wheel being usually set in motion at the same
time, but in an opposite direction. As the upper wheel revolves, the
marble flies around and finally falls through one of the holes on to the
lower wheel. The latter slopes gently from centre to circumference and
the marble naturally rolls down to one of the compartments in the outer
rim, where it stops. If it has fallen into a winning number, the player
receives the prize placed in the compartment of the box or case, having
the corresponding number. If, on the other hand, it has fallen into a
blank number, he receives nothing.
To the uninitiated, this appears very fair. The “fake” element consists
of the apparatus which is concealed beneath the table, the existence of
which is not even suspected by the players. Running up through the
middle of both wheels is a rod ornamented with a knob on the top. This
knob actually operates a thumb-screw which sets in motion a system of
sixteen wire levers, lettered “b, b, b,” on the diagram, which force up
through the cloth covering a like number of fine needle points, “c, c,
c.” One of these points (none of which are larger than the point of a
fine cambric needle and cannot be detected by the eye) rises in front of
each winning number, and when the marble is in danger of entering a
lucky compartment it strikes against one of these points, its course
being thus deflected into one of the adjacent pockets, resulting in the
players inevitably drawing a blank.
Naturally, after a greenhorn has lost several times consecutively, he
grows suspicious, and in order to induce him to venture still farther,
it is necessary that some one should appear to win. Just here comes in
the “capper,” whose assistance in all games of this description is
indispensable. When he makes his appearance, he is at once recognized by
the manipulator of the machine through giving a pre-arranged signal. As
soon as he buys a chance, the proprietor relaxes the tension of the
thumb-screw; the wire levers fall; the needle points sink below the
surface of the table; and the marble is allowed to go where chance
dictates. If the confederate fails to win the first time, he perseveres
until he succeeds. The result is that the waning confidence of the crowd
is restored, and the poor, deluded fools once more press eagerly forward
to “try their luck,” in a game where “luck” is an utter impossibility.
This is a favorite game for playing “doubles or quits,” or, as gamblers
sometimes say, “representing.” By this is meant doubling a stake once
lost; thus, if a man loses $1.00, he risks $2.00 a second time; if he
loses again, he stakes $4.00, then $8.00, $16.00, $32.00, and so on. The
author has himself won $1,300 under this system of betting by means of
this device from one man at a single county fair.
The services of the “capper” are of great value in inducing players to
adopt this system of betting. When he makes his appearance, he
ordinarily asks some bystander to twirl the wheel and drop the marble
for him. When he has won, he usually buys another chance for the benefit
of the “sucker” who has kindly performed this office for him. The victim
is, of course, quite willing to play at some one else’s expense, and is
not infrequently induced, after losing the $1.00 which was put up for
him, to continue playing, with his own money, on the system of “doubles
or quits,” as explained above.
CORONA OR MASCOT.
This game is of recent date as compared with the needle wheel and
squeeze spindle, of which it is, in effect, but a modification. I first
saw it in the autumn of 1884, while I was traveling with “Mexican
Cortenas’ Wild West Show.”
[Illustration: corona]
To operate the machine two men are necessary, in addition to a number of
“cappers.” The apparatus consists of a circular piece of wood, usually
some 2½ feet in diameter, at the outer rim of which are painted numbers
from 1 to 60. Inside this is placed a round plate of heavy glass, on
which is painted either an arrow or a small pointer. This inner plate
revolves upon a central pivot. Prizes of money or jewelry are placed
upon the numbers. Those who wish to win any of them buy tickets, on each
of which is inscribed a number, the purchaser selecting his ticket at
random, from a large number which are placed in a box. At the right of
the ostensible proprietor sits his confederate, who poses as “book-
keeper.” In order that no “sucker” may, by any chance, win a prize of
any value, a lever, similar to that used in the squeeze spindle is sunk
into the table and concealed by the cloth cover. The “book-keeper,” by
pressing on the end of the wire rod, which is directly underneath his
book, can apply friction to the pivot and cause the wheel to stop at any
number which he may choose. It is hardly necessary to say that the box
from which the purchaser takes his ticket contains none bearing the
number which would call for a valuable prize. In order, however, to keep
up the interest of the dupes and stimulate their spirit of gaming, the
“book-keeper” occasionally brings the glass to a stand still at a point
where the arrow indicates a money prize. Instantly a “capper” steps
forward from among the crowd, presents a ticket and claims the prize.
The ticket is carelessly thrown on one side and the money handed over to
the confederate, who takes his departure. The unsuspecting fools who are
not in the secret pursue the play with fresh zest, each one fancying
that he has some chance of winning a large stake “next time,” but
unfortunately for the victim the moment for his winning never comes.
In case any of the players should become suspicious, and demand a sight
of the tickets remaining in the box, in order to satisfy himself that
the numbers corresponding to the money prizes are actually there, the
proprietor cheerfully assents, readily producing the box, into which he
has surreptitiously transferred the necessary cards from his pocket.
WHEEL OF FORTUNE OR CHUCK-A-LUCK.
This is the name given to a gambling device which has been a favorite
with the “fraternity” for many years, and which has never failed to
prove a sure bait to trap the unwary and an unfailing source of rich
income to its manipulators.
[Illustration: wheel of fortune]
It is made with or without a “fake” attachment, its general appearance
in either case being the same. The nature of the “fake” and its mode of
operation will be explained below; the construction of the wheel will be
first described.
It is a handsome apparatus, standing about seven feet high. The wheel
itself is usually about four feet in diameter, and rests upon a tripod
three feet in height. Inside the rim of the wheel is a twelve-pointed
star, between each two points of which are inscribed either five or six
numbers, the figures being painted on the rim and running from one to
sixty or seventy-two, consecutively. The wheel and star revolve
simultaneously around a common axis. At the top of the wheel is an
arrow, pointing downward, which serves as an indicator.
Around the wheel is a wooden frame which is covered with cloths on
which, when the seventy-two number wheel is used, are painted the
numbers one to six, or on which are arranged paddles, each one of which
is marked with either one or six numbers, the uses of which will be
described later.
The wheel is used either as an adjunct to a scheme for the distribution
of cheap prizes or as a means of making bets. The former plan is the one
generally adopted at small fairs, when a “lay-out” of inexpensive
queen’s or glass ware is spread upon the table, each article, or lot,
bearing its own number. In this case, the manipulation of the wheel is
sometimes conducted fairly, the legitimate odds in favor of the
proprietor being sufficient to justify him in giving the dupes some sort
of a chance.
Where the game is played for prizes, the common practice is to use the
paddles above referred to, each inscribed with six numbers, the twelve
paddles embracing the range from one to seventy-two. Each person wishing
to take a chance pays for a paddle (usually twenty-five cents), and when
all possible have been sold, the wheel is set in motion. When it comes
to rest, the indicator at the top points to a number, and the holder of
the paddle bearing the corresponding number has it at his option either
to take the prize or $1.50 in money.
The most profitable form of the wheel, however, is that which is
sometimes designated the “six number wheel,” so called because the
spaces between the points of the star are each numbered from one to six.
When this device is operated, the frame is sometimes covered with oil-
cloths, each containing six squares, numbered from one to six. Sometimes
six paddles, each bearing a separate number (running from one to six)
are employed besides the cloths; and not infrequently a double set of
paddles, similarly numbered.
In the latter case, the players place their stakes on some one or more
numbers upon the cloth. The paddles are used when the crowd is too great
to be accommodated at the cloths. When the wagers have all been placed,
the wheel is set in motion. Breathlessly the players await the result.
When it ceases to revolve, the indicator at the top points to some
number. The player who has placed his stake upon that number has it
returned to him, increased by four.
As a matter of fact, however, when the wheel comes to rest it is usually
discovered that no heavy player has been fortunate enough to make just
that bet. The reason is simple. The reader who will carefully examine
the accompanying diagram will perceive the representation of a rod
running through the upright support of the wheel and one of the legs of
the tripod, thence turning to the right and terminating under a plank in
the floor, directly below the operator’s foot. By simply pressing on
this mechanicism, the latter checks the motion of the wheel by
application of friction at the pivot, and brings it to a standstill at
any point which he may desire.
Not always, however, is the proprietor of the wheel the only sharper on
the ground. Sometimes he discovers, when it is too late, that he has
been playing a game of “diamond cut diamond.” His apparatus fails to
work as he had expected, and when he has “gone broke,” as gamblers term
financial ruin, he carefully examines his wheel, and learns that some
more astute scoundrel than himself has plugged some point on the
circumference with lead, bringing it to rest by the simple but sure
operation of the law of gravitation.
Sometimes, instead of the numbers above referred to, there are used
certain printed inscriptions, representing speculative articles dealt in
on the floors of the stock and produce exchanges, such as pork, lard,
wheat, corn, oats, rye, barley, seeds, and various kinds of corporation
stocks. This form of the device is ordinarily known as the “Board of
Trade Wheel,” and is sometimes found to be very popular in rural
districts.
SQUEEZE SPINDLE.
This device has been successfully employed in defrauding the unwary for
nearly two score years, and is still to be found on every fair ground in
the United States where the directors are men of sufficiently easy
morality to permit unprincipled sharpers to fleece their townspeople for
a consideration. I have myself won thousands through this very means.
[Illustration: SQUEEZE SPINDLE.]
It is usually made of wood, with a metal arrow, weighing about seven
pounds, swinging on a pivot in the centre (I). About this pivot are
arranged numbers—generally either from 1 to 16 or from 1 to 32, in the
form of an ellipse. At three points, equidistant from each other, are
depicted three horses and the numbers are arranged in alternate blocks,
usually of red, white and black. Outside the ellipse are little metal
pegs, one being placed opposite each number.
The mode of playing is simple in the extreme. As many persons can engage
in the game as can stand around the table. Each player places the amount
which he wishes to bet on the color or horse which he selects. The
proprietor gives odds of ten to one on the horses and even bets are made
on the colors. That is to say: if a player wagers a dollar on the red
and wins, the proprietor pays him a dollar and returns his stake. If he
bets a dollar on a horse and wins, he receives $10 in addition to his
original wager.
The bets being all made, some one—it is immaterial who—sets the arrow in
motion. When it ceases revolving, the slender point, to which is usually
attached a small piece of leather, comes to rest between some two of the
pegs, and the player whose money has been placed on the number indicated
wins the amount of his stake.
As a matter of fact, however, it is impossible for any one to win
without the proprietor’s consent. At the point four, as shown in the
diagram, is placed a metal disc, resembling a button, which is attached
to a stout wire rod, which in turn is sunk into the wooden top of the
table and entirely concealed from view by the cloth covering of the
latter. When this metal button is pressed, it operates the rod, the
other end of which, by creating friction at the central pivot, gradually
stops the movement of the arrow, and the operator is enabled to bring
the latter to a standstill at whatever point in the ellipse he may see
fit. It would seem that this contrivance gave the proprietor of the
machine sufficient advantage over the unsuspecting players, but he is
not content with this. To operate the wire it is necessary that he
should put his hand upon the table. Sometimes a “sucker” objects to this
movement, and demands that he remove his hand. In order to be prepared
for such an emergency, another contrivance is attached, the location of
which is indicated on the diagram by figure three. In its essential
features, the latter contrivance closely resembles the one operated by
the button, but it is worked by pressure from some part of the body,
usually the hip.
To show how easily and successfully a machine of this sort may be used
for purposes of swindling, I will relate an incident in my own
experience which happened while I was at a county fair, at Olney, Ill.,
in the autumn of 1882. In connection with a partner, I was operating one
of these spindles of the sort which I have described. At the fair was a
young man from the country, who had disposed of a horse for $140. He had
seen me working the machine, and was anxious to quit the dull monotony
of country life and travel with me, as a gambler and a man of leisure. I
had an interview with him at the hotel the same evening, and disposed of
one-half interest in the business for $60, which he promptly paid in
cash. Thereupon I instructed him in the operation of the machine, but
concealed from him the existence of the wire which was operated by
pressure from the hip. The following day we repaired to the fairgrounds,
and I left him in charge of the apparatus. His bank roll consisted of
$160, of which we had each advanced $80. The young man was not aware
that I already had a partner in the business, the latter having been
acting as “capper” and keeping himself in the background. When the
country boy began to run the machine, my partner sauntered up to the
table and began to play. I was on one side, at a safe distance, watching
the entire game. My new partner undertook to work the wire which was to
be operated by the hand; my former partner forestalled all his efforts
by working the rod which was pressed by the body. The result was that
the bank was speedily broken, my original partner walking off with the
assets and leaving my new acquaintance in a condition of decided
financial embarrassment. He still, however, owned a nominal one-half
interest in the machine, which I soon learned was for sale, and that
being known we directed our efforts to winning this back. Accordingly, I
bought him out for $20. He next entered into an agreement with the man
who had succeeded so admirably in beating him, and they agreed that if I
would stand back from the table and permit them to twirl the spindle,
they would risk their joint funds. Once more my former partner operated
the wire with his hip, and the result was that in a short time we had
again in our possession the $20 which I had paid to repurchase his half
interest to me. When he went home, he was undoubtedly a sadder, though I
doubt whether, to this day, he is a very much wiser man.
In the latest construction of these fraudulent spindles, the cheats have
invoked the aid of science, and the result has been a machine which, for
simplicity and perfection of operation, cannot be surpassed. It is known
among sporting men as the “magnetic spindle,” because of the sinking of
magnets into the table directly below the losing numbers. The cloth
which covers them, while it conceals them from view, does not interfere
with their operation. The needle, being of brass, necessarily comes to
rest directly above some one of them, thus indicating a number which
inevitably brings loss to the player. This contrivance is of
comparatively recent invention and is highly prized by men of the class
who use devices of this description.
Of course, with such a machine, it is impossible that the arrow should
ever point to a winning number. This would seem to render the employment
of confederates as fictitious winners of prizes an impossibility. To
obviate the difficulty which thus presents itself, the proprietor simply
changes the location of some prize in the “lay-out” from a winning to a
losing number, to correspond with that which the “capper” has made.
Yet another form of the “squeeze spindle”—which made its appearance some
years after the centennial of ’76, and which soon found favor among
professional “brace” gamblers and confidence men, is known to the
profession as the “three spindle” machine. It differs from the “squeeze
spindle” already described, only in that it contains three arrows or
“pointers,” instead of one, two of which are under control of the
operator through the employment of friction at the pivot by means of
precisely similar contrivances. There is a slightly better chance given
players, for the reason that one of the revolving needles is allowed to
come to rest by chance. It is not difficult, however, to perceive the
very large preponderance of chances in favor of the sharper, who has it
always in his power to determine who shall win the large wagers.
Gamblers who work a contrivance of this character always offer to pay
the bettor three to one, on the contingency of all three arrows stopping
on the same number. It would be comparatively safe for them to offer
considerably heavier odds, inasmuch as such an event constitutes one of
the remote possibilities of a century.
In the “three spindle” machines, the numbers are commonly arranged in
blocks of from one to six, but the “horses” are sometimes represented.
“Suckers” are more easily attracted by this arrangement, inasmuch as
they suppose that they have four “chances” (?) to win, instead of one.
In connection with the explanation of the operation of the squeeze
spindle it may not be out of place to relate a little narrative of what
the author once personally witnessed upon the fair-grounds at a Missouri
town. A sharper, who had “interviewed” the directors, “convinced” them
that his machine was entirely honest, and “arranged” matters
satisfactorily all around, felt serenely secure in the operation of his
“privilege.” [And right here I again condemn the granting of such
“privileges.” A “privilege” to do what? To prey upon the ignorant; to
dupe the unwary; to victimize the unsuspecting; to debauch the young;
and to scatter broadcast the seeds of corruption, whose fruit will be
misery in every home.] But this is by the way, let us return to the
narrative. The “privileged” gambler had set up his wheel, and to use a
slang phrase, “was doing a land-office business.” A verdant countryman
approached the machine. Over and over he tried his “luck,” which every
time—as a matter of course—rested with the “privileged” monopolist. This
went on for some time, and I, as a disinterested spectator, watched the
game. The agriculturalist quit a loser to the extent of some $50. The
blackleg’s face was impassable. The countryman thrust his hand into his
pocket; when he withdrew it, it clasped a long-bladed knife, the blade
reflecting the light. “Stranger,” said he, “I want my money back. I
don’t know how you did it, but you’ve cheated me, and I’m going to get
even. Give me back that money!” Only the unnatural pallor on the old
man’s face indicated the extreme tension of his feelings. The swindler
looked at him. At least seventy-five or a hundred persons were standing
around; something had to be done, and promptly. “Why, old man,” said the
proprietor, “there’s no use in your cutting up rough. Of course you can
have your money. I was only joking.” And with these words he returned
the dishonest winnings.
TIVOLI OR BAGATELLE.
This game is at once one of the most seductive and the most deceptive in
the outfit of the peripatetic gambler. In some minor respects it
resembles the children’s game of the same name, inasmuch as both are
played upon a board containing a number of pins and having numbered
compartments at the lower end. At this point, however, the resemblance
ceases.
[Illustration: tivoli]
The gambling device known by this name is shown in the accompanying
illustrations, figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 represents the table and figure
2 the cloth which always hangs behind it, and forms an indispensable
feature of the game. In explaining the diagrams, the construction of the
table will be first described. It is made of wood usually about 3½ to 4
feet in length and 2 feet broad, and when in use the upper end rests
upon a wooden framework, giving the board an inclination of some 30
degrees. Running lengthwise through the centre of the table is a wooden
partition, dividing it into two equal parts. At the lower end of each
division are ten compartments, open at the top, each set being numbered
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0. At the upper end of each division is a
gate, lettered on the diagram c.c. Between the gates and the numbered
compartments are placed metal pins or pegs, arranged substantially as
shown by the dots on the diagram. Directly below the lower row of pins
and extending over the upper ends of the compartments is a board, which
runs entirely across the table, but only one-half of which is shown in
the illustration. Before describing the mode of play, an explanation of
the cloth (as shown in fig. 2) is necessary. This cloth is generally
three feet in length by two in breadth, and is divided into 100 squares,
arranged and divided as shown in the cut. The figures—$1.00, $5.00,
etc.—in the squares indicate the prizes which may be won by the players.
The abbreviation “bl’k.” stands for “blank,” and indicates the losing
numbers, on which no prize is paid. The letters “rep.” are an
abbreviation for “represent,” and show that the player who happens to
make the number in that square must, if he does not wish to lose his
stake, double it and play again.
TIVOLI OR BAGATELLE.
┌────────┬────────┬────────┬────────┬────────┬────────┬────────┬────────┐
│Jewelry.│ $5.00 │ $2.00 │ $10.00 │ $1.00 │ $10.00 │Jewelry.│ Blank. │
│ 20 │ 47 │ 79 │ 11 │ 71 │ 25 │ 6 │ 16 │
├────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤
│ Rep. │Jewelry.│ $10.00 │ $10.00 │ $5.00 │ $5.00 │ $10.00 │Jewelry.│
│ 96 │ 26 │ 97 │ 29 │ 83 │ 39 │ 59 │ 32 │
├────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤
│ Blank. │ $5.00 │Jewelry.│ Rep. │ $2.00 │ $5.00 │ Rep. │ $1.00 │
│ 00 │ 85 │ 34 │ 58 │ 41 │ 21 │ 68 │ 55 │
├────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤
│ $1.00 │ Blank. │ $5.00 │ $1.00 │Jewelry.│ $5.00 │ Blank. │ Rep. │
│ 91 │ 40 │ 5 │ 75 │ 62 │ 93 │ 72 │ 14 │
├────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤
│ Rep. │Jewelry.│ Rep. │Jewelry.│ Rep. │ $2.00 │Jewelry.│ Rep. │
│ 22 │ 80 │ 54 │ 28 │ 84 │ 57 │ 64 │ 42 │
├────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤
│Jewelry.│Jewelry.│ $10.00 │ $2.00 │ $10.00 │Jewelry.│ $5.00 │ $2.00 │
│ 66 │ 30 │ 45 │ 2 │ 35 │ 78 │ 7 │ 27 │
├────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤
│ Blank. │ Rep. │ Rep. │ Blank. │Jewelry.│ $5.00 │ $20.00 │Jewelry.│
│ 18 │ 88 │ 38 │ 10 │ 92 │ 53 │ 17 │ 48 │
├────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤
│Jewelry.│ Rep. │Jewelry.│Jewelry.│ $25.00 │ $2.00 │ $1.00 │ $1.00 │
│ 50 │ 74 │ 94 │ 24 │ 33 │ 99 │ 81 │ 23 │
├────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤
│ $1.00 │Jewelry.│ $2.00 │ $5.00 │ $5.00 │Jewelry.│ $5.00 │ $2.00 │
│ 65 │ 86 │ 61 │ 49 │ 63 │ 76 │ 69 │ 37 │
├────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤
│ Blank. │ Rep. │Jewelry.│ $1.00 │ $5.00 │ $5.00 │Jewelry.│ Rep. │
│ 46 │ 56 │ 36 │ 77 │ 43 │ 19 │ 60 │ 12 │
├────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤
│ $2.00 │ $5.00 │Jewelry.│Jewelry.│ Rep. │ $5.00 │ $5.00 │ Rep. │
│ 95 │ 1 │ 52 │ 82 │ 70 │ 31 │ 13 │ 90 │
├────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤
│Jewelry.│Jewelry.│Jewelry.│ $2.00 │ Rep. │ $5.00 │ $5.00 │ $5.00 │
│ 8 │ 4 │ 98 │ 73 │ 44 │ 9 │ 51 │ 87 │
├────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤
│ │ │ $2.00 │ $5.00 │ $2.00 │ $2.00 │ │ │
│ │ │ 15 │ 67 │ 89 │ 3 │ │ │
└────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┘
Those who wish to play, pay the proprietor a certain sum for the
privilege of dropping two marbles down the board, one rolling through
each of the gates C.C. The little spheres (d.d.) roll down the inclined
plane, their course being deflected from point to point, by the metal
pins until they finally come to rest in the compartments at the lower
end, one on each side of the centre board. The operator then looks to
see the numbers into which they have fallen. If the left hand marble has
rolled into “0,” the number of the right hand one only is taken. If the
latter rolls into “0,” and the left hand one, into some compartment
bearing a significant number, the entire amount is read as 10, 20, 30,
40, etc. If both numbers roll into the numbered compartments, both
figures are read, as e. g. 56, 79, 84, etc.
The number made by the player having been thus learned, the cloth is
inspected with a view to ascertaining the result of his play. If the
number which he has made calls for a prize, the same is handed to him.
If he has “drawn a blank,” he has to content himself with his loss. If
his number corresponds to a square containing the abbreviation “rep.,”
he may either lose the sum paid or double his stake and try again.
To show how utterly impossible it is for a chance player to win, it is
only necessary to explain the very simple secret mechanism which enables
the operator to send the marble into a losing compartment at his own
will. If the reader will look at the diagram, I, he will see a slender
line running from the right hand set of numbered compartments along the
entire length of the board, on its right hand side, and terminating near
the gate (c.), its course being indicated by the line (b.b.). This line
represents a stiff wire lever, placed below the board and entirely under
the control of the manipulator. By working this lever he can raise a row
of ten triangular metal points, marked a,a,a, all of which are covered
by the board at the lower end of the table, and which are so arranged
that one shall stand in front of each alternate compartment. When the
marble strikes one of these points, as a matter of course, it inevitably
glances off into one of the adjacent divisions. The peculiar beauty of
the contrivance, as viewed from a gambler’s standpoint, is the fact that
the compartments in front of which the points are placed are inscribed
with the winning numbers. The divisions into which the marbles are
forced to roll invariably correspond to those numbers on the cloth which
contain those words (so ominous to the greenhorn) “blank” or
“represent.”
In this, as in all similar games, the assistance of “cappers” is
indispensable. The dupes who stake their money in good faith are never
permitted to win, but unless somebody occasionally draws a prize,
interest is certain to be supplanted by a sense of discouragement. It
follows that confederates must be at hand. One of these will approach
the table and after being recognized by the operator will buy a chance.
At once the metal points are so placed that he has an even chance of
winning and he perseveres until he draws a handsome prize. Ordinarily,
however, the “capper” resorts to stratagem. Approaching a countryman, he
offers to “divide risks” with him; i. e., to advance half the money and
share equally in the gains or losses. As long as the “capper” and the
“sucker” play together, they invariably lose. Should the dupe become
disgusted with his “run of hard luck,” the “capper” continues to play
alone. The operator works the lever and his confederate soon wins a
prize; the greenhorn (who always stands near, to await the issue) at
once feels encouraged, and it usually requires little persuasion on the
“capper’s” part to induce him to make another venture.
JENNY WHEEL TABLE.
┌────────┬────────┬────────┬────────┐
│ $2.00 │Jewelry.│Jewelry.│ Rep. │
│ 9 │ 14 │ 2 │ 8 │
├────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤
│ $1.00 │ $10.00 │ $10.00 │Jewelry.│
│ 3 │ 27 │ 21 │ 18 │
├────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤
│ $5.00 │Jewelry.│Jewelry.│ $5.00 │
│ 23 │ 32 │ 16 │ 25 │
├────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤
│ $2.00 │Jewelry.│Jewelry.│Jewelry.│
│ 13 │ 20 │ 28 │ 4 │
├────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤
│ $10.00 │ $5.00 │Jewelry.│Jewelry.│
│ 17 │ 1 │ 10 │ 22 │
├────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤
│ $10.00 │Jewelry.│ Blank. │Jewelry.│
│ 5 │ 30 │ 26 │ 12 │
├────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤
│Jewelry.│ $10.00 │ $1.00 │ $2.00 │
│ 24 │ 11 │ 15 │ 29 │
├────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤
│ $2.00 │Jewelry.│ $10.00 │ $25.00 │
│ 19 │ 6 │ 31 │ 7 │
└────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┘
THE JENNY WHEEL.
This device is most commonly used by the “small fry” gamblers, and I
have never known any large sum to be either won or lost through its
manipulation. It is a “fake,” pure and simple, and the apparatus for
cheating is so simple in construction that it could be easily detected
should a victim ask for the privilege of examining it. Should such an
inconvenient request be made, however, the manipulator can readily pick
up the whole apparatus and deposit it in his overcoat pocket.
[Illustration: jenny wheel]
It is some 6 or 8 inches in diameter, and is made of wood. In its
general principle it closely resembles the “needle wheel,” although far
less ingenious and by no means so complicated. It consists of a disc of
wood, on the rim of which are painted numbers 1 to 32, in consecutive
order. Between each two numbers is placed a thin brass plate, about a
quarter of an inch in height. Every alternate piece runs a little
farther in toward the centre than does the one next to it. The disc
slopes a little outward from the centre all around toward the
circumference. Above the disc is placed a somewhat smaller saucer-shaped
piece of wood, similar to that used in the “needle wheel,” and likewise
perforated with three holes near the centre. This upper saucer-like
plate revolves. In it is placed a marble, and the saucer is set in
motion. The marble falls through one of the holes, and rolls down the
incline into one of the little numbered compartments which, as I have
said, are separated by thin brass plates.
A small case containing articles of cheap jewelry stands near the wheel,
each one bearing a number. The player pays a stipulated sum—usually
twenty five cents—for the privilege of twirling the saucer containing
the marble and taking his chances of winning a prize. If the marble
falls into a compartment numbered to correspond with the number attached
to any one of the prizes exposed in the case, the article so numbered is
given to him. If, unfortunately, he draws a blank, he receives nothing.
The “fake” element in the device consists in the prolongation of each
alternative brass division between the numbers on the wheel. Of course,
the saucer is always set in motion in the same direction, usually from
left to right. The marble necessarily rolls in the same direction, and
when it strikes one of the protruding brass plates it inevitably rolls
into the compartment just next to the prolonged division. In numbering
the prizes the proprietor is careful so to arrange the blanks that the
latter may always correspond with the numbers of the compartments into
which the marble is sure to roll. The saucer plate into which the marble
is first placed, sets down so close upon the lower disc, that the ends
of the dividing plates cannot be seen by the players, who naturally
suppose that they are all of equal length.
As I have said, this apparatus is not well adapted to winning large
sums, yet where a fair is being held, as much as $50 or $60 may be won
in one day. This, however, is considered a comparatively poor return for
the risk, expense and trouble which the operator incurs.
O’LEARY BELT.
Like the other swindling devices which have been described, the
mechanism of this contrivance is easily operated, and, when explained,
readily comprehended. It is, however, what is called, in the slang of
the street, a “sure winner” for the manipulator. Thousands of dollars
have been won through its operation in a single day, without the
possibility of the dupes discovering how they have been defrauded.
[Illustration: o’leary belt]
In order to work it successfully, it is indispensable that the top of
the machine be raised high enough above the heads of the surrounding
crowd to prevent the bystanders from seeing the interior, inasmuch as
such a view would disclose the apparatus by means of which they are
robbed of their money. With this end in view, the gambler always
operates it from a buggy, the upper part of the machine standing about
three feet above the floor of the conveyance.
As will be seen in the cut, the device consists of a hoop-wheel (D B), a
supporting rod and a box platform, supporting the rod and wheel. The
apparatus maybe taken apart and neatly packed in this box. On the box is
placed a valise containing money. The wheel, or “belt,” is made of
brass, and is about sixteen inches in diameter and four inches broad. It
contains thirty-two compartments or pockets, each one containing a card,
which is held in position by a small fold of metal on each of three
sides. These cards may be perfectly blank, though usually they contain
pictures of famous beauties, or other celebrities. The valise, which is
shown in the illustration at the foot of the upright rod, contains
money. Inside the metal hoop is a leather belt, on which, at equal
distances, are painted numbers representing sums of money, so arranged
that one will fall behind each alternate compartment. When the cards are
raised, the belt is seen through a rectangular opening at the back.
The driver of the buggy carries a number of whips. As soon as a crowd
has gathered around him (which is certain to happen in a very few
moments), he informs the spectators that any one or more may, for $1.00,
purchase a chance to win a money prize, varying in amount from $1.00 to
$20.00. Some one having expressed an inclination to buy, the proprietor
takes his money and hands him a whip, with which to point to any one of
the thirty-two sections of the “hoop” which he may select. The purchaser
having rested the whip on a compartment, the operator removes the card
which he has touched. Underneath is shown either a blank space on the
“belt” or one inscribed with a certain sum. If it happen to be the
latter, the buyer is given the amount indicated; if the former, he
receives nothing.
Of course, as in all similar gambling machines, it is optional with the
manipulator whether the player win or lose. In the apparatus in
question, the “fake” is worked as follows: The inside of the “belt”
contains very small numbers, corresponding precisely in location to
those seen when the cards are raised. The operator, standing in the
buggy, is, of course, able to see these inner numbers. As soon as a
“sucker” has touched a card, the proprietor knows what number, if any,
lies beneath it. If below it there is a blank space, he at once raises
the card and shows the dupe that he has lost. If, on the other hand, he
perceives that the victim has won a prize, he stoops down toward the
valise, ostensibly to take out money, but really to touch a secret knob
or button, (lettered F in the cut) which works a wire (c) concealed
beneath the cover of the box and running up through the hollow rod until
it terminates in a hook (A B), which, by pressure, may be attached to
the inner leather belt. By operating this wire, he is able to shift the
position of the latter and thus so transfer the positions of the numbers
thereon painted that a blank may be substituted for a prize at his own
will. Thus, when a player has in fact won a prize, the gambler, through
a dextrous manipulation of the inner belt, by means of his secret
apparatus, shifts a blank to the aperture, removes the card which the
player has touched, and, presto! shows him that he has lost.
Before commencing operations, the proprietor usually removes the inner
belt, which he exhibits to the crowd, in order to show them that there
is nothing concealed. The curved hook (A B), of course remains, hidden
from view behind the metal hoop.
Many and ingenious are the devices of the operator to induce greenhorns
to purchase chances. A favorite method is to offer to buy the player’s
chance as soon as he touches a card with his whip, offering him $2.00 or
$3.00 therefor. If he accepts, the manipulator, by moving the inner belt
before he withdraws the card, can show him a large prize painted thereon
and thus easily convince him that had he declined the offer he might
have won five, ten, or even twenty dollars.
Of course, the aid of “cappers” is a _sine qua non_, since, if no one
wins, the crowd will soon grow suspicious. When a confederate buys a
chance and touches a card with the whip, the manipulator looks at the
inside of the belt to ascertain whether he has won a prize. If he has,
the sum called for is given him; if not, the “belt” is shifted by means
of the hook until a prize is brought behind the aperture, when the card
is raised and the crowd is speedily informed of his “good luck.”
As many persons can buy chances at one time at this game as the
proprietor has whips, usually six or seven players taking one each. No
two players, however, are allowed to touch adjacent sections, inasmuch
as in such a case one of them would inevitably win. When several
purchase chances at one time, the operator raises but one card at a
time, and thus finds abundant leisure in which to move the belt to meet
the exigencies of each case as it presents itself.
It may be easily seen that this device is better adapted for use upon
fair grounds, or other open places, than in the public streets. Its
successful operation depends upon the proprietor’s being so far above
the heads of the crowd that his manipulation of the inner belt cannot be
seen. When the fraud is practiced in a crowded thoroughfare, great care
must be taken by the sharper that his movements are not watched by
prying eyes from some over-looking window. Another danger which
threatens detection is the disposition of the crowd to climb upon the
buggy. This, however, may be overcome by the use of a slight degree of
force, and by refusing to proceed until such inquisitive interlopers
have resumed their places on the ground. But the man whom the proprietor
most dreads is the individual on horse-back, who forces his way up to
the buggy, and from his point of vantage obtains a full view of the
_modus operandi_. I once saw an amusing incident of this description at
a fair in a small Missouri town. The rider would insist upon taking a
position near the buggy in which the apparatus stood, and it was evident
that he was giving telegraphic signals to a friend in the crowd. The
operator rose equal to the occasion. Persuasion was idle; force
impossible. He took the only course open to him and bribed the horseman
to ride away, paying him handsomely for the concession.
Notwithstanding all these draw-backs, the contrivance is a prime
favorite with itinerant gamblers, in consequence of the ease with which
it is manipulated and the general confidence with which it is regarded
until the idea that it is a “fake” dawns upon the mind of the crowd.
The name of the device is supposed to have been the same as that of its
inventor. A well-known confidence operator by the name of O’Leary
flourished some years ago, who was recognized among his companions as an
expert manipulator of this apparatus, and it is generally believed among
the guild of peripatetic gamesters that the idea of its construction was
conceived in his fertile brain, through the direct inspiration of the
antipodes of Providence.
“HAP-HAZARD” OR “BEE-HIVE.”
The accompanying illustration gives an excellent idea of the general
appearance of this device, which is one of the most successfully
contrived schemes for swindling which has ever fallen under my
observation. It is known indiscriminately as “hap-hazard” or “bee-hive.”
The former name was probably given because of its being, to all
appearance, exclusively a game of chance; it has been called “bee hive”
because of its shape, but it is safe to say that the “suckers” get none
of the honey.
It consists of two cones, an inner and outer, lettered “B” and “D” on
the diagram, placed upon a heavy, circular piece of wood, around the rim
of which are thirty-two compartments, numbered from one to thirty-two,
and separated by thin metal plates. Driven into the surface of the inner
cone are small nails or metal pegs, the arrangement of which is a matter
of comparative indifference, although they are usually rather close
together and approximately equi-distant. The outer cone serves as a cap
or case. Formerly this was made of tin, but of late years glass has been
substituted, with the exception of the lower inch, which is still made
of metal, silver-plated, for reasons which will be presently explained.
Fair and circus grounds are the localities usually selected for working
this scheme, the operation of which is very simple. A case containing
numbered prizes forms part of the paraphernalia of the proprietor, and
always occupies a conspicuous place near the machine.
The manner of using the apparatus for gambling purposes is as follows:
Any one wishing to “try his luck” (?) pays a fixed sum (usually 50 cents
to $1.00, according to the size of the crowd) for the privilege. The
outer cap (D) having been placed over the cone (B), a marble is dropped
through an opening (C) in the top of the former. Striking upon the
surface of the inner cone, it pursues a “hap-hazard” course, striking
against the nails, or pegs, as it falls to the bottom. Should it roll
into a compartment numbered to correspond with one of the prizes in the
case the fortunate player is given the particular prize called for.
[Illustration: “HAP-HAZARD,” OR “BEE-HIVE.”]
The “fake” element may be very easily explained. If the reader will look
at the accompanying diagram, he will perceive at the base of the inner
cone (B), three small dots, lettered A, A, A. These dots represent pegs
driven at precisely equal distances from each other, a row of which runs
all around the base of the inner cone. The arrangement of these pegs is
such that each of them may be made to stand exactly above the alternate
compartment in the lower plate. When the cap is placed over the
apparatus, by an ingenious device at the bottom, the manipulator is
able, by slightly turning the outer cone, to arrange this lower row of
pegs so that each of them may stand directly over a winning number. The
result of this arrangement is that when the marble, in its descent,
strikes against one of these lower pegs its course is necessarily
deflected into one of the compartments on either side, the division into
which it inevitably falls always being a blank.
An unsophisticated player can, consequently, never win except through
the consent of the operator. In order to encourage the crowd in playing,
“cappers” have to be employed, who are always on hand to draw prizes. As
soon as one of these individuals makes his appearance and is recognized
by the proprietor, the latter gives a slight turn to the outer case, in
such a way as to bring the lower row of pegs directly above the blanks.
The consequence is that when the “capper” drops the marble through the
aperture above referred to, it must necessarily fall into a compartment
numbered to correspond with a prize.
The devices of the “capper” are sometimes very ingenious. In order to
disarm suspicion he will occasionally approach a verdant looking
countryman with the statement that he sees that the game is perfectly
fair and would like to take a chance, but is restrained by the presence
of his wife and son. He therefore asks the countryman to take his money,
buy him a chance and drop the marble for him. The old farmer is
naturally pleased with the suggestion, inasmuch as it gives him all the
excitement of gaming without any of the risk. He very readily complies
with the “capper’s” request, and the latter standing behind him gives a
prearranged signal to the operator that the player is acting for him.
The countryman draws the prize, which he honestly turns over to the
“capper.” The latter, thereupon, usually gives the farmer a dollar with
which to make a venture on his own account. As a matter of course he
loses, and it is usually not very difficult to induce him to make
another trial, on the principle of “double or quits,” or “representing,”
as has been before explained in the remarks under the “needle wheel.”
Some idea of gambler’s profits from this machine may be formed when I
say that the man operating such a device, who fails to take away from a
fair ground at least $500 a week in clear profits, considers that he is
doing a small business, and I have myself nearly doubled that sum within
that time.
It sometimes happens, however, that the verdant looking countryman,
after receiving the dollar from the “capper” and winning a prize for the
latter, forthwith “makes tracks” for parts unknown, leaving the
proprietor and his astute confederate to mourn the loss of their money
and to bewail their own misplaced confidence in human nature.
BOX AND BALLS.
[Illustration: box and balls]
This is a device by no means common, there being very few of the
“fraternity” who can operate it successfully. Yet there are two sharpers
in the country, who have won fortunes through its manipulation, either
of whom would promptly resent any imputation upon his character as an
insult. In the accompanying diagram, Figure “1” shows the exterior of
the box, which is of wood, about ten inches long, four and one-half
inches broad and two and one-half inches deep. Inside this box “B,” are
placed thirty ivory balls or marbles, each of which are numbered. Near
the operator stands a table on which is a show case containing twelve
prizes, part of which are articles of jewelry and the remainder sums of
money. The players, of whom there may be seven or eight, pay from fifty
cents to a dollar each for the chance of winning a prize. When a
sufficient number of chances have been sold the operator shakes the box,
causing the balls to roll from one end to the other. Letter “A” on
figure 1, represents a slide at one end of the box. This slide is raised
by the manipulator and allows one ball to escape at a time. The number
of the marble is examined, and if it be found to correspond with that
attached to a prize in the show-case, the fortunate player is given the
article or money which he has won. The diagram of the case is shown in
figure 3.
BOX AND BALL CASE.
┌────────┬────────┬────────┬────────┬────────┐
│ $10.00 │Jewelry.│ Rep. │ $10.00 │ Rep. │
│ 1 │ 8 │ 12 │ 29 │ 4 │
├────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤
│ $52.00 │Jewelry.│ Blank. │ $20.00 │Jewelry.│
│ 15 │ 24 │ 28 │ 17 │ 10 │
├────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤
│Jewelry.│ $10.00 │ $5.00 │Jewelry.│Jewelry.│
│ 6 │ 21 │ 3 │ 22 │ 14 │
├────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤
│ $5.00 │Jewelry.│ Rep. │Jewelry.│ $5.00 │
│ 11 │ 27 │ 30 │ 26 │ 7 │
├────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤
│ Rep. │ $5.00 │ Rep. │ $10.00 │Jewelry.│
│ 18 │ 25 │ 20 │ 19 │ 16 │
├────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┤
│ $10.00 │Jewelry.│ $5.00 │ Rep. │Jewelry.│
│ 5 │ 13 │ 23 │ 9 │ 2 │
└────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┘
The fraud consists of two elements, one relating to the marbles, and the
other to the box. In the first place, the ivory spheres are not all of
equal size, the twelve whose numbers correspond to the valuable prizes
being the merest trifle larger than the eighteen which call for articles
of no value. So slight, however, is the variation in size that it is
absolutely impossible to detect it by the eye. The “fake” in the box is
in the slide, “A,” and is shown in figure 1, which gives an enlarged
view of this part of the apparatus. In this figure the line “B”
represents a shoulder, whose height above the bottom of the slide (which
is shaved almost as thin as paper,) is so delicately adjusted that it
stops the larger balls, and allows the smaller ones to strike against
the thin wood. The sensitive finger of the manipulator readily discerns
the striking of a ball against this part of the slide. If he feels it he
knows that he must raise the slide and allow one of the smaller marbles
to escape, inasmuch as the latter calls for no article of value.
The “cappers” are useful in this as in all similar games. They serve to
stimulate the interest of the players and revive their confidence when
it begins to fail. Of course, when a “capper” is playing, the operator
shakes the box until he knows from the absence of pressure upon the thin
edge of the slide that one of the larger marbles will escape by raising
the same. He takes out the ball, and hands his confederate the valuable
prize for which the number calls.
This is a favorite game for playing “doubles or quits,” or “represent.”
In fact, sometimes more money is made in this way than by the regular
sale of chances.
I was using this device on one occasion in company with a partner. The
game is a difficult one to work, and I was not an expert. The result was
that the wrong ball escaped, and a sucker won a twenty dollar prize. I
was much chagrined, and endeavored to shift the responsibility of the
loss upon my partner, by telling him that he had signaled that the
player was a “capper.” My partner followed the stranger and requested
him to divide; on the ground that he had been the means of his winning.
The countryman, however, smilingly retained the money, leaving my
confederate to mourn.
MINIATURE RACE TRACK.
The miniature race track is a game which resembles the “needle wheel”
and other similar contrivances which have been already described. It
consists of a wooden disc, about four feet in diameter, the outer rim of
which is stationary, and within which revolves an inner wheel of the
same material. The outer periphery of the disc contains a representation
of the “judges’ stand” on a race track, from the center of which extends
a line running toward the middle of the circle. On the inner revolving
wheel are painted representations of, say, half dozen horses, each
picture being accompanied by the name of some famous racer.
Players make their bets as follows: A set of paddles equal in number to
that of the horses depicted on the inner wheel, and containing
corresponding descriptions, are sold the bettors at a stipulated price
each—usually from twenty-five cents to five or even ten dollars. The
paddles having been sold, the inner wheel is set in motion, and when it
comes to rest the player who has placed his wager upon the horse which
is nearest the inner side of the line extending from the “judges’ stand”
wins the pool, the percentage which the proprietor claims upon the
operation of the apparatus having been first deducted.
It is easily seen that the owner of the machine incurs no risk, inasmuch
as he always receives a percentage of the stakes, no matter which one of
the bettors may prove to be the winner. This should be enough to satisfy
the money-making instinct of any ordinary man, but the parties who run
an apparatus of this kind are not ordinary men. They seek for still
further advantage, and they obtain it through the manipulation of a
concealed lever, which brings friction to bear at the centre pivot, in
the same manner as has been already described in a number of similar
contrivances. The result is, that if possible the proprietor allows no
one to win. If, however, bets have been placed upon each of the half
dozen horses, the manipulator has it in his power always to bring the
inner wheel to a stand-still when the horse upon which the lowest bet
has been placed is nearest the magic line.
The advantages arising from the employment of a “capper” in a scheme of
this sort are too apparent to call for special elucidation. A
confederate may bet upon a certain horse, and the proprietor always has
it within his power to allow his accomplice to win.
STRIKING MACHINE.
This is a very simple contrivance, and used by small “fakirs,” who are
content with very paltry winnings. It is an apparatus by which to
measure the force of a blow. A dial, in the center of which is placed an
arrow-shaped pointer, registers the number of pounds representing the
strength of the striker’s arm. The “fakir” usually allows two blows to
be struck for the small sum of five cents. At the back of the dial is a
concealed spring, by means of which, through applying friction at the
pivot on which the pointer revolves, the operator is able so to check
the movement of the latter that it is impossible for the striker to
record upon the dial any large number of pounds.
It is a common practice, too, for a “capper” to be standing around, who
offers to strike, in connection with the stranger, to see who shall pay
the five cents for the two blows. When his confederate strikes the
machine the proprietor, by diminishing the friction at the pivot,
suffers the pointer to make almost a complete revolution. When the
“sucker” takes his turn, the friction is increased, and of course he is
compelled to pay the stipulated nickel.
This contrivance is of so insignificant a character as hardly to merit
description. It is worthy of mention only as showing the natural bent of
the mind of men of this character, and of illustrating the contemptible
schemes to which they will resort.
TOP AND BOTTOM BOXES.
This is another confidence game, the success of which appeals not only
to the avarice but also to the dishonest impulses of the dupe. The
latter is induced to believe that he can gain a decided advantage over a
sharper through the carelessness of the confidence man and the superior
astuteness which he flatters himself that he possesses. Its operation
calls for three small paper boxes, each of which has a false bottom,
from which circumstance the trick has been given the name which appears
at the head of this paragraph.
The man who intends to victimize any “sucker” whom he may be able to
find, first exposes a bill of some large denomination, which he places
in one of the boxes. He raises one of the covers and places the
greenback inside, shutting down the top in such a way that a corner of
the bill is left exposed apparently by accident. He then changes the
relative position of the boxes and asks which one of the three contains
the bank note, the guess to be made simply “for fun.” Of course, the
greenhorn, who has seen the corner of the bill protruding from beneath
the cover has no difficulty in locating its position. This may be done,
perhaps, more than once. The next step on the part of the sharper is to
produce a time piece, (e. g. a watch), which he assures his dupe is one
of rare value, but which he is willing to dispose of at a comparatively
nominal price, say, $50. He then takes a bill of a large amount—possibly
$100—from his pocket and places it inside one of the boxes. He next
shuffles the boxes about, apparently with the intention of confusing the
dupe as to the precise position of the one containing the bill. The
latter, however, feels fully satisfied that he can locate the box in
question, for the reason that he feels sure that he sees the corner of
the note protruding from beneath the cover.
The sharper then tells the “sucker” that he will sell him the
“chronometer” for the agreed price, which, he says, is ridiculously low,
and will also give him a gratuitous chance to guess which box contains
the bill. The dupe thinking that he knows precisely the box in question,
pays no attention whatever to the watch, his attention being centered on
the money. He assents to the proposal and a transaction which, on its
face appears to be a legitimate sale is concluded. The money is paid and
the utterly worthless watch is handed over. Then the eager dupe guesses
which of the three boxes contains the bill. The cover is removed and
nothing is seen. The reason is that just outside the false covers the
confidence man has pasted the corner of a fictitious greenback, the
appearance of which misleads the dupe, while the actual treasury note is
safely in the sharper’s pocket, or in one of the other two boxes.
THE SWINGING BALL.
This is a simple little contrivance, usually operated by small “fakirs,”
yet I have known from sixty to seventy dollars a day to be made
therefrom on circus and fair-grounds. Its construction may be readily
understood on an examination of the diagram. The lower line represents
the support on which rests a frame, composed of two uprights, and
connected at the top by a cross-piece. From the centre of the latter
hangs a string, at the end of which is a wooden ball, lettered “C.” In
the centre of the lower support there is placed a triangular pin,
lettered “D” on the diagram.
[Illustration: swinging ball]
Those who wish to try their luck pay twenty-five cents for the privilege
of swinging the ball. The player stands in front of the frame and throws
the ball from him. If, as it swings back it overturns the peg, he
receives back his twenty-five cents, together with a dollar. If,
unfortunately, he overturns the peg as the ball moves from him, he
loses.
In order to guard against the happening of the former catastrophe, the
ball is usually slightly deflected toward either the right or left as it
leaves the hands of the player. If the uprights remain perfectly
perpendicular, the chances are that the ball, on its return, will strike
the peg through the operation of the law of gravitation. Just here is
where the operator does a little “fine work.” The uprights are always
made a little loose, so that by a very slight pressure from the shoulder
on the part of the manipulator, at the point “A,” they may be bent from
a perpendicular position to that indicated by the dotted line B. The
inevitable result is that when the ball swings back, the force of
gravity draws it on one side of the peg, and the unfortunate speculator
sees that he has lost the money which he paid for the privilege of
throwing it.
This game, at first blush, appears to be so perfectly “square,” that the
assistance of the “capper” is rarely needed, although sometimes they may
be employed to advantage.