“KING OF CARDSHARPERS”

Evening Star, Issue 20089, 1 February 1929, Page 7

“KING OF CARDSHARPERS”

SWINDLED THE WORLD CONFOUNDED BY CONJUROR.. With a jaunty air that lias always been one of his chief assets, a remarkable character received n sentence of six months’ hard labour at the,Guildhall, London. He is Ernest Robert Glceson, forty-four, who .described himself as a clerk, and gave a false address. The charge against Glecson. of obtaining a meal on credit by false pretences from a restaurant,_ appeared quite a “ come-down ” considering his amazing career. Prisoner boldly tried lo carry olf the situation by remarkiug to‘the magistrate: “By gad, sir, I shall really have lo give notice of appeal. Eraiikly, I am going to h« sportsmanlike in this matter. J. am going to show that 1 was in fact intoxicated.” A doctor staled that when Glceson was arrested there were no signs that he had been drinking. “ I can prove,” added Glceson, “ that on this day I had fifteen double whiskies and twenty bottles of beer, which I carried like a man of th<f world, and 1 could do it again. I submit that this is quite a small mallei, and Hie court might well dismiss urn with 1 lie admonition: “Go and sin no more.’ ’’ . A detective-sergeant produced information showing that Glceson had boon convicted in Now York, and deported from Canada. - WHAT A RECORD!” “What a record!” commented the magistrate, Alderman Sir Allred Bower, after glancing down the sheet. “ Well,” was Glee son’s calm retort, “it isn’t for anything very bad, alter all. 1 have suffered for it, and yet here 1 am, at forty-four-,' merry and. bright, and managing to keep smiling.” The record showed that prisoner, m the heyday of his career, was a veritable “ king of cardsharpers ’ who found several countries too hot lo contain him. Like a good many .more evildoers, Glceson, who was born in Lancashire, belonged to a respectable family, and drifted in the wrong direction alter receiving a lirst-cluss education. Ho deemed it advisable to_ leave his country, after several convictions had becit registered against him for theft and larcenv. Glceson was on his way to the States when he realised how easy it was to find victims at cards, and, having been a clever amateur caid trick exponent, ho decided to turn Inn skill to advantage. Thenceforth, for about live years, he spent most of. Ins time “ working ” the liners, until there was not a ship’s company travelling hotwe.cn New York and England that did not know him.

RKGARDJ3D AS MAN OF WEALTH. So clever was Gleeson in swindling operations that for a long time lie was unsuspected. Speaking live languages fluently, of good address, and apparently a world-wide traveller, ho was ■ looked upon as a man of wealth, who look sea voyages for health reasons.. Such was his charm ol manner ami, general plausibility that no complaints were made hy ot her passengers re- f garding their losses, and Gleeson was careful not to overdo his winnings. , He enjoyed immunity until one day ■ a man. well known on the stage and himself something of a conjuror, was, fascinated bv tho anming hands of • cards which Gleeson hold from lime to lime when there was a big pool. Jle watched carefully and at length detected the man cheating. Needless to say, Gleeson was warned off tho boat. 33c next figured very successfully, in gambling exploits in various New, York dubs,' until lies became involved! in a .big card-sharping swindle, andwas deported to England as an, undesirable alien. For a time Gleeson turned his attention to the Continent, and there ho resumed card-sharping manoeuvres, and reaped a rich harvest from well-to-do passengers on South African, boats. WARNED OFF SHIRS.

Eventually the ships’ captains, being unable to prove that Gleeson was actually sharping, would not permit him to engage in any game of cards on hoard. Again the suspect had to find another means to live, and this time lie resorted to the expedient of entering cabins when they wore out and stealing their valuables.

Discovery came at length, and Gleeson was put ashore at Rio do Janeiro and warned not to attempt to get aboard any of that company’s vessels again. In a dilemma he called on the British Vice-Consul, and asked for a. passage to England. After making inquiries, however, the Vice-Consul refused, whereupon Gleeson produced a revolver and threatened to murder him. In consequence lie was .deported from Bio. Gleeson became so notorious on Atlantic and other liners that he was warned off every boat, ships’ detectives declaring that he was a “King of Cardsharpcrs,” the cleverest they had .seen lor years. While “ working ” liners Gleeson actually travelled with a valet and an expensive wardrobe, and this in itself disarmed suspicion. France was the next, place to bn closed against Gleeson, who then resorted to less spectacular methods of crime. In Liverpool he made the acquaintance of a pretty barmaid, pretended to bo very much in love with her, and gave her some stolen scent. In the end ho disappeared with every penny the girl had. For some time Gleeson’s movements had been a mystery until he turned up at the Guildhall recently,, •