The members of the secret committee are hypocrites because they pass judgments against Oakhurst regardless of the fact that they too at one time or another committed to gambling with Oakhurst only that surpassed them cunning in the game. The committee's judgment was to help get rid of Oakhurst from the town as they had been outmaneuvered by him for a long time and this would give them the opportunity to win if they gambled (Harte, 1997). The aspect of hypocrisy in the committee members is clearly evident when and where a committee member suggests hanging Oakhurst and taking their money back. This is a clear indicator that they too were gamblers, although they were condemning one of their own out of self-interest and their own hypocrisy. “A secret committee had decided to rid the city of all improper people. This was done permanently in respect of two men who were then hanging from the branches of a sycamore tree in the ravine, and temporarily by the banishment of some other questionable characters. I regret to say that some of these were women" (Harte,