St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-02-24
CHARGE ON THE CHIPS.
A White Cap Party's Raid on Poker
F.. Row.
YOUR WAYS
ssMEND
Reform Masquerade by Party Of La
dies and Gentlemen at the
Merchants.

"What if White Caps should organize
in st. Paul. more than one person has
asked with shudder, after reading of
some fresh atrocity committed by these
laWless reformers in other cities. But
the apprehension realized comes with
an awful suddenness, as if no hint of it
had ever been suggested. 1t was about
IL o'clock Tuesday evening. Politics
and purity still stalked the Office of the
Merchants hotel, and on the floors above
the ice pitchers cink-elanked along
the halls, propheSying of dry threats and
parched tongues in the morning.
Through the transom of room 157 flashed
on the famous corridor outside the daZ-
zling blaze of Senator Blackman's shirt
stud Or the harvest moonlight of Michael
Moran'S smile, while from 155 the
smooth tones Of John Greece now babe
f'Ante up, me boy;" and now the uncer-
tain utterance of Col. Ellen commingled
with the statesmanlike voice of Judge
Smith III an alteration over an inti-
mated deal of unrevealed nature. The
early in the evening Marcus Johnson
cautiously crept out and closed the
door behind him, the lock Immediately
clicked and Gen. Baker stuck his head
through the transom to ask, ''You
couldn't barricade it on the outside,
too, could you, senator?" sHush," said
the senator; ''be still and you may he
saved" But for all the assumed conf
dence of the statesman from AtWater,
His keen blue eye rolled uneasily, and
the. hair on the top OF his head stood up
trembling in the hope offnding another
tOtkeep it company as he stole in terror
down the corridor to the elevator.
Ex-Gov. Harvard had just opened
jack pot with five aces when there was
d zap on the door, and Host John Greece
went to respond. He approached
the door, and CHANGING to notice
chat one of the legs of the table had
come undressed, he waited till Col.
Eden had properly readjusted the
sheet which every evening is m0destly
tied about the legs of all the tables used
ihea"nPoker row" before the gentlemen
Gofnln, it is said, was. established by
Col. O'Leary, whose Difference to pro-
nriety and nicely in small matters is a
characteristic of every true French gen
tieman. The bolt was slipped, the
door opened and John Greece fell sense
less to the floor. There stood in awful,
Sepulchral majesty ten white-shrOuded
figures, each bearing ON his
breast sable skull and cross bones and
the terrible revelation in black letters,
s.White Caps" Their eyes CLEANED
through their white masks threaten
ing determination to have gore, and the
forefinger of each right hand pointed
at their victims with the horrible mex
orableness of the finger of fate. Into
the room the specters crowded, urging
in gutteral tones: Mend your ways"
The hands Of eX-Gov. Harvard and
Judge Smith with common inn
pulse sought each other for support
over the jack pot. Col. Ellen
endeavored to beg for mercy, and in the
desperate effort he made swallowed
the quid of tobacco he. was chewing.
and succeeded in whistling. "Jack the
Ripper" said the White Cap who took
beside him, "laugh and bring John
Greece to his senses" Such a laugh as
only lost soul laughs at the gates of
hell stood John Greece on his feet in a
minute. ''Open the pot now, Jack.o
commanded the leader, and Jack lifted
off the nerveIess hands OF ex-Gov. liar
ward and Judge Smith. Nov call
them" came the order, and ten shroud-
ed hands presented ten loaded guns to
the heads of the four good men before
them. THAT beats my four aces" said
ex-Goy. Harvard. throwing down his
hand, and Jack the Ripper took the pot.
After leaving card bearing the legend,
'sMend your ways" the specters slowly
wheeled about and retired. "Boys,'
said Col. Ellen with tears of repentance
in his eyes, 1--WE will open new deal.
They have carried off our pile" "A es,"
returned John Greece with sigh; land
they took it with jack"
.s.See who's at the door, Michael" said
Col. De Grimm When rap sounded on
155. Holy poker" gasped MIR. Moran
ais he faced the white-robed marauders.
Col. O'Leary; keep 'em out. Moike.
Keep 'em out; they're a bad-Iooking
lot.d But Mr.. Moran's efforts were Of
no avail. On they came, their threaten
ing fingers boding ILL to all. 'Mend
your ways" they warned in a chorus.
s.Wear no more diamonds at your peril.
Getto a nunnery and be a monk" they
ordered Senator Biaekman. 'sWe give
YOU one more show" they accorded
Senator Falseax. Beware of Marcus
Johnson" they said to Mr.. House. and
to Harry Sheeperton-"Deal once more
at your peril" A $25 Jackpot ON the
table passed into Jack the Ripper's
possession, and. on the awful pro-
.cession moved. At the door of
lal young woman, they paused to
send her into Mysteries, and then in the
wake of a basket of champagne they
marched to the room of G. w. Young
man and wife. where it developed that
the band was composed of Mr.. and
Mrs. Simons, Mr.. and Mrs. CIV. Young
man, Mrs. BrambIe, Mrs. Senator Ed
wards. Mrs. Senator Hall and Mr.. and
Mrs. Wise. Mr.. Wise is in charge of
the Seventh street cable. and came here
from st. Louis, Mo. The only explana-
tipn of the sudden conversion of HARM
less, peace-loving citizents into spec
trail, bIood-thirsty reformers is to be
found in the possibility that residence
in Missouri has generated marauding
impulses in the mind of Mr.. Wise, who
probably melted the others to action.
Cards with threatening inscriptions
found on various doors Yesterday MORN
ing suggest that blood is likely to-be
shed.