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Show A REVEREND GAMBLER. j "A Methodist minister tried gambling gamb-ling in an extensive way for an amateur, ama-teur, on a Missouri railway train, lately. He told his story thus piteous-ly piteous-ly to the Kansas City Chief of Police, with many tears: ''Ob, sir, I grieve to confess it! I am a sinful man! I have committed a great error! I am a ruined man! I have lost all by a gambling gamb-ling device! I am utterly ruined! I am a minister of the gospel; I belong to the Illinois conference; my name is Perkins. I have been out to Colorado for my health's sake, and am now re-1 turning home. I arrived at Kansas City on Friday, and started east again on the North Missouri train that left the Union depot at 4.50 last evening. I had just taken my seat in the car when two well dressed gentlemen took a seat close to mine. I observed them making themselves sociable with the other passengers, and soon afterwards noticed them amusing themselves with the little picture cards. 1 became interested in-terested and stepped over to see what it was. There was one tbey called the 'old woman,' one they called the 'pretty 'pret-ty boy,' and one bad a 'star' upon it. I watched the men and their cards, and saw people bet money upon the cards and win; I also observed a small dirty speck upon the one they called the "pretty boy.' They asked me whether I could tell them which was the card with the boy upon it, at the same time mixed them together wrong side up. I could tell the card. I bet on the card with the speck on its back. I laid down ten one hundred dollar bills. The men produced a handfull of money; I was too excited to notice how much. They turned up the card I pointed out and it was the woman! I had lost all my hard-earned money! I went down the road a little, and by the advice of a friend I returned here to seek relief. Can you aid me to recover my money, I am a ruined man if I cannot recover it. It is my little all." Of course the professional fishers for fools were not caught, nor the reverend fool repossessed repos-sessed of his money. Ex. |