Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1882-06-20
THAT BIG POKER GAME.
How Mr.. Weed Lost $15O,OOO on Four
AcQS

in which DR.. Montreville Nj. Hedges
and William M. Scott are accused of
having swindled Francis P. Weed
out of $l5O,OO0 by means Of stocked
cards: This remarkable game, ac-
cording to the papers in the case,
was played one evening last June in
DIR. Hedges's dental rooms, on the
corner Of Water and Second streets,
in this city. When the party was
seated, DR.. Hedges secured the deal
and delivered five cards to each
player. The doctor dealt himself a
full hand, Scott obtained a four
flush, and Weed received three aces.
Scott called for one card and secured
a straight flush. Weed took two
cards, one Of which was an ace,
making his hand four aces. DR..
Hedges's hand was what was known
as pat" and he played it without
drawing Weeds first bet on his
four aces was, it is said, $1,000,
which his opponents both saw and
raised him $1,000 each. The play
continued with raises OF 1000 until
the betting on each hand had reached
$50, 900 or SIS, 1000, when Weed hest
tated and said: "Look here, boys,
how are you going to pay
this thing if | get it?' Scott
and Hedges satisfied him of their
ability to make good any losses they
might sustain, and the play contin-
ued till the sum of $l50,O0O was
pending on each hand, the pot hav-
ing swelled to the immense amount
of s45O,0OO. A call was then made,
and Scott with his straight flush
raked the table, Weed and Hedges
being the losers. Whether He'd ges
made any apparent settlement or not
has not yet appeared, but Weed, it is
said, compromised his debt of honor
few days after for $l2O,0O0. He
paid Scott $4,000 in cash, and gave
him two notes for $4,000 each, with
interest, one due in six and the other
in nine months. Scott was going to
California, and he placed the notes
in the hands of j. Bostwick, Cashier
of the Stissing National Bank, of
White Plains, Dutchess county, who
agreed to collect them for 10 per cent
of their face. When the first note
became due, Mr.. Wcel, it is said,
took it up by the payment of $5l,
500, the 81, 500 being for interest,
and when the second note matured
he paid $3.50 on it, and gave a re
newal for the balance, with interest.
OF the $S5, 900 thus paid, the cash
ier who made the collection retained
his 10 per cent, $500, for his ser
vices.
The story of the poker game had
up to this time been kept profund
secret by all concerned, but after the
last payment, Hugh Moore, an init
mate friend Of Weeds, became, in
some unexplained way, cognizant of
the facts. As friend and confident,
he at once advised Mr. Weed to APP
peal to the courts and recover his
money, if possible, and his advice was
followed. The victim of this extra
ordinay game of poker now claims
that Hedges and Scott conspired to
fleece him, and that they 'sstocked"
the cards, giving him hand on which
he would bet largely, but SO arrang-
ing it that one of them would have
the winning hand. He claims that
the supposed loss of $4,000 by DR..
Hedges was a sham and that he shar-
ed with Scott the money extracted
from his victim. On the strength of
Judge Gilbert's writ of attachment
Hedges house, Al Fourth St, in this
city, was attached by the Sheriff, who
also attempted to attach some jewels
and other property in the Quassick
National Bank belonging to the doctor,
and went to the bank yesterday morn
ing for that purpose, but Mrs. Hedg-
es was there before him, and it is
thought, succeeded in removing most
OF the securities, supposed to amount
to $4,000 in jewels, before the box
was attached.
Judge Bernard, sitting at Pough-
keepsie, granted a bench warrant for
the arrest of DIR. Hedges yesterday,
on the supposition that he had gene
to Michigan, and of Scott, who is in
California, for the alleged crime of
cheating at cards. The doctor re-
turned to Newburg last night, how
ever, and was arrested here. He is
now in the custody of Sheriff Odell.
Scott is at deaths door with consump-
ton, but a requisition is to be asked
from Governor Cornell on the Gov
ernor of California to bring him back
to this State. Mr.. Bostwick, of the
Stissing National Bank, finding that
the poker game was going into court,
paid over the $500, which he had
received as commission for collecting
the two notes, to Mr.. Weeds counsel
in this city last Saturday. Hedges
house, which has been attached, is
valued at $4,000, so that Mr.. Weed
l, 80, 4l,,,, 81 600 r. al