| Show t i How the Honest Business Busin ss M Miln j I Lured Dens by Professional Steer rs I t- t Lives Lies on Percent Percentage age i I a I 4 Klein Drops and the Fixer Who Taught Him What Gam Gambling ling Means Gets of f li IL Copyright 1913 1013 b by Newspaper e paper Syndicate All AU rights r reserved I I The rhe of ot this article or any part of Qt It without permission Is la ex- ex j prohibited I Gambling Den His Trap Tack Jack Roses Rose's feature this thi week on The Tho is of unusual interest which interest which is is- saying paying a great deal considering ring how dramatic have haye been nIl all 1 of his articles The is an institution in New e York York everywhere everywhere in the country in fact but in New York ho has become better known He 1 goes about ruining lives on percentage and too frequently this percentage percentage peri per per- i is just that which would keep the wi wives es and families the widows and orphans of his victim from want He Ho lays his bait balt as ns the hunter lays his bait for the beasts of the forest His trap is the gambling den 1 I N A previous pre article I spoke of the tragedies of gambling I T cited case caseI IN I after case of ruined careers or deaths b by 51 suicide of honest Imen converted into ic felons of families disgraced and of other tragedies every one of which was as the tho direct r result suH of gambling r I showed too how impossible it is for anyone to beat hent the wheel beel or the faro bank box or any other professional gambling game even when they arc run st straight laigh t. t These things of course had all been pointed out before Most rost of th the tho thomen who in the I have hae recounted would have ha told men inca figured tragedies you after afUr their downfall that they went wont to their fate with their eyes open How then is it that gambling houses arc are able ablo to thrive when everyone every ery one is aware of the futility of trying to beat them and of the dangers of patronizing them L f I Two classes of ot players mal make e gambling gambling gam gam- bling bUng houses possible pos One the smaller class claS consists of those who mn may bo be described as ns willing willing- victims vIctims men men who realize that all aU the odds are lore against 3 them but who are e possessed of tho lever of ot gambling gambling- to such an Ion extent that the they would rather gamble and remain poor than give up up gambling end and get rich The other and larger r class consists of ot those who ho ma may or ma may not be bc a aware ware A of or the tho t folly of ot gambling but who are i lured into these places b by tho the steer er employed ed b by t the gambling house proprietors tors 1 How How II Works C There are aro a lot of ot wide awake lIbert lIber- lIber t minded al-minded men menen even en In a wide open city like New ew York who have ha never neen seen lIeen the Inside of ot a gambling house bouse These men however howe may fall faU into th the trap of or the professional at t tan an any moment To put them on their guard it Is necessary that the they understand understand understand under under- stand how hw the works i In this article therefore I Intend to 4 expose the methods of the professional rte r r giving 1 you rou the thc benefit of m my twenty years years' experience In the gambling sam gain bUng bling business Just b by wa way of or Illustration of or the dangers angers run by even cwm tho the most conservative con eon business man I may o. mention the case of ot a a. cigar manufacturer who iwas JS converted or h into a JJr professional gain gam- J ble by a clover q J will call him him Klein p ft This man we e J n. n game game- of or cards but hut he was in no sense sensa a gambler He had bad never seen seeni i n n. horse race didn't know the first firsti i thing about a a. poolroom and although k he know that gambling houses W were rc K- K being e nJ run In New ew York had a whole whole- L I 1 Feme foar mar of ot them and n never ver Ct had the least leat curiosity to enter one Roulette ansi anil faro bank were wert just names to him i and ird nd the only poker h he had ever pla played cd Ll I was as In 11 hi his own hou house e at a n. limit perhaps peri per- per i- i h haps ps of 10 cents Pinochle was his f favorite game hut but he lie played it only oc- oc casl and then with his relatives an and business associates ji Gets Order for Cigars One ne day a he received an order for 1000 2 cent cigars chars for A club known as the he Nelson club The man who 1 ought brought the or order er was vas a n stranger to 10 Klein but was very affable and a a. good talker Each ci cigar ar was to have a band bearing the name of or the Nelson elson club clubS club'S on em it U. The order was wa delivered KJ Klein In re received re a check for tho the cigars and the matter wa was dismissed ed from hi hl hia mind j i A A. couple of weeks later tho the same s I i. i customer appeared again and gave g him himL himan L an order for tor another 1000 In the course of ot the conn conversation which followed followed fol- fol ask what hat kind lowed Klein happened to o of or a a club the Nelson club wa was He lIe wait was vas t ld that It was Just a no social club How about coming coining down own and meetIng meetIng meeting meet- meet Ing some soma of or the fello fellows 8 Klein the customer asked In an offhand way Klein KIp made some ome excuse bub hub some I c days later when the cigars were ready tor or d delivery H cr an and the thc offer was S I re renewed renewed reo re- re o ho thought it good gOOl business policy poUt to accept the Invitation I When he entered the rooms of ot tho the club he lie found foun a poker game gamo lu in pros ross ills His customer made no effort I to get gH him to pla play explaining that It ItI I I was i-was as Just a private little game gaule but hut that 11 r he Klein would care to play some j night It might be arranged f Invited to J Join oin I 1 1 s were ere brought Klein was In InI Introduced Introduced In- In I t t te lo some orne of tho the members mb ps and the president t of or the club and he ho hews ws f invited Ue to become n a a member r Still scenting business ss possibilities Klein a accepted He lie got Kot away that night without pla playing playing play play- ing A few weeks later he received recel an anOther another anther an- an other ther order for cigars and his hIli customer tomer took too occasion at nt the time Ump tp ask why hy It Vps Ws that Klein hall had not been at t the tho h Club club i Klein promised to show sho shoup up some night th that t we week l An appointment ns as mar made anti and the Kit Kit-in appeared at nt the club he lie Sh thought h he would show ho lie was fl a soL so so- r L cUble follo fellow by Joining in the tho pol poker er 1 garue farue It u wa wan aK a 2 25 cent limit game Jame than he h had c. c ever er play played ll before and ho was a little nervous about It t After ter a n. couple of ot hours of or play how- how r er he found that ho he WAS no less titan n p t Jf f ah ahead and anti he felt a little proud or of alt hJ ability a as a poker player It Jt wasn't vast difficult to get him to the it it H I lub b after that He won more or leas t k th J next fez few times time he ie played and by byI t Hmo t had grown rown to like his assoC asso asso- I C at g 8 th there r i hen hj his former fonner reluctance to i J B bIg takes stakes had worn off ott as aR a re result f i. i his i s he hl was wa as invited In to set ee the m upstairs There he hp saw a a n. roulette r. r eel 1 In operation fur for the first time tithe In InIn 1 In ft f lie ITe wa nas a little hocked at nt rr t. t but bUl when 11 he saw aw that the thc players pr 1 Ii do 7 tm niMi J h he had bath played poker with Ith r- r rv S and had bc been n i e to beat heat beatt l t S 'S as nr very much alarmed s at at Wheel JJ 1 a tactful prevailed lre K u WR way h hp W was n to tr try his luck at th the wheel ITe He w on a rh few few- c.- c. dollars and quit next time he ho Il the duo CIUI InSl au or sitting silting in at inc 1113 poKer game he made his wa way upstairs to the wheel vh e oh p t What tollo followed cd ma may be imagined Klein the tho honest conservative e business business busi busl- ness s man became an Inveterate gam gain bier bler Having won a couple of or hundred dollars or so at first ho wasn't troubled troubled troubled trou trou- bled much when hen he began to lose Ju Just t a little hard hardluck luck I suppose was tho the way he consoled himself Soon h he added faro taro bank to his other accomplishments and the time came when he had to draw monc money from the bank to keep up his play In addition to this ho often orten played ri right hr through to the morning neglecting his business ap ap- ap- ap Within a a. year Klein failed He Is now a dealer in a poker to room om Even now no this man Klein doesn't realize that first order of or a thousand thousand thousand thou thou- sand cent 25 cigars was was tho the first ChRt ste step stepIn In a well laid plot to lure him into the gambling house and lie he still regards the r who gave aYe him the order as a 3 friend of or hl his Of or the t twelve c thousand dollars which h Klein dropped before he went ent broke the received three thousand the customary 2 23 per pCr con cent t. t But for the customers procured In Inthis inthis inthis this wa way gambling houses would bo be unable to exist I Each Has His Every gambling gambling- house from the small bank on tho the lower cast east side to me tao iu lUll i iby b by a CI Canfield in tho the Tenderloin employs employs em em- ploys plo's Its The big places wh where ro the pla play lIay Is exclusive depend al almost almost almost al- al most entirely upon the suckers the can lure Into them The professional the man whoso whose whole livelihood depends upon the number of ot cu customers he he can lure Into gambling hous houses s 's is very often the thc black sheep of some sonic wealthy family famil He has gone the tho pace his allowance Jow n o has hils been cut off ort and his only hope of obtaining funds Is by victimizing his hi wealthy friends b by steering them to gambling houses houseR and ond collecting a percentage percentage per per- centa o on his friends friends' losses A for a regular gambling J house which Is 15 run straight gets 25 5 per percent percent cent of the amount lost by tile the patrons he supplies This percentage percenta a continues contin contin- ues as long IonS as tho the player patronizes the house There Is 18 one ono now living at atthe the tho rate of oC OOOO a year eal thin the principal principal pal part of oC whose whoso Income consists of or his rake off on the lo losses e of ot a n St. St Louis business man whom he lured Into a n gambling house t two o ago and who has been cn a steady and valuable patron o of the place ever since whenever er he lie gets get to New ew York J The Time crooked gambling houses can arford atford ar- ar better ford Cord to pa pay their even than this As a matter of fact the capper for fot these houses sets gets 50 per cent In addition to the who ho devote de dc- dc wits to their time and their vote ot all of Or prote profession slon there ar are dozens of men an and women In other ether vocations who add con considerable to their Income b by steerIng steerIng steering steer- steer Ing suckers to gambling h houses u List of A bett better r Idea of or tho the ext extent nt to which steering i Is 16 practiced d as a 1 side line maYbe may maybe be bc gathered d from the time following following- list of ot who brought most of or the tIme business business busi busi- ness to the gambling house I ran This list Included Two hotel detectives dete Three theatrical men Two women who entertained laT largely el In swell well uptown apartments One traveling salesman Two chorus girls One stock tock broker l lOne One Ono Chicago man One Pittsburgh m man maim n In Iii addition to the these e I had t two o steer- steer cr era who did nothing els else Time The alue value of or having a hotel detective on the steering s staff larr Is apparent It Is the hotel detective to whom the hot hotel l lue guest ue t Is referred when he lie goes Joes to lo th the desk and with a n wink perhaps suggests RUg sug g to the tho clerk that he would like to see the thc sights sight The rue hotel detective Is ent sent for tor In a diplomatic wo way ho lie a ascertains what mihat particular par liar lar- lar sights eights the guest tuest IB is Intel interested In In and if it It II is a little action th the guest wants he J is hol cr very ery easily accommodated the Of ot course W we have e a game gamo In confides confides con con- upstairs the tile detective e fides but If tc you ou want to buck tho wheel or om the bank hanle I can fix you rou up UI aUrl allright an aU nice little place I know know- rl right ht at u a around the corner The hotel detective then g gives gos os lh the ino him to the guest a a. card or 01 accompanies place in person L Loses ses No Time But the time hotel r steer r doesn't usually walt wait until he Is approached Inthis in inthis this a way When he sizes up tip a possible sucker lucker In Jn the thc hotel cafe for tor instance a n. aman man who iho Ita has bc been n flashing a hi big hiI roll roil rather good perhaps he and Is feeling goo lose loes no time in getting to him better be lie careful how hon you OU he suggests sug uge ug n flash h f that roll around here e in a friendly whisper If the gUe guest guen t. t resents resent time the warning the detective his bin official position In the hotel and lots It go at that But l if In hi hits his friendly mood the lav v lavIsh lavish I like hike a long Ions ish on one halls hails the det detective lost friend Invites s him to drink ni t II I c t l I I ir c Ei 4 1 I I 4 Li ii 1 i zest hL ii t lL a pC H i s j iL e b bs I 1 k ii 1 r I. I t.- t. I I If f p 3 1 I 1 1 s 4 1 s. s rm t S 5 4 5 t- t ts tsI 4 I i 4 1 h h l zt-i zt I t a II Why Jimmy T Tester ster you are just the man I was talking about shows shows' a n. general g to cultivate ato vate his acquaintance tho the detectives detective's task Is a simple one That night th the guest will be found round In I one ono of or the gambling houses of or the nel neighborhood being being- plied with drink and ami nailed hailed as IoS a good goU fellow until his roll roU has hns been taken from rom him bun in legitimate mute mate play and then he lie will be genci enel sent back to his hotel In a a. taxi taxi- cab I I Run Game of Own Most fost ro t of ot the tho hotels run a game amo o of their own This however howe r Is only a poker game Roulette and faro taro bank arc are not usually played except in the there re regular gambling gambling- houses hone But these e hotel poker games gaines are arc yer very cry profitable 1 I mana managed ed one of oC them for a big hotel on oil upper Broadway and the time kitty th the amount taken from irom each pot for fOI forthe forthe the benefit of or the hou houe e amounted to between and a 11 year In these thee hotels hotel the the house detective defect acts act as 15 as part lart of or his lila r regular ular tU functions Indeed the df detective is se selected selected so- so not so much for or his ability to preserve order in till the hotel as for his success in scenting suckers el for tho time game It isn't necessary to explain how the time woman who maintains a fur la apartment uptown for COI the en entertainment entertainment en- en i of oC her friends nIls is ablo able to pay her expenses b by luring those friends downtown to the gambling houses A man mon who frequents one of or these apartments and displays a able able- big roll ima has ha'S very ery little chance chaime of oC escaping the tho wiles of or his lila lady friend Of or course the time woman cannot er very well accompany her friend downtown downtown to lo the gambling house she's sho's hio working tom for but lUt that hat |
