THE
SECRETS OF CHEATING
[Illustration: THE DETECTION OF KEPPLINGER
'Then, suddenly and without a moment's warning, Kepplinger was seized,
gagged, and held hard and fast.... The great master-cheat was searched,
and upon him was discovered the most ingenious holdout ever
devised.'--Chap. v. p. 99.]
SHARPS AND FLATS
A COMPLETE REVELATION OF
The Secrets of Cheating
AT GAMES OF CHANCE AND SKILL
BY
JOHN NEVIL MASKELYNE
LONDON
LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.
AND NEW YORK: 15 EAST 16th STREET
1894
_All rights reserved_
TO THE ATTENTION OF
THAT MAJORITY SPOKEN OF BY CARLYLE
AND WHICH MAY BE SAID TO INCLUDE
ALL GAMBLERS
THIS BOOK IS PARTICULARLY ADDRESSED
BY THE AUTHOR
PREFACE
In presenting the following pages to the public, I have had in view a
very serious purpose. Here and there may be found a few words spoken in
jest; but throughout my aim has been particularly earnest.
This book, in fact, tends to point a moral, and present a problem. The
moral is obvious, the problem is ethical; which is, perhaps, only
another way of saying something different.
In the realm of Ethics, the two men who exert, probably, the greatest
influence upon the mass of humanity are the philosopher and the
politician. Yet, strange to say, there would appear to be little that
can be considered as common knowledge in either politics or philosophy.
Every politician and every philosopher holds opinions which are
diametrically opposed to those of some other politician or philosopher;
and there never yet existed, apparently, either politician or
philosopher who would admit even that his opponents were acquainted with
the fact of two and two making four. So much, then, for dogmatism.
In the natural order of events, however, there must be things which even
a politician can understand. Not many things, perhaps; but still some
things. In like manner, there must be things which even a philosopher
can _not_ understand--and a great many things.
As an illustration, let us take the case of 'sharping.' Politician and
philosopher alike are interested in the origin of crime, its
development, and the means of its prevention. Now, even a politician can
understand that a man, having in view the acquisition of unearned
increment, may take to cheating as being a ready means of possessing
himself of the property of others, with but little effort upon his own
part. At the same time, I will venture to say that not even a
philosopher can render any adequate reason for the fact that some men
will devote an amount of energy, labour, perseverance and ingenuity to
the gaining of a precarious living in the paths of chicanery, one-half
of which, if directed into legitimate channels, would serve to place
them in a position commanding both affluence and respect.
To my mind, the only hypothesis which in any way covers the facts of the
case is that some men are _born_ to crime. It is their destiny, and they
are bound to fulfil it.
Whether this hypothesis represents the solution of the problem or not is
a bone of contention over which I am content to allow others to
quarrel, without joining in the fray. I am only concerned with the facts
as we know them--the plain and unmistakable facts that cheating, upon a
gigantic scale, _does_ exist; that the resources available for its
advancement become every day more numerous, whilst the means of its
prevention become more and more inadequate.
A goodly portion of my life has been spent in battling with
superstition, credulity and chicanery in every form. It has been a
labour of love with me. At times I have, so to speak, cried from the
house-top truths so obvious that there hardly seemed any necessity for
calling attention to them, and yet have found some who could not believe
them. Again and again, Time, the prover of all things, has without
exception borne out my statements to the very letter; yet even now there
are some who will prefer to rely upon the word of a charlatan--an
impostor--rather than accept a plain statement of palpable facts at my
hands. It is curious, but nevertheless it is true. It is magnificent,
but it is not common sense. Fortunately, however, there are not many
such, though some there are.
Experience has demonstrated that the ignorance of the public with regard
to the capabilities of trickery is the principal factor in all problems
connected with every kind of deception. If the public only knew a little
more in this respect, the thousand-and-one quackeries which flourish in
our midst could not exist. My self-imposed task, then, has ever been to
endeavour to educate the public, just a little, and to enlighten those
who really seek for truth amid the noxious and perennial weeds of humbug
and pretence. In this, I am happy to say, I have to some extent
succeeded; but there is still much to be done.
This book, then, is but another stone, as it were, in an edifice raised
for the purpose of showing to the world the real nature of those things
which are not really what they appear to be, and practices with the very
existence of which the average man is unacquainted.
Although the immediate practical outcome of this book may be _nil_, I
shall not be depressed upon that account. If it only has the effect of
opening the eyes of the authorities to some extent, and of hinting a
caution to gamblers generally, I shall be content; and, commending it to
the public with this reflection, and with the hope that this much, at
least, may be accomplished, I leave it to its fate.
J. N. MASKELYNE.
EGYPTIAN HALL, LONDON, W.
_February 1894._
CONTENTS
CHAP. PAGE
I. INTRODUCTORY 1
II. COMMON SHARPERS AND THEIR TRICKS 10
III. MARKED CARDS AND THE MANNER OF THEIR EMPLOYMENT 26
IV. REFLECTORS 60
V. HOLDOUTS 73
VI. MANIPULATION 112
VII. COLLUSION AND CONSPIRACY 159
VIII. THE GAME OF FARO 184
IX. PREPARED CARDS 215
X. DICE 229
XI. HIGH BALL POKER 261
XII. ROULETTE AND ALLIED GAMES 267
XIII. SPORTING-HOUSES 285
XIV. SHARPS AND FLATS 312
POSTSCRIPT 331
LIST OF PLATES
FIGURE
THE DETECTION OF KEPPLINGER _Frontispiece_
12 'FALLEN ANGELS' _to face p._ 46
15 SCROLL-WORK " 50
22 PIPE-REFLECTOR IN SITU " 66
SHARPS AND FLATS
CHAPTER I
_INTRODUCTORY_
That 'it requires all kinds of men to make a world,' is an aphorism
which may or may not be gainsaid, according to the aspect in which it is
regarded. For whilst, on the one hand, we are painfully cognisant of the
fact that this world, as we find it, is composed of 'all sorts and
conditions of men,' and among them not a few sorts with which we could
very readily dispense, still, on the other hand, the idea of a world
with some of the existing components omitted is by no means
inconceivable. Do we not, in fact, every day of our lives, meet with
schemes, philanthropic and otherwise, formulated expressly for the
regeneration of man? Yes, we know them of old; those schemes which,
according to their gifted authors, are to elevate mankind to one
universal level of goodness and purity. Sad to say, however, in spite
of these well-meant efforts, continued from time immemorial, mankind
would appear to be in about the same unregenerate condition as ever. The
'kinds of men' seem to multiply rather than to diminish, and the
long-deferred millennium looms as far off in the dim and distant future
as at any period of the world's history.
Accepting, then, this many-sided world of ours as an established fact,
impossible of modification, it is obvious that, to quote another
time-honoured proverb, and say that 'one half the world does not know
how the other half lives,' is to convey but a very feeble and inadequate
idea of the real facts of the case. All things considered, it may be
safely said that the majority know far too little of the means of
subsistence employed by their fellows, and, in consequence, often suffer
for that lack of knowledge. The fact is, too many of us possess the
gentleness of the dove (more or less) without the qualifying and
ever-necessary wisdom of the serpent.
Among the bye-paths of existence, among the various underhand methods of
obtaining a living--sweet little conceptions evolved, presumably, from
the primordial basis of original sin--probably there is none so little
understood by the community at large as the art and practice of
'sharping.' At the same time, it is not too much to say that there is no
subject more worthy of serious consideration, when regarded in the
relation it holds to the moral well-being of mankind in general.
It is, of course, common knowledge that there are in existence
individuals who live by cheating at games of chance and skill, but few
persons have any idea of the extent to which the practice obtains, or of
the number of the professors of this particular branch of swindling.
Possibly, of the work-a-day inhabitants of this planet, nine persons out
of ten of the majority who are 'indifferent honest,' will be inclined to
a belief that sharping, at the worst, can form but a very insignificant
factor in the social problems of modern times. A glance at the contents
of this book, however, will serve to remove that very erroneous
impression. The author is not raising a 'bogey' for the purpose of
pretending to demolish it. The spectre is a very substantial one indeed,
and the task of 'laying' it is far beyond the power of any one man to
accomplish.
The system, in fact, is a gigantic one, and its professors are legion.
It is as thriving an industry (save the mark) as any in the world. It is
as perfectly organised in every department as any legitimate business.
Its markets are regulated by the same inexorable laws of supply and
demand, competition and coöperation, which govern the development of
every branch of commerce. It has its manufacturers, its wholesale
houses, its canvassers and retail dealers, all in regular form. Its
price-lists, descriptive pamphlets, circulars and advertisements are
issued as methodically as those of _bonâ fide_ merchants and traders.
Its ramifications extend to every quarter of the globe.
This book will show that not only is a thriving trade in cheating
utensils carried on openly and unblushingly, but also that there must be
an enormous number of swindlers at large, who live by means of unfair
practices in connection with all forms of gambling; sharps who are still
undetected, and, notwithstanding the vigilance of the authorities, are
still pursuing their calling under the very eyes of Justice.
Startling as these statements may appear to the uninitiated, of their
absolute truth there cannot exist the slightest doubt in the mind of
anyone who will take the trouble to glance through these pages. This
book, in fact, may be regarded as 'The Sharp's Vade Mecum, or a
Theoretical and Practical Treatise on the Art and Practice of Cheating.'
No pains have been spared to make it as complete as possible, and, if
advantage be taken of the instructions it contains, and any person of
dishonest tendencies utilises the same for the purpose of swindling his
fellow-men, it will be entirely the fault of those who have not profited
by the information which the author has given.
That the condition of affairs herein revealed should be found to exist
in the midst of our boasted civilisation is a fact which is, to say the
least, deplorable. Further, it is a fact which urgently demands that
every possible effort should be made towards its mitigation by those
who may find themselves in a position to obtain information respecting
these nefarious practices, and to throw light into the recesses of this
obscure phase of human nature.
By far the major portion of the details given in these pages have never
before been made public. Even among exponents of legitimate legerdemain,
there are very few who have any cognisance of them whatever. It is
obvious that a professional illusionist having a reputation for
'squareness' is at a decided disadvantage in seeking for information of
this kind. The author, for instance, being so well known to the
swindling fraternity as an exposer of frauds, could not possibly have
acquired without assistance the countless minutiæ which have come into
his possession. The very suspicion that he was engaged in such an
investigation would be sufficient to dry up all sources of information,
and to remove all possibility of arriving at anything of moment. He has
therefore to acknowledge his indebtedness for much that is valuable to a
friend who desires to be nameless. In the assumed guise of an English
'sharp,' this gentleman has pursued his investigations to such good
purpose that he has gained a fund of information relative to 'sharps and
sharping,' which may be fairly said to include all the most important
methods employed at the present day. The information so obtained has
been freely drawn upon in the production of this book.
The head-quarters of this abominable system of wholesale robbery are to
be sought for in the land which has bestowed upon civilisation so many
blessings of a similar character. From the spirit-medium to the wooden
nutmeg, they all hail from that most 'go-ahead,' and yet most easily
hoodwinked country, America. True, there are so many dunderheads of all
nationalities who can never realise the truth of that simple maxim which
teaches that 'honesty is the best policy,' and such a very large
proportion of these have turned their steps to America, that it is,
perhaps, hardly fair to regard them as an integral part of the American
nation. Still there they are, and it behoves America to grasp the
situation with a much firmer hand than heretofore, with a view to the
suppression of these pernicious creatures, and of attaining a reputation
more in accord with her honourable traditions--more worthy of the great
names associated with her history.
There is every reason for believing that at the present moment England
is the happy hunting-ground of the swindling fraternity, and for this
reason. In America many of the older frauds are tolerably well-known to
those who are addicted to gambling, but over here most of these things
are absolutely unknown. Even the English sharp himself is in a condition
of unsophisticated innocence compared with his American rival.
It is certain that our ocean steamboats are infested with gangs of men,
provided with these means of relieving their fellow-passengers of
superfluous cash. And in all probability, every one of our 'swellest'
clubs possesses at least one member who makes a good living by the use
of methods and contrivances never dreamt of by his dupes. It is true,
the 'Dudley Smooths' of to-day are no longer cold-blooded duellists who
can over-awe their victims with the dread of sword and pistol, but they
are quite as keen as they ever were, and their resources are infinitely
greater than formerly.
Of course there is not the slightest necessity for anyone, however
foolish, to fall a victim to the wiles of the sharper in any game either
of skill or chance. There is no reason why the greatest simpleton alive
should ever be cheated of his money. There is one golden rule, the
observance of which must utterly checkmate the most cunning swindler. It
is a rule by which the author has always been guided, and one which,
were it universally adopted, would banish the cheat and his
paraphernalia from the face of the earth. It is a system which is easily
learned and which requires no skill in execution. It is simply to
abstain from every form of gambling whatever. Make up your mind that
'you want no man's money, and that no man shall have yours,'[1] and you
cannot come to much harm in this direction.
It would seem, however, that there is a kind of fatal fascination in
gambling which some persons appear to be wholly unable to resist. It is
therefore quite as well that those who _will_ indulge in such an
expensive propensity should do so, at least, with their eyes open. On
this account, if for no other reason, the publication of this book is
fully justified, and any apology for its appearance would be
superfluous.
No attempt has been made to deal with the subject historically. Quite
sufficient scope is afforded for a work of this kind in the undertaking
to set forth an account of such frauds as are practised at the present
day. Our attention therefore will be chiefly directed towards devices
which are of recent invention, together with those that have survived in
practice from former times.
The originals of the various circulars &c., reprints of which are given
in the following pages, are in the author's possession. The names and
addresses of the firms from which they emanate are, however, for very
obvious reasons, omitted from these reprints, though all else is given
verbatim. The illustrations are all taken from actual articles,
purchased for the avowed purpose of cheating by their means. The reader
will thus be enabled to gather some idea as to the amount of misplaced
ingenuity which has been brought to bear upon the production of these
_fin-de-siècle_ appliances for robbing the unwary.
This much, then, having been said by way of introduction, we may at once
proceed to consider systematically the methods of the modern 'sharp;'
and to describe, for the first time in any language, the various
mechanical and other devices he uses, and the manner in which they are
employed.
FOOTNOTE:
[1] Quotation from the late Earl Fitz-Hardinge, a most ardent sportsman.