The Bismarck Tribune Newspaper, October 29, 1928, Page 9

COT TT fa ‘ Se ‘# i nn mmUiucccctcnaatcteraeratectcct ita Busting the How Federal Agents : Broke Ub One “Legal” where PS Manufacturer's Trade In Marked Decks’ For Professional Gamblers 'N THE smoke-laden air of a room, four men sit } gee a table. Above them an electric light glows dully, flooding the players and table in a yellow circle of illumination. One man, perhaps two, sit suavely, studying the cards in his Kind now and again glancing intently at the others, his face set without expression save for the dart of keen eyes. p The others finger their cards nervously, fidget in their chairs, and glance suspiciously at each other. The play goes on, one by one the men lay the cards in their hands face-upward upon the.table. pair floods into the faces of several while one suave gentleman pulls in the pile of chips on the table. The professional gambler has “cleaned” his victims again and with cards marked so that the others were unaware that the backs disclosed their “face value.” Different methods have been used by professional gamblers to mark cards so that they, Erraratthes ie only read > ios ol cards by peering at the backs, One of the most unusual cases of card marking has been put at an end Le) baat bed o ay et and imprisonment o: melius D, Blankenship of Adrian, W. Va. Investigators said Blankenship had been engaged in the card-marking business for several years and that he did a prosperous business, records disclosin; the names of men, alleged professional gamblers, all over the country. lankenship was not acquainted with the internal revenue laws or perhaps his business would not have been oper- ated on such an open basis, He admitted that he steamed rev- enue stamps from the boxes containing standard playing cards, and removing the cards, marked them so that they could be read from the back. He replaced the revenue stamp, and this is why he was sent to the penitentiary. ‘THE “doctored” playing cards bore no evidence of having been tampered with and more than ong person lost his funds because of Blankenship’s clever work, according to the officers. ieipeapt rar Ge for large dees of ie make playing cards throug! ¢ proprietor of a general store at ’ Adrian, W: Va. He set aside a room in his home where he ae his business of marking the cards with machines. hese machines were the work of a genius, government offi- cers say. Their mechanisms were as intricate as in a watch or clock, and would require the same skill as that of making a timepiece. machine was known as a side cutter and the other as a corner cutter. Certain cards in the deck were marked by being cut on the side or top, or both, and could readily be identified through key cards furnished by Blankenship with each order. oJ =" : x me 7 * rd ~ LETS SBE '00 WE WANT TO Stop ove PABRE Za WHAT. MIND OF A.TOWN.AG IT. 2 . TAHA TM er » pemeeemeensammmemmme || WLLL ee ae ‘2s Business of Crooked LE Dei QUEEN ; = = twisted Diamonds . pal Oey & = = ‘one way on ends , EE aa ve he og . Gj = = were revealed by full stars ‘on one side ra UEENS . . ‘ “| ven deck ad wide margin on one side and end, and narrow margin on other side and end if they don’t please you I will return all your money. Fair enough, isn’t it? “I know of no other place in America where they make tailor-made five card readers. These cards are considered stronger than the eye, so you will kindly state that they will not be used for any unlawful purposes, then I will be pleased to fill your order. I handle only the very best in the card line, therefore perfect satisfaction is guaranteed. T also am at your services by Yours for from $3 to $5 a dozen decks and he sold them "for from $12 to $18 a The cards marked were the nine, ten, jack, queen, king, ace and joker. They were placed in the machines and trimmed and as they were made a trifle smaller, the other cards were also trimmed so that the cards of the ‘‘crooked” packs were all the same size. For instance, one deck was marked as follows: aces with a narrow border on one end, kings with a narrow border on one side, queens with the top and right borders the same, jacks with the top and left borders the same, tens twisted one wat round and nines twisted the other way round. The other cards were made all alike, having even borders all around. Such cards were, and are, uscd in many gambling houses throughout the country and the cleverly marked cards seldom aroused suspicion, as they were placed in the game while in boxes which bore no evidences of having been tampered with. dozen decks. When a U. S. marshal arrested the card fixer and confiscated his machines, he found 30 dozen “doc- tored” decks and a considerable quantity of cards yet to be marked, Six books disclosed the names of customers it! all parts of the country. The following excerpts are from one of Blankenship’s advertising circulars: “MY. dear Sir—You will find enclosed samples of my cards. They are perfectly natural when looked at, for they have no inks, rarks, shades, etc., on them at all, Therefore, they will stand up and do the work. People will not find the mark, neither can they read them without the instructions to go by. a tule, even gamblers would not question such a card. “The workmanship is absolutely dependable. ‘Ihey are easy Other cards of standard make were marked by Blankenship _to learn. This is the highest class card work that money will in a different way. Instruction cards with each deck soon taught © buy. The key-card explains how (naming two standard-backed the. purchaser how to read them. The cards cost Blankenship _ brands of cards) are made for poker. Give them a try-out and WHY TRAVEL IS BROADENING every return‘ mail. Real Success. . . « “Machine tailor-made cards are produced by slightly trim- ming the edges of the cards so as to produce a combination that will easily and quickly read 8 or 10 feet, yet absolutely defies de- tection without the instructions, “I specialize on any kind of machine work you wish, there- fore I can furnish you the highest class of workmanship in the world. It is genuine factory made—so to speak. This material has the world skinned for fast company... .” Card Trimmer Blankenship had not registered with the col- lector of internal revenue at Clarksburg, W. Va., as a manu- facturer of playing cards and when federal officers arrested him and put an end to his shady enterprise, he complained to them that he had conferred with an attorney and had been assured that his business was within the law. “| wont FEEL RIcaT U IN TALIS OUTFIT UNTIL WE GET OUT IN THE CounTiey” SWAITLE WE GET ON THE TAI AND ILL GIVE You A WING” * GooosvE Granoma GE A Good Girt” JUST CHECK - « WE BAC” AS Four MINUIE EGGs ANO TELL THE CHEF My TRAIN LEAVES WW TAREE MinuTES’ IMSANNHNINEG AAAS AEON AGA AUgCnMULUNOAEOLUSAqUL FUT TIMIIU MIN TUULULU MAU ce (Copyright, 1928, NEA Magasine) ATTA NTT ee Ts