Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-11-16
The Poker Game.

New York Times.l
In October, 1880, a party of United
States army officers, consisting of a
Captain, three Lieutenants and a Ser
geant, sat down to play a little
game Of draw" in a Colorado camp.
Early in the game the deal came to
one Of the Lieutenants, who may be
called Smith. This officer dealt to the
Captain one OF those exasperating
hands, which are worth nothing
intrinsically, but to the other officers
we're dealt, respectively, four kings,
four queens and four jacks, while the
dealer found himself, to his great sur
prise, in possession Of a straight
flush" The Captain passed out, y
and Che others began to bet with great
energy. Each man felt reasonably
sure Of winning. The man with the
four kings knew that it was extremely
improbable that any of his an
tagonists held four aces or a straight
flush, and the men with four
queens and four jacks were almost
equally confident they held victory in
their hands. When the show of hands
was made, and it was found that
neither the four jacks, the four queens,
nor the four kings we're worth any
thingin the presence of the dealers
straight flush" the two unfortunate
Lieutenants and the equally unfortun-
ate Sergeant were greatly dissatisfied,
They accused Lieutenant Smith Of
cheating, and accordingly he was
brought before a court martial, tried.
and to the great surprise Of many
honest but superficial students Of
poker, honorably acquitted. Thirty
years ago, when it had been we'll es-
tablished bya long series Of observa,
tions made by our most learned legis.
lators and lobbyists, that a hand o.
four kings could be expected only
once in $4,000 hands, and wher
straight Pushes we're SO rare that they
we're not employed in tho game, Lieu
tenant Smiths wonderful dea.
would properly have been regarded
as conclusive proof that he had cheat
ed. But considering the changes thai
have been steadily taking place in tht
game, we may cheerfully acquiesce il
the decision Of the court. That deoi
sion even throws doubt on the Justice
of the fate of Mr.. Michael McGinnis
the well known Mississippi player. /
may be remembered that in 1873 Mr.
McGinnis played a little game OF
board the steamer Southern Belle
with three Northern gentlemen in thu
pork business. He dealt what proved
to be the last deal of the game, ant
for half an hour the players steadily
increased their bets, when one of thu
pork persons finally called; there wal
$4,000 in the pot, which was won b.
Mr.. MoGinnis with a straight flush
consisting of the ace, king, queen, jacl
and ten OF clubs. The other hand
were no less remarkable. One mai
had four aces and a king, anothei
man had four kings and an ace
and the third mar had fou.
queens and an ace, while he hat
quietly dropped into his coat poke
another king, which had been acct
IDENTIFY dealt to him without the knowl
edge Of his comrades. Suspicious were
at once created by the examination O
these hands, and Mr.. McGinnis wa
shot on the spot by one Of the porE
merchants, and his body thrown
overheard, amid the applause of tn.
b%ystanders, who pooketed most of Tho
money while the pork persons were
engaged in executing what they be
lieve to be justice. Possibly Mr.
MoGinnis was in the wrong, but il
view of the decision in the case o
Lieutenant Smith VIC may as well asl
if the porkmen were not too hasty
-[Alden in the New York Times.