We saw a German yesterday who was complaining very bitterly of having lost his watch by means of that stale old trick known as the “box game.” It appears that together with a comrade, he was passing along Wilk st., and when at the corner of Caroline st., their attention was attracted by the tricks of a Monkey in the window of a house, and accordingly they stopped to see what was to be seen. There were several persons in the door of the house, and in a few minutes a party from the street came up, and seeing two “green” Germans standing there, produced the “balls,” and offered to bet on them in the usual way. One of the Germans examined one of the balls and opening it, took out the piece of paper, and then offered to bet that it did not contain anything. A bet was finally made up, the German staking a gold watch, against $20, which the party produced. The bag was opened and the paper was there, and per consequence, the German was minus his watch. A short time afterwards he made complaint to a justice of the peace about his loss, and obtained a warrant for the arrest of somebody, but at our last information he had not recovered the watch. It is a rule that all persons pay for sight-seeing; but we “rather calculate” that seeing a Monkey at that price is a pretty dear business.
American Republican and Baltimore Daily Clipper, Baltimore, MD, August 18, 1846