The Portland daily press., 1885-12-26
A POKER BATTLE.
Lawrence, Mass, Captures var
mouth, Me.
The Yarmouth Man Loses $500
and JeWeiry.

eAbtS&
Yesterdays Boston Herald tells the fol-
lowing good story: Mr. Fred Story is a
moneyed gentleman who halls from Var
mouth, Me-, and is quite extensively inter
ested in shipping, and, it is said, receives a
remittance of something like $4,000 every
month from England. He is said to be quite
prodigal with his filthy lucre, and has spent
a few thousands to satisfy his love for horse
flesh in the purchase of the fast trotter,
Erred ST." an animal who has frequently
graced the race track, and is well known to
turf men. 1t is further alleged that this
very same equine has been the means Of
causing its owner to drop a couple of thou
sand dollars in the pool-box which he was
never able to pull out again. 1t fact, it is
alleged in whisper that the sharps of the
turf got quite a big stake out of Fred before
the card sharps got hold of him. When the
trotting season was over, Fred was obliged
to spend his $4,000 monthly remittance in
some other way. The Lawrence gamblers
made his acquaintance during the circuit
races, and marked" him as ripe enough to
be plucked.
A few days ago Story was successfully
steered up to Lawrence, where, being exces-
sively fond of billiards, he had game or
two with sleek young man who affects
gray" clothes, local gam" who was in
perfect ''harmon' -ys with the scheme, in a
we'll known hotel on Essex street which
bears a name similar to Brunswick. In due
time quiet little game of poker was Sug-
gested and acquiesced in. An adjournment
was had to room above, the cards were
produced, and the game began. 1t was a
four-handed game, the fourth man being the
proprietor of the hotel, it is said. The story
is that the Yarmouth man dropped" $1100
at two sittings, and then "tumbled" that it
was 'brace game" and that he was being
heeced of his money. But he said nothing
and allowed the Lawrence sharps to think
that he had no suspicion that anything was
wrong. Then he said unto himself, 81 know
a game worth two of that" and came to this
city. He had been bitten, but made up
his mind that he would turn bitter, so he
looked over all the Boston card sharps for a
partner, with the intention of going back to
Lawrence, capturing all the Stakes clean
ing out the shops and teaching them lesson
they would not forget for some time.
Meanwhile the Lawrence lads, ignorant Of
the trap that was being laid for them, divi-
ded the $11OO, and made merry. Finally,
Story, it is alleged, picked out skilful
manipulation named Fisher, who is said to be
one of the very best poker players in this
country. Fisher, it is said, recently came
from Chicago, where he made the ''gams" of
that city turn their pockets inside out Story
was jubilant at the thought of getting
square, and after posting Fisher they went
to Lawrence. Story introduced Fisher, and
then the great battle with cards began.
Fisher was ''staked" by Story, who had ST.
700 in his pocket to paralyze the Lawrence
men with. Whether Fisher was STALLED"
on to Story or whether he was bought is not
known, but anyhow, it is alleged that the
great Chicago gambler gave Story the
''cross, as the saying is, or, in other words,
went back OIL him, and joined fortunes with
the Lawrence men. The result was that, in
very short time Story lost his $1700. He
was desperate, however, and never suspec-
ted Fisher was playing into the Lawrence
mems hands, and so kept on. Being out Of
ready money, he began to stake notes for
IdlSo dlnOuHtS. OHCo III dWnlle ne WOuiu Ut
allowed to win small amounts. To make a
long story short, the man from Yarmouth
who intended to be a bitter, was bitten to the
tune of $500 at this one sitting, $17Oo being
in money and $4,000 in notes, which the
Lawrence men succeeded in getting cashed,
although when Stoly discovered the big job
that had been put upon him he tried to stop
their payment. Story was SO determined to
fghtto the very death that he staked his
shirt studs, cuff buttons. rings and watch
all of which he lost. 1t was great game.
These Lawrence men have gained quite a
reputation as poker players, and have got
the best of many a Boston sharp who has
tried to down them, particularly a we'll
known sporting man of this city who is a
heavy better on spirit races.