The sharper detected and exposed

Front matter

Qass. ±7 Book -7? ^ ^

I

THE SHAEPER

Preface

only made use of my knowledge for the amusement of my fellow-creatures, I felt that the time had arrived, when I ought to give to the pubhc, who had so honoured me with their favour, an unequivocal mark of my gratitude, by consecrating my leisure hours to their service.

I have therefore Avritten this work, the moral and end of which may be summed up in this incontestable truth :

Eclakez les dupes, il n'y aura plus de fripons." EnligliteiL tlie dupes, and tliere will be no more knaves."

There is no reason, however, because a fact is incontestable, that it will not be contested ; indeed, I am of opinion that it will be, and, as a proof of what I state, I am myself going to offer an objection which might be made on this subject.

In disclosing the secrets of sharpers, people will say, Do you not fear to create in the minds of unfortunate gamblers, a wish to try and better their fortunes, by the very means you point out to warn them ?

PREFACE.

V

I have been guided by an opinion, repeatedly expressed by the editors of newspapers, and the press in general ; and, in answer to the objection I have made above, I beg to say, that in the explanations I have given of the tricks of sharpers, though I have said enough to put people on their guard, I have not said enough to teach them how to execute these tricks.

If I had not taken this precaution, what would have been the result ?

It is only one individual, abeady half perverted, who wiU avail himself of the knowledge I impart, to learn to cheat, while hundreds of dupes will have been put on their guard.

If these revelations serve to awaken vicious ideas in perverted minds, what can be said of the various works on the laws of duelUng, in which you can learn how to kill your neighbour according to rule ?

Is it not to be feared, that the opinions contained in those books may lead to crime ?

For my part, I have so good an opinion of mankind in general, that I trust the perusal of vi

PKEFACE.

this work will only tend to their benefit, and prove their safeguard against rogues. Let each person when he sits down to play, strengthened by the hints and instructions I have given him, look with suspicion on all " Greeks'^ (as these sharpers are sometimes called), and let him recollect to his profit this verse of Virgil :

Contents

PAGE

Preface .... ... iii

AN ANECDOTE BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION.

A dangerous professor .... • , 1

Chapter I. Modern Greeks

Origin of the name " Greek — Tlie first gambling houses — Invention of Poulette — Hhint for dupes — Opening of i/ripots or low gambling-houses — The Greek described — Different classes of sharpers . . .15

Chapter II. The Greek Of Fashionable Life

Wonderful acuteness- — Refined sleight-of-hand — Delicacy

Chapter III. The Greek Of The Middle Classes

The ^^Comtois^^ and Amazone-^ — Tricks and frauds — An heir expectant — Game at Bouillotte — A rich pocket-book — The bill to pay — Dupers duped . . 26

Vlll

CONTENTS.

Chapter IV. The Greek Of The Tripot

PAGE

His abject condition — The public-house — Pretended stupidity — Dupes fleeced — x^cting the countryman — Table d'hote — The pellets — A good farce — Deception — The three cards — The countryman's bet — Clever substitution — English rogues — Thimble-rig . . 33

Chapter V. A Greek Taken In The Fact

The restaurant of the Veau qui tete — Subscription ball — The card-room — A lucky player — Sauter la coupe — Mystification — The tell-tale hat — We are done . 45

CHAPTER YI.

. THE GAMBLER RAYMOND.

His infallible system — His agreeable manners — A Roulette player — Confidences — Revelations — In vein, and out of vein — The maturity of chances — Advice to players ■ — Maxims — ■ Influences — The gambler must be unmoved — Application of the system — A fortunate martingale— Mysterious meeting — Shorn of a beard ■ — Ruin and misery — The Talisman — Raymond is a Greek — Useful information . . . , . 54

Chapter VII. Edifying History Of A Greek

Debauchery- — Scheme to get money — The usurer Robineau — The bill of exchange — A false friend — Treason — Stay at Clichy — Initiation of a sharper — Release from prison ....... 71

CONTENTS.

IX

CHAPTER YIII.

SECRET GAMBLLN'G -HOUSES.

PAGE

Greeks both as dupers and duped — Andreas Tete cVOr — Secret inquiry — Tlie human ostrich — The Society of Philosophers — Chaffard the bravo — Exploit of Tete (VOr — A Greek thrown out of window — Mystification . . . . , . . . 80

CHAPTER IX. SECRET GAMBLIXG-HOUSES {coutinued)

School of cheating — Travelling Greeks — Le Service — Formidable manoeuvre — Imperceptible signs — The business of the Comtois — The coup de retraite — Abundant harvest — Prodigality and debauch — Fortune takes her reprisal . . . . .89

Chapter X. The Doctor Duped

The false capitalist — The rogue is bled — More confederates

arrive — A good hand — The fleecing — The doctor bled 99

CHAPTER XL

THE PASTE RIXG.

The amateur of precious stones — What a beautiful diamond ! — A sovereign cure — Ah ! if I were a rogue — A false paste ring ! — The game is played — The tell-tale stamp investigation — The wanderer by night — The mysterious trijoot — The sharper caught in a trap — Recriminations — The message — The false commissary of police — The Rue de Jerusalem — Unexpected denoument . . . , . . , . 106

X

CONTENTS.

Chapter XII. An Infamous Snare

PAGE

A young fool — Envy and covetousness — Aphorisms — Insinuations — Confidences — Influencing the game — Honest men are sometimes rogues — Mushrooms and cheating — The Greek moralist — Example of cheating — Initiation — Maxims and manipulations — Temptation — The Belgian capitalist — The cartes hiseautees — Easily won — An insolvent gambler — Comedy — The Greek in despair — An infamous snare — Dishonour — Kuin — The faithless trustee — Separation of the philosophers — A virtuous Greek — Golden hopes — A beard again — A demi-millionaire . . .124

TECHNICAL PART.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES.

Chapter I. The False Cut

The saut de coupe— The passe- coupe— The cut above — The

large card — The bridge — The bent card. . . .158

CHAPTEH II.

FILER LA CAKTE.

To change a card ....... 169

CONTENTS.

xi

The substituted pack — The box in the sleeve . . .177

CHAPTER VII. False shuffles — The arranged shuffle — The pnrtial shuffle

The fan— The dove-taH . . . . . . 183

CHAPTER YIII.

DOCTORED CARDS.

Cartes hiseautees — Tinted cards — Sticky or slippery cards — Slanting cards — Pricked cards — Cards with indented edges — Wavy cards — Chequered cards — Marked cards 189

CHAPTER X. The ring for marking 209

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CONTENTS.

Chapter XI. Page

Tlie reflecting SDuflf-box . . , , . . . 211 x\rraiigement of the pack — Coups de — How to

repique and capot an adversary — How to repique and capot an adversary, altliongh he has shnffled the cards — Abstraction and substitution of cards — Coup d^ecarte — Jeu de regie — Lansquenet — Baccarat —