Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1893-11-10
: IT LOOKED SUSPICIOUS.
Why Travelling Man Gave Up Playing
 Poker With Strangers.

Poker With Strangers.
 'I don't play cards with strangers. 1. said quiet looking man on tho Pullman in response to an invitation from the drummer to join them in little game of poker. The drummer flushed up and was about to say something.
 Hold oil, remarked the quiet man, .and I'll explain. Sit down here min ute or two and let mo tell you"
 The drummer being an obliging person sat down.
 About five years ago. began the quiet man, T was out in the west eoun- try at a wild town, and oionight, being fond of cards and pretty lair player, I asked four or five cowboys at the tavern where was stopping to play cards with me. didn't know them, and they didn't know me, bat they took it for granted l was all right, and they went to my room, whels I had two or three decks of cards. We started the game at q quar- ter the ante with 3 g limit, and 1t wasn't long until ] was winning nicely: for, as l said before, 1 was Q good player After some time we took another deck of cards, and as usual had a good hand.
 My winnings had made nay new found aequaintances rather suspicious, but as Twas perfectly honest I didn't pay much attention to that. l remember very distinctly had an acc of diamonds in my hand, and when 1t came around 10 show down I knew the pot was mino, but just as l laid down my hand the naaa opposite me whipped out his revolver and jabbed 1t into my face, and on the instant out came all the other men's guns, and ] was scared almost to death Icouldn't say . word, for l thought my time had ee4ne, but nobody shot.
 's Look here! calculated the man who had first pulled his gun, applying several disagreeable epithets ii addition, and he took an ace of diamonds out of his hand. This restored my consciousness somewhat, and after waiting until each man had expressed his opinion of me, and the final decision had been reached that was to g.ve up all had won and probably be hot later, got in 8 word
 |" Gentlemen l said, appearances are against ne, but 1 am honest. l don't know how that extra ace got in the pack. buff you will look n my valisa there you will fnd 8 pack exactly like this one lying loose in 1t, and the cards 1nnf have got mixed in there. I'm sure [ didn't do it. One of the men took the cards out of the valise and ran them over, and the ace was missing. That much was in my favor, but it cid not restore confidence.
 Send down stairs, said next, to the clerk afla have him come up. He was playing here this afternoon,
 Then they sent for the clerk, and he said that he and party Of friends had played with those cards during the a9t- efnoon, and farther, that they had used two packs to do some tricks with. lie also stood bond for my honesty, and aft CT an hour CT so of terrific strain on mo my friends concluded l was all right. Then, to establish good fellowship firm ly, insisted on their taking their money back. They set up the drinks all around, and l left them at last with solemn vow registered that when I played poker again 1 must know everybody in the game, and everybody must know me. Don't you think one experience like that is enough for an honest man of quiet temperament to go gh?n-Detroi5 Free Press.