American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-09-27
Draw Poker as Republican Device.

The incident we are to record is some
thing after this sort: Thirteen years ago,
one Hugh Maher sat down at table, and
tarried awhile along with one Charles b.
Farwall, now distinguished member of
the Republican party, and a Congressman
(back- pay included). When they Jointly
and severally arose from that table, MIR
Maher owed Mr. Farwell the sum of ST.
700, this Indebtedness being the product
of certain mysterious manipulations of
certain pictorial pieces of paste
board. Mr.. Maher not having the cur
rency wherewithal to reimburse Mr.. Far
well in the amount which was declared
to be his due, conveyed to him a certain
tract of land containing eighty acres more
or less, to be held by him in trust. This
MIR. Farwell held for many years, during
which time Mr.. Maher alleges he frequent
1y rendered him the $1,7O0, with accrued
interest, taxes, and so on, with a view to
redeeming the land. This real estate,
however, being in an eligible locality,
rapidly rose in value, until it came to pass
that Mr.. Farwell's kingfull on trays,
which might have been worth 81 700 in
1860, was good for $4,000 in 1873. In
other words, the real estate he took as Sc
curity for poker debt of the former
amount thirteen years ago, would sell for
the latter sum now.
MIR. Maher, however, is not disposed to
rest quietly under these CALLING circum-
stances, and he brings suit Nainst Mr.
Farwell to compel surrender of the
property conveyed in trust, upon payment
of principal and interest OF and on the
debt and taxes on the land Mr. Makers
petition Is a formidable document Among
the things it sets forth is that Mr. Farwell
employed divers and sundry fraudulent
devices in his manipulations of the paint
ed pasteboard, whereby Mr.. Maher was
unjustly brought into his debt The ex-
act nature of these fraudulent devices the
Petition does not specifically re-
cite, but all data that are at hand concern
ing the traditional Chicago system Of
draw-poker point to the conclusion that a
metrical description of them will be
found in Mr.. Harte's celebrated biogra.
ply OF the late All Sin. From the tenor
of Mr. Makers petition it is to be inferred
that the Hon. Mr.. Farwell was in the
habit of dealing his own draw from the
top OF the cut, while he disbursed to Mr.
Naher his due share of supplemental
pasteboards from the pack proper This
Is an invention, which by some is at
tributed to a celebrated Chicagoap. named
Wentworth, the initials being Long John
by others to the Hon. John A Logan
Mem. This was before the Hon John A
Joined DIR. Newman's church,; and there
be still others who say that to the Hon.
Robert G. Schenck, now United States
Minister to the Court of St James. belong s
the honor OF discovering this important
pecuilarIty of pasteboard. The principle
which is involved in this manipulation OF
pasteboard has been introduced into polI
tics with immense success and is known
as kelloggism. That is to say, when tn,
people cut the cards the president picks
up the cut instead of the pack proper, ant
fraudulently deals them an official draw
off the top of the said cut, thus setting al
defiance the two eminent authorities o
Thomas Jefferson and the late Mr.. Hovlc
Thus it will be seen that dealing the draw
from the top of the cut is strictly Repub
lican device
The next irregularity of which the Hon
MIR. Farwell may have been guilty il
known as holding up cards That is t.
say, reserving certain cards and keeping
them ready for Introduction into the cere
monies at favorable opportunity Thu:
1t frequently happens that in game o
chicago draw-poker the pack will b,
found to contain but two aces The othel
two Will be found in the sleeve or III,
pocket OF some far-seeing contributor I,
the amusement of the evening The prin
ciple involved in this fraudulent de
vice has been introduced into politics
and it carried Pennsylvania last DC
tober for the ticket that belonged Z,
SIMON cameron by an enormous majority
There is absolutely no limit to the major
ity city like Philadelphia can be mad'
to give, If you will permit one of Mr.. Cam
eron's friends to ''hold up" the return
from few wards
Another device which Mr. FarwelI ma,
have employed without violating his ira
ditions as a Chicagoan and a Republican
Is that known as ringing-in a cold deck,
stratagem to which allusion has alread,
been made. The Introduction of this hi
OF poker tactics into the political strateg,
OF the Republican party has been remark