The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-02-16
THEY CHEAT At CARDS.
Serious Charges Made Against Some
Of the Bluest Blood Of
England.
Gordon-C Cummings Match Safe
and How It Served It's
Owner.
Peculiar Ways of the Great Men
Women who Compose Albert Ed
wards Special Set.

Tho sensation caused by tho charge OF
cheating at cards made against Sir William
G. Gordon Cumming ut a table where the
prince of Wales was present calls attention
TO the fact that such charges are becoming
very frequent among the British aristoc.
racy, says the Chicago Evening Post. Not
alone are charges OF cheating made. but
they are very frequently believed and some.
times proved TO be true. Sir w. q. Cor
don-Cummiua's suit for libel against his
two defameYs is likely to be settled out OF
court by an abject apology and a state
ment Of the facts differing In many ma
terial points from that which has already
been published, but the scandal caused by
the making Of such a charge and the re-
examinations il has brought about will take
a long time TO BIO removed. The desperate
Efforts at suppression OF the facts
made by the prince Of Wales set have only
served to throw a curious light Oh the sur
roundings OF that card table at Tranby
Craft and to set tho gossips talking about
the men and women who figured there.
Colonel Gordon Cumming, Of the Scots
Fusileer Guards, may come out all right.
but the settlement Of the case will not stop
the talk about the peculiar set of men and
women who sur ound Inn.
Tho true story OF the affair at Tranby
Craft is gradually leaking ont and is be
coming more interesting from day to day.
Mrs, Wilson, at whose beautiful country
seat the prince OF Wales and his friends
were stopping during the Doncaster race
week Inst autumn. is the wife OF one OF the
partners in the Wilson line of steamers at
Hull, but was not the lady at whose house
the prince had originally intended to spend
the week. ard there is d little story behind
his reason 70. finding himself there. lie
had arranged, ia fact, to spend the Doncas-
ter week at another house. But some. even
among those members of the English aris-
tocracy who entertain the prince of Wales,
ars straight laced ia morals. while others
are Jealous Of his attentions to others than
themselves. The hostess IL this case OH
looking Over b elisto Of names of the princes
friends 80 be included in the house party.
which was submitted by the prince accord
ing to custom, objected to tho name of one
lady. Every effort has been made to SUP
press this fact, and it WAS fear Of its getting
out which made the prince SO anxious to
keep the Gordon-Cumnipg episode quiet.
But it has leaked out, and in private life it
is more talked about than the card
trouble, although not a single n
of the great English newspapers will
print a line about it. The reason for the
objection wss asked and freely given. The
attention Of the prince to the lady during
the previous season had been made q sub
jcct of gossip and a cause for Jealousy. and
the hostess did not desire to invite Ter to
be Of the princess party. The lady whose
presence WIGS thus declared undesirable was
Lady Brooke, one of Engiand's fashionable
begnties. Her husband, Lord Brooke, is
the heir to tie earldoin of Warwick. She is
one of the rishest heiressss in England.
Her name before her marriage was Frances
Evelyn Maynard, and she is q daughter of
G. Maynard. She ia a blonde with n small,
delicase!y chiseled face and a slender, grace
ful figure.
TIE prince was determined that such a
slight to one of his most particular friends
should not pass uirebuked. 30 he declined
the invitation. There ara always plenty of
people ready and willing to entertain the
prince and his friends. and Mrs. Wilson
WAC happy end proud to have the honor.
Size assured thu prince that she would in
vito any one the prince desired. and a house
party at Tranby Craft YVES accordingly 3r-
ranged to include Lady Brooke. Bat that
lady's step,a,her, Lord Rosslyn. died at
this time and she did net come. But she
turns up later on in the story. Two days
passed without any unpleasantness, but on
the third the trouble over the cards oc-
ceived news of tho death of her only
brother. and the house party was
broken up. The prince ven to York,
where he put up at the quarters of
his son, the duke of Clarence, at the cayal-
ry barracks. The duke is attached to the
Tenth Hussars-the Prince of Wales Own
which Is the crack light cavalry regi-
ment of the British army. Lady Brook
and her husband tui ned up at the
aEistocratic hotel in York, just by accident,
and the prince dined with them every even
ing.
The trouble at the card table at Mrs.
Wilson's would have resulted in q physical
AuOrunfpP hpfuHap (rIrInn. e uruI0InO and
his accuser but for the presence of the
prince of Wales. Sir William il Il power
fully built Highlander, who has seen plenty
OF active service in Afghanistan, Zululand,
Egypt and the Soudan, and he IL a tough
customer in a fight. He is a man Of hot
temper, and H. required a great effort to re-
strain him from tlrasning his accuser on
the spot. The latest version of the affair diff
fers very nuch from that already published.
Sir William has Il very handsome silver
cigarette case which il as bright as =
mirror. He laid it on the table in front of
him, and nobody noticed the fact until be
bad been winning heavily for some time.
Then one of ths icsers, WHO YVES in bad
humos. aot.ced that AZ G3idon-Ccmminp
dealt the faces of the cards were reflected II
the cigarette case. Putting one thing witt
another he associated the reflection and THE
winning together in his own mind and rathel
testify asked the colonel Of tie Scots Eusil-
iers to remove it. The scene that followed
is said TO have been very dramatic. Tn.
prince baying appealed for peace for hi
sake. a Committee was appointed to investi
gate and exonersted the colonel from al
blame. ~But the Scotchman was so shocked
it is said. al the imputation on his charac-
ter that he swore in the presence Of tn.
whole party that be would never play
card again. Absolute secrecy wa
epioined on al concerned, blu
nearly every one told somebody else end j
was sooE the talk of the London clubs
Then Sir William sought redress in a libe
suit and had the prince of Wales summon.
ed as one of the witnesses. The prince ant
the court have worked heaven and eartl
for an amicabie settlement and present ap
pearances favor the belief hat the suit vii
not bs tried.
These atistocratic scandals about cheatin,
at cardg and on the race track are becomin,
Amos as common az those about women
George Russell Was q COUSIN of the late duk
of Bedford and a SON. in-isw Of the duke o
Ro1burgh. a we'll known man about tow
and a rising tory politician. Being secretaf,
of the board Of public works he had contro
Of the government parks and avsiled him
self OF hIs power to turn the keepers lodge
int gambling dens. which he fitted up lux
u~riouBiy At the public cost. He realized
handsome profit and finally was cau9h
cheating at cards mt the Turf club and ha'
to 90 abroad. he is now in Brussels. Wher