St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-07-04
Gambling Rampant Under the
Very Nose of Officers
at Fort Smelling.
Properly Equipped Poker TaIi
bles Nightly Worked to
Skin Soldiers.
Civilians Can Obtain Unlim.
tied Draughts Of Lager at
the Canteen.
A Most Disgracsful Condition
Of Affairs at an Army
Post.

The last place where one would ex-
pect 10 find gambling hell running in
full blast and liquor sold contrary TO
the laws of the country, would be in a
United States military reservation; yet,
while sensational sermons are being
preached because harmless game OF
seven-up is played in st. Paul saloon,
in the government military post at Fort
Smelling gambling of a most vicious
kind is carried on and liquor sold 10
civilians, contrary TO the rigid laws Of
the war department. A few weeks ago
Col. Mason, commandant at Fort Smell
ing, sent to Mayor Smith a
most indignant letter. complaining
that at the Fort Smelling hotel,
situated across the river from
the fort and within the city limits
gambling was carried on, and that the
soldiers of his command nightly assem-.
bled in the hotel and lost their monev.
AS the hotel is not in the jurisdiction OF
Col. Mason, he called upon the
mayor for assistance to have the gamb-
ling stopped. Nothing has been heard
of the matter since that time, and last
evening representative of the GLOBE
investigated the affair to find out Just
what was going on at the hotel aud
fort.
The scene of action was reached ato
o'clock, just as the sun was sinking in
the west. Entering the bar room of the
hotel, number OF soldiers were found
drinking. An invitation to drink was
extended to the boys in blue, and in a
few minutes the party of soldiers and
visitors were on friendly terms. But
there was no sign whatever of any
gambling here. From information
vouchsafed in secret it was, however,
learned that most serious state of
things existed in the fort itself. On
Thursday the men of the regiment re-
ceived their monthly pay, and, as a re-
suit. money was plentiful yesterday
with the boys, who will soon leave for
a long tramp to Fort Douglass.
a young coporal sat at table in the
bar room, and stared gloomily out OF
the window to the fast flowing river be<
meath. lie was asked why lie
Did Not ParIake
of a glass of beer.
you TO take drink with me in return"
''Why, how is that:" ne was asked
well, suppose like good MANY more
fellows, have made a fool of myself You
say you are a bookmakerS clerk, well. YOU
know how luck runs. Last evening l played
stud poker and lost all my months pay.
Curse the luck, anyway"
The information was drawn from the
young soldier that stud poker is played
nightly in the fort for over a week,
trl,a -, ,lco. 4
on the previous evening stud poker was
played from o'clock until in the
morning, and that dozens of men lost
their money at the table.
This clue was at once followed Up,
and by little shrewd detective work
the GLOBE is enabled to lay bare most
disgraceful state of affairs existing at
the fort.
A visit was first paid to the bar of the
canteen. situated in the rear of the head
quarters building. The bar room was
filled with soldiers. and there were also
three men in civilian dress.
The laws of the war department.
strictly state that liquor shall only be
sold to soldiers in uniform, and on no
account to civilians. Minging in the
conversation of the men, the visitor
passed himself off as a bookmaker's
clerk. from New York.
LET US have drink, bartender be said
laying a s. bill upon the bar.
''Oh, you can't treat here. Each man has 10
pay for his own drink" replied the soldier
bartender.
''Well, that's all right. I'll give the boys
the nickels, and you can give them the beer"
Change being secured. each man, in
cluding the three civilians, was handed
nickel. and huge glasses of beer were
quickly set upon the counter. This was
repeated q second time.
Here was Il distinct case of liquor
being sold to a civilian and treating
allowed in the canteen of the fort, en-
tirely in violation of the laws governing
the reservation.
Leaving the canteen, visit was paid
to the building formerly used as the
adjutants Office, situated at the rear Of
the old guard house, near
The River Bridge
and within hundred yards of the dwell.
ling-house of the officer OF the regiment.
Not single sentry was seen. and to all
intents and purposes military tactics
were dead. Walking along the side of
the stone building an open doorway was
observed, from which streamed a ray Of
light. Entering unchallenged, the in
vestigator found himself in room liz
with hanging lanterns. Two baize- COW
cred tables ran from end TO end of the
room, and at each table a game
of stud poker was In full
blast. Seated around the tables
and standing up against the walls were
privates and nOn-cOmmissioned officers
in uniform. The tables had evidently
been prepared for playing, having cir
cular place cut out where the dealer sat
with an open drawer in front of him,
which contained on one side money and
on the other stacks of regular white and
red chips. Nothing less than one dol
lars worth of chips was sold by the
dealers, the white chips representing 10
cents each, the red ones a quarter of a
dollar. The games were played in reg
ular fashion and money changed hands
frequently, the dealer. rs usual, getting
a big rake OFF in each case. In
small cupboard were three kegs Of
beer. which was served out freely
a s9l.lier in uniform to the players.
Two men sat at one table dressed in
civilian clothes, and from their appear
anee were not soldiers. They PLAYED
the same as the rest. Determined to
see if tie game was open TO all, the re-
porter after few minutes threw q dol
lar upon the table and called for stack
Of chips.
The dealer handed them out, and a
soldier sitting i'm front was asked to
play. In this way the GLOBE represent
iaiye lost -. and. calling for glass Of
beer, drank 1t ard left the building
after counting $50 upon ore table,
Walking up lie road towards the
briL@a. the voices OF the nlavers- could