§ 279 The Current Rate on Suckers
The late Tom Williams dropped into a gambling house in Reno, Nevada, one night, and, playing roulette, speedily dropped his roll, but not before he had made up his mind that the game was crooked.
On his way downstairs in deep disgust he met the proprietor, Long Brown.
“What kind of a dump is this you’re running?” demanded Williams. “I’ve just been skinned out of four hundred dollars.”
“Who brought you in here?” said Brown.
“I brought myself in,” said Williams.
“Oh, if that’s the case,” said Brown, “I owe you eighty dollars.”
“How come?”
“Well, you see, I pay twenty per cent. apiece for all suckers that are steered in. You appear to have steered yourself in. Here’s your eighty.”