Jasper Republican, Volume 1, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 April 1875 — Three-Cart Monte. [ARTICLE]

Three-Cart Monte.

™'S.U? swindled out of a large sum, of by a trio of three-card-monte operator*, just before the cars reached that city. The TtHmm gives th* following account of the operation: “The facts of th* case are about *• follows: Mr, Bedell, of Norwalk, Ohio, was in the smoking-car, and one of th* confidence operators had for some time been sitting on the same seat with Mm. Presently another accomplice came in the car, sat down near BOdeD and began talking. He said he was a Mexican drover, and told of tribulations with #OO head of Mexican cattle which he had had on hta hands. Then he mentioned that he had lost SBOO at the three-card-monte game. The young fellow who occupied the same seat with Bedell asked howitwa*, and th* alleged Mexican drover told all about it, and then added that they had given him the cards and taught him how to play, and when he got home he could win all the money he wanted. The young fellow asked him to show him the game. The other one said he had no table to deal on. Th* young fellow suggested that he might use his coat, and he accordingly pulled out his and began operations. An old man, the third member of the gang, who was sitting across the aisle, bet $lO he could turn up the queen. He lost, and then bet S2Q and won. The young fellow picked up the queen while the dealer was apparently looking the other way, and made a pencil mark on ft. Then he bet SSO and won. Bedell showed signs of nervousness, and began fumbling at hi* ’ pocket-book. The young fellow said to him, “Bet your pile; you’ve geft asure thing on it.” Bedell bet $1,400 and lost. Then the dealer pulled out a fresh deck, and while he was looking the other way the young man again marked th* queen with a cross. The old man stepped over to Bedell and said: ‘Your only chance of getting your money back is to size your first bet’ So Bedell bet sl,soo—all he had left except slo—and lost again. “Then the young man observed to Bedell that he was hta friend, and when they got to the city he would go with Mm to the police-station, the location of which he knew. Tbe old man also condoled with Bedell, and told him he would ask the dealer back into the rear car where Ms wife was, under pretense of giving Mm a cigar, and would keep a close eye on Mm until they got to town. He did ask him, and the two went back. Presently the young man said he would look into the rear car and see if th* dealer was still there. So oft he went. Boon after the train slackened up, and ft is presumed the three men used the opportunity to get off. “The case has been reported to the police, but ft ta not likely that any arrests will be made."