The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-04-15
DEACON PARKER ON DRAW Pc
KER.
The Secret History or Some Recent
LegjslatiOn I'm Virginia.

LegislatiOn I'm Virginia.
From Yesterdays New York Sun.
Deacon Parker, of Arkansas, known
throughout the South and Southwest for
his moving eloquence and his very re-
markable game of poker, is sojourning in
! this city. He expresses himself with
much warmth on the subject of the re-
cent re :olalion OF the Virginia House of
Delegates for the removal from Office of a
County Court Judge for the apparently
frivolous and absurd reason that he occa-
sionally INDUCED in little game of draw.
The Deacon holds that no Christian gen.
tleman is really fitted to adorn the high
er circles of polite society who is unfamil-
lar with the rules that govern this CLASH
cal game. He is we'll aware that there
has always existed in the Ola. Dominion
strong preference for euchre and seven
up; IN fact, that several of her most emil
nent statesman, and large majority OF
both the Senate and the House OF Dele
gates had, from long and constant prac'
tice, attained to great perfection In the
art of cleaning out their friends and &C
quaintances by means of these pleasant
social games. But all this was no reason
why the people of Virginia at large
should, through their representatives in
Richmond assembled, be made to stultify
themselves by declaring the game OF po-
ker, under any circumstances, inconsis-
tent with the judicial dignity of a Coun-
ty Court Judge.
Perhaps, however, when we get all the
details relating to this legislation the facts
may, in q measure, exonerate the dele
gates from this seemingly deliberate at
tack upen the rights of the people, and
the time honored privileges OF the bench.
Deacon Parker limited that the tragic end
of Col. Randolph Slaughter, who lost his
life last summer, at the hands of Gen.
Brown, through an unpleasantness re-
sulting from frankly avowed difference
Of opinion between those two gentlemen,
as regards the proper mode Of playing
draw. poker, might really have been at
the bottom of the unconstitutional reso
luton passed by the Virginia House of
Delegates.
The Deacon explained, that among the
innov atoms that have of late years been
introduced by the devotes of this popular
game, the practice of playing it with
packs of cards containing more than four
aces, is in some places looked upon with
great favor. AS many as six aces have
been found in one pack. These revolu-
tlonary practices were strongly condemn
ed by the Deacon, who thought them
likely TO lead to much confusion; and they
were the immediate cause oil the trouble
that led to the sudden demise OF the late
lamented Slaughter at the Springs OF
Virginia in August last.
1t seems that General Brown and the
Colonel sat down for little game oil
draw, one su.try afternoon. Brown Tor
got to mention that there were six aces
in the pack, and Slaughter fancied he was
playinr with one of the old fashioned
four ace packs. The result was series
of miscalculations on the part OF Slaugh
ter, which finally ended in his being en-
,irely cleaned out. Just at the end OF
the game he became aware OF the exis-
tence Of an unusual number OF aces, ana
thereat he reproached Brown in language
more vigorous than polite. In fact he
used such words as swindllng and cheat
ing. =,
Language like this was more than Ma
Tor General Brown could bear. With
great presence of mind he produced ms
bowie knife and carefully inserted about
six inches Of the blade into Slaughter
person. This closed an unpleasant con
yersation, and efectuslly ended the ditil-
culty. The next day Slaughter was
planted in a cheerful little graveyard
near the Springs
Some of Colonel Slaughter's friends
held meeting to examine into tins very
peculiar case. General Brown having
been cited, appeared, and testified that he,
more than any one else with the single
exception OF Slaughter, probably re-
aretted the melancholy determination oil
ia misunderstanding; but that Slaugh-
ters language had been more than lndis'
Greet. He had actually and without the
slightest qualification accused General
Brown of cheating at cards. This no man
could say to his face and live. de asked
the gentlemen of the committee whether
under the circumstances; he had any 9th
or course open to him. Before gcing tc
extremities he had endeavored to explain
to Colonel Slaughter that, so far as re-
CARDS the actual winning, it was OF nc
moment how many aces there were II
the pack, as each player had an equa
chance of getting four or Ave aces every
deal. But Slaugh would not listen Il
reason, and while the committee exoner
ated General Brown on the ground ths
the provocation was very great they
mildly marked their disapprovsl OF thu
act BY deliberately putting themselves OF
the record Ms being of the opinion that h'
had been over-hssty in his action.
Deacon Parker believes this untoware
event to have led to the passage of TIT
resent resolution BY the Virginia Hous'
| -. d,,a,stos AGAINST iudicial poker