RACE TRAIN ROOKS

NZ Truth, Issue 817, 9 July 1921, Page 11

RACE TRAIN ROOKS

Card Sharpers' Graft. The following article, published In a Johannesburg exchange, shows that the tactics adopted m South African trains are on the lame lines ,as those used m tho New Zealand train service. There ace at present m Johannesburg a number of men who rely upon a few hours work a week m a race train to provide them with a living, and they seem to do well out of the business. The method adopted is quite simple. Three, or possibly four, confederates get to Johannesburg railway station fairly early on a day when there is racing on an outside course, buy their tickets, and walk up and down the platform until they see a prospective victim. They watch their man and take care to shepherd him as he goes to take his seat In such a way that he has them as his immediate companions for the journey. After the train starts a pack of cards is producved and the confederates begin a game of banker. Money is won by one or other of them In incredibly easy fashion, and r- entually the victim is cajoled into taking a hanfi. There is then only, one thing certain and that is that the stranger is going to lose. , Seeing that there appears to be little restriction placed upon card-playing m trains and that the crop of ''mugs" Is luxuriant, It may be as well to tell past or possible sufferers how and why the confederates win. . ' The cards are Invariably prepared for the occasion. The plan usually adopted Is to fine the centres of the edg-es of the cams of loav value and the ends of the edges of those of high vaiue. .It can be done with emery paper, but sharpers not Infrequently use a chemical to help them m this part of the work.. ' An Old Trick, The effect of the fining is that high or low cards can be dealt at will, and it is a simple matter to ensure that the victim gets a low card. The trick is as old. as the hills, but it remains perennially useful even to quite clumsy sharpers. New Zealand operators with the cards have various devices that ensure success, m fact, working the cards presents no difficulty. Once the gnnjt find a man foolish enough to play cards for' money with strangers the rest is easy.