Arizona weekly citizen., 1881-09-25
Court.MartlaI of Poker Sharps.

i The following IS from a late number iof the Chicago Tribune. It Is spicily written, and has local interest in Ari-
 ,zona because the 23d Infantry was once Stationed in the Territory, and two or
 more of the parties named are well
 iknOwn to hundreds of our readers:
 It is well known that one of the prin- 5cipal amusements indulged in by army officers stationed on the frontier Is the sseductive but costly game of draw poker, land So universal has this practice be- tcome that while many of our country s i brave defenders may be a trifie obscurel ! in their recollection of various points set forth in '' UptOn's Tactics there isl ] not one above the rank of Corporal. swhose information on the subject of, 5 -four tiushes, straights, and other pOpularl sand lucrative combinations of cards isl .not at once extensive and well defined. Among the many estimable gentlemenI { swhO imperil their lives by living in thel Indian country and their digestion byI seating the delicaeies furnished by post straders are Capt Louis R. Stile, First sLieutenant, Charles Hay, Second Lieu tenant, J. R. Claggett, Acting Assistan1I
 Surgeon W. W. Rowan and Stephenl sOConnor, all of them being members of sthe 2}d United States Infantry. In Oc1 stober, 1880. this regiment was encampedI SOn the Uncompahugre river, and the, labOve named started in to have a quietl -game of " draw" After an hour or SO of suneventful play it became the duty of .Lieutenant Hay to deal the cards. 'When he had finished this operation, the Acting Assistant Surgeon discovered that be held four kings, while Lieuten- 'ants Claggett and OCOnnOr found them selves in possession of four queens andI flour jacks, respectively. These threei .gentlemen began betting in e most fu- iriOus manner, Lieutenant Hay staying with a calm persistency that was re- .markable. After Sl02 had been placedl lin the "pOt" the hands were shown. when the gentlemanly dealer was fOundI Ito have a straight flush. The pOSsessiOnI
 Of so phenomenal a hand in such a criti-
 cal place was deemed an event of so ex- |traOrdinary a nature as to warrant anI official investigation of the matter. Al .cOuTt-martial was accordingly convened,
 Lieutenant Hay being charged with con lduct unbecOmlng an officer and a gen .tleman- The officer pleaded not guilty,l land as the fixing" of cards Is impOssi- .ble to prove, unless the party who ringsi lin the 'cOld deck" chooses to confess, Lieutenant Hay was honOrably acquit-l ted; but in the future it Is doubtful ifl the officers of his regiment will playi .anything less than a straight tushl 'lgainst him with that degree of confi- .dence which is essential to a proper un-! .derstanding of the game.
 After detailing all the facts givenl above in General COurt-Martial Orderl No. 93, Gen. Pope adds: The circumstances which made thei trial in this case necessary ought, in the: estimation of the department command! Ter, to forceably appeal to all officers in! .behalf of a sentiment that shall effectu-i .ally discourage gambling Tn the army. 'and he trusts that Lieut.. Hay and thOse5 associated with him in this case, taking. warning from past experience, will desist.
 from the indulgence of this vice, which, { flor them and all others who often mi .dulge, tends surely in the direction of al lower and lower range of feeling, andl often to open and lasting disgrace. Why Lieut.. Hay should be includedl .amOng those to whom this advice is. 'given IS not clear. Any man who cam hold a straight flush against four kings. and like number of queens and iacksi does not need advice. He Is eminentlys capable of taking care of himself, andl the idea that he should take warnings From past experience Is grimly humOr- 1us. Lieut.. Hay evidently took warningI some time ago. At present he is allow .ing the other man to do the walking.