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Excerpt from The Gaming Table: Its Votaries and Victims. Volume 2 (of 2), by Andrew Steinmetz

CHAPTER I. CHEVALIERS D'INDUSTRIE, OR POLITE SHARPERS.

Chevaliers d'industrie, or polite and accomplished sharpers, have always
existed in every city, from the earliest times to the present. The
ordinary progress of these interesting gentlemen is as follows. Their
debut is often difficult, and many of them are stopped short in their
career. They only succeed by means of great exertion and severe trials;
but they endure everything in order to be tolerated or permitted to
exercise their calling. To secure credit they ally themselves with men
of respectability, or those who pass for such. When they have no titles
they fabricate them; and few persons dispute their claims. They are
found useful for the pleasures of society, the expenses of which they
often pay--at the cost of the dupes they make in the world. The income
of chevaliers d'industrie is at first derived from those inexperienced
persons whom they get in their clutches by means of every kind
of enticement, in order to ruin them some day--if they have any
'expectations' or are likely to be rich; or in order to make accomplices
of them if they have only aptitudes for the purpose. After having led
them from error to error, after suggesting to them all sorts of wants
and vices, they make them gamble, if they are of age; they hold up play
to them as an inexhaustible source of wealth.

The 'protector' next hands over his 'young friends' to 'executioners,'
who fleece them for the common benefit of the confederates. They do
not always wait for the coming of age of their young dupes in order to
strike the grand 'stroke.' When they find that the father of a family
shudders at the idea of a public scandal, they immolate their victim at
once--for fear lest he should escape from their hands. Of course they
are always open to 'capitulate'--to come to terms; and if the aid of the
law is invoked they give in discreetly.

Explanation ​

Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from The Gaming Table: Its Votaries and Victims by Andrew Steinmetz ​

Context of the Source ​

Andrew Steinmetz’s The Gaming Table: Its Votaries and Victims (1870) is a two-volume work that explores the world of gambling, fraud, and the social dangers associated with gaming in 19th-century Europe. The book blends historical analysis, moral commentary, and vivid descriptions of swindlers, gamblers, and their victims. Steinmetz, a journalist and social observer, writes in a style that is both expository and cautionary, aiming to expose the mechanisms of deception in high society.

This excerpt comes from Chapter I of Volume 2, titled "Chevaliers d'Industrie, or Polite Sharps." The term "chevaliers d'industrie" (French for "knights of industry") is a euphemism for sophisticated con artists—men who present themselves as refined, well-connected gentlemen but are, in reality, professional swindlers. The chapter dissects their methods, social strategies, and the psychological manipulation they employ to exploit their victims.

Themes in the Excerpt ​

  1. Deception and Social Performance

    • The chevaliers d'industrie are masters of illusion, crafting false identities to gain trust. They "fabricate" titles and associate with "men of respectability" to lend legitimacy to their schemes. This reflects a broader 19th-century anxiety about social mobility and the difficulty of distinguishing genuine aristocracy from fraudulent pretenders.

  2. Exploitation of the Vulnerable

    • Their primary targets are the inexperienced ("dupes"), whom they groom through flattery, luxury, and the promise of easy wealth. The passage highlights a predatory cycle: first, they corrupt their victims by encouraging vices (gambling, extravagance), then financially ruin them.

  3. Gambling as a Tool of Ruin

    • The text frames gambling not just as a vice but as a weapon. The chevaliers present it as an "inexhaustible source of wealth" to lure victims into debt, which they then exploit. This aligns with Steinmetz’s broader argument that gaming houses are dens of moral and financial destruction.

  4. Collusion and Organized Fraud

    • The swindlers operate in networks, with "protectors" grooming victims before handing them to "executioners" who carry out the final fleecing. This structured approach mirrors modern confidence tricks, where teams of con artists play distinct roles.

  5. Blackmail and Social Leverage

    • The threat of "public scandal" is a powerful tool. Victims—especially those from respectable families—are often silenced by fear of reputational damage, allowing the chevaliers to extort money or compliance.

  6. Moral Corruption as a Business Model

    • The passage suggests that the chevaliers don’t just steal money—they manufacture accomplices. By corrupting young men with "aptitudes" for deception, they expand their criminal network, turning victims into future predators.

Literary Devices and Stylistic Choices ​

  1. Irony and Sarcasm

    • The term "interesting gentlemen" is heavily ironic—Steinmetz mocks the idea that these swindlers are anything but parasitic. Similarly, calling their methods "polite" underscores the hypocrisy of their refined exteriors.

  2. Metaphor and Animal Imagery

    • The chevaliers are depicted as predators: they "get [victims] in their clutches," "immolate" them, and "fleece" them like sheep. This dehumanizes the swindlers while emphasizing the helplessness of their prey.

  3. Process Narration (Step-by-Step Exploitation)

    • Steinmetz structures the passage like a how-to guide for fraud, detailing the stages of the con:
      • Infiltration (gaining credibility through false titles and associations).
      • Grooming (encouraging vices and financial dependence).
      • Exploitation (handing victims to "executioners" for the final swindle).
      • Blackmail/Extortion (using scandal to ensure compliance).
    • This clinical breakdown makes the system seem methodical and inevitable, heightening the horror.

  4. Euphemism and Understatement

    • Phrases like "come to terms" and "give in discreetly" soften the reality of extortion and legal evasion. This mirrors the chevaliers’ own language, which masks brutality in politeness.

  5. Repetition for Emphasis

    • The repeated use of "they" (12 times in the excerpt) creates a faceless, collective menace, reinforcing the idea that these swindlers are an endemic social problem, not just individual criminals.

Significance of the Passage ​

  1. Social Critique of 19th-Century High Society

    • Steinmetz exposes how appearances and connections matter more than morality in aristocratic circles. The chevaliers thrive because society values performative respectability over genuine virtue.

  2. Warning Against Naivety and Greed

    • The passage serves as a moral fable: the "inexperienced" are destroyed by their own desires (for wealth, status, pleasure). Steinmetz implies that the real "victim" is often complicit in their downfall.

  3. Precursor to Modern Confidence Tricks

    • The tactics described—long cons, grooming, blackmail, and networked fraud—are strikingly similar to modern scams (e.g., Ponzi schemes, romance fraud, or "pump-and-dump" stock manipulations). Steinmetz’s analysis remains relevant in understanding systemic deception.

  4. Gambling as a Metaphor for Capitalism

    • The chevaliers treat people as commodities to be exploited, reflecting broader critiques of 19th-century capitalism, where wealth was often accumulated through predatory means. The gaming table becomes a microcosm of an unfair economic system.

  5. Psychological Manipulation as a Theme

    • The passage highlights how swindlers engineer desire in their victims, making them want to be fleeced. This prefigures modern psychological studies of addiction and consumerism.

Line-by-Line Breakdown (Key Sections) ​

  1. "Their debut is often difficult, and many of them are stopped short in their career."

    • Implies that becoming a successful swindler requires persistence and resilience, almost like a dark profession. The phrase "stopped short" suggests that some fail, but those who succeed are dangerously determined.

  2. "To secure credit they ally themselves with men of respectability, or those who pass for such."

    • The double meaning of "pass for" is crucial—it suggests that respectability itself is often a performance, and the chevaliers exploit this by associating with equally fraudulent "gentlemen."

  3. "They are found useful for the pleasures of society, the expenses of which they often pay--at the cost of the dupes they make in the world."

    • A biting irony: they fund high society’s luxuries, but the money is stolen. This critiques a system where no one asks where the money comes from, as long as the champagne flows.

  4. "After having led them from error to error, after suggesting to them all sorts of wants and vices..."

    • The progression of corruption is deliberate. The chevaliers don’t just exploit existing flaws—they create them, making victims dependent on their guidance.

  5. "They do not always wait for the coming of age of their young dupes in order to strike the grand 'stroke.'"

    • The "grand stroke" is the final, devastating swindle. The impatience here suggests that the chevaliers are opportunistic, striking when vulnerability is highest.

  6. "If the aid of the law is invoked they give in discreetly."

    • They avoid legal consequences through settlements, implying that the justice system is either ineffective or complicit in protecting the wealthy from scandal.

Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters ​

Steinmetz’s excerpt is more than a historical curiosity—it’s a dissection of systemic deception, showing how fraud thrives in societies that prioritize appearances over ethics. The chevaliers d'industrie are not just individual criminals; they are symptoms of a culture that rewards cunning over honesty.

The passage also serves as a literary bridge between:

  • 18th-century satirical works (e.g., Hogarth’s A Rake’s Progress, which depicts a young man’s ruin through gambling and vice).
  • Modern true-crime and psychological thrillers (e.g., The Sting, Ocean’s Eleven, or American Psycho, where charm masks predation).

Ultimately, Steinmetz’s warning is timeless: where there is greed, there will always be those who profit from it—and the most dangerous predators are the ones who smile while they bleed you dry.