The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-25
FOUR ACES HELD.
THEY CAUGHT JOE JEFFERsON's
WIG AND BEARD.
Joe bet Them Against n Wateh-Jay
Gould Was sIoN TO Come i'm, hut
He Got There-Dr. Depew's Only
Poker sfnrr


Poker story.
From the New York Press.
Il was In the only hotel Of little New
England village" said Theodore sutro.
when he and party Of friends were ex-
changing stories n an uptown hotel
About table sat three strangers. who
had started a friendly game of poker by
roping in the usual country jay. After an
hours play they had aeeced their victim
to the tune Of so. He was good-natured
and did not growl. and so the game was
continued.
1.-The scoundrels showed no mercy. They
did not let the victim win even a few dol
lars to encourage him; but either booked
the cards or else whip-sawed him, until
he was forced to drop.
Forty dollars had swelled to so and at
the last pot the country jay was SIS loser.
Have you had enough?" asked the
leader Of the gang. rising with a smile
and his winnings.
1.-The jay looked angry and. quietly draw
ing a revolver from his pocket. said:
Gentlemen. am one of the Selectmen
of this town. You may consider your
selves under arrest"
1.-THE gang awe-struck, was led to the
lookup. where it rested for the night.
ION the following morning they were
brought before the Selectmen. The con-
stable had searched them and had placed
the contents of their pockets on the table.
Gentlemen, you are charged with gam
bling and with obtaining money by fraud.
What have you to say?
'"They had few remarks to make. The
sentence interested them more-a fine of
$50 each or thirty days in the county Jail.
They paid the fines and the money went
to the state-or to the Selectmen. Next
morning the jay bought new set of
chips"
Poker stories have one thing in common
with fish stories. One leads no more An
other man followed Mr.. Sutro's lead with
a Renaissance of the late Jay Gould.
Mr.. Gould rarely played poker. His hor-
ror of all games Of chance was proven
bal. About fifteen years ago he happen
ed to be in a Chicago hotel, where a merry
party was playing. One of the party was
a bright-looking young fellow about %
years old. who was plunging recSlessly.
Fortune seemed to forsake her usual hab-
it's on this occasion and showered her
favors on her tempter with a lavish hand.
All drank freely.
Pot after pot was raked in by the young
man, amid the hilarious shouts of his
companions, who were evidently there
for a good time. and lost cheerfully.
Mr.. Gould looked on but offered no com
ments until one of the party said he must
go; then they all turned round and asked
the millionaire to take a hand. Not one of
them knew who he was. He quietly re-
fused. The game continued. and as fresh
supplies Of wine flushed the players faces,
nd he
game without limit. Finally the plhnger
staggered to his feet and said TO Mr..
Gould: f H'
See here, mister, just take a hand or
two. Wen make it a ten-cent limit, If
you Will"
Gould was stung by the sarcasm.
Yes, l win play" he said; but you
must not alter your game 1t will be the
first time 1 have played poker in years.
but 1 guess I'll soon learn again"
The game started, and the plunger open
ed the pot for $1,000. He chuckled as he did
so, and fingered his winnings, which
amounted to some $1,000. The others stay
ed and Mr.. Gould raised the pot 81 900.
"A thousand better" shouted the reck-
less one.
Twenty thousand better" said Gould,
taking out roll of $1,000 bills and laying
twenty on the table.
The young man sank back in his chair,
4.
himself together and forcing a smile to
his now anxious face, he said:
81 have not that amount with me, but if
you'll accept my word and that of my
friends. why, I'll see you"
"All right" replied Gould, with grim
chuckle "I'll take your bill"
The note was drawn out, and the young
man laid down four kings.
mo good,' said Gould, raking in the pot.
-Four acesp' He then left the room.
The young man was utterly ruined. He
said that after he met the note he would
not have $500 in the world, and dare not
| face his wife and child. AS he was about
to leave the hotel waiter stepped up to
I him and said a gentleman wished to see
him. Quite bewildered by the nights
events, he was shown to Mr.. Gould's ROOM
Young man." said Gould. IT learn that
you occupy prominent position in the
city. You have young wife at home who
! is devoted to you, and who is probably
holding in her arms your bay boy and wait
ing for yen this moment. You have ruined
yourself, your wife and your little one for
half an hours pleasure, and it is quite
evident that you are not mt person to
. own anything more than $40 bill. What
is your wife's Manner
The plunger, now sobered, told him. Mr.
Gould sat down. and writing across the
note said, NOW, here is your note, made
payable to your wife's order"
As the poor fellow slowly. read 1t over
and saw who was his benefactor, Gould
continued:
Now, go home. Don't stop here gaping.
but tell your wife l hope she will take
better care of this money than you can. -
He rose and pushed the young man gent
ly from the room.
Another poker story in which Joseph
Jefferson figured as a victim was con-
tributed after this.
The chips were passing freely in little
western town. Rips sack had diminished
considerably.
There were four men playing; two of the
Rip Van Wrinkle company, Jefferson and
commercial traveller. who had been let
in on the side.
At the beginning the game ran evenly,
but after an hour or so the commercial
gentleman began to win considerably His
luck did not consist so much in holding
good hands as in the other players hold
ing cards just little worse.
1t was almost supper time when Jeffer-
sons chips were reduced to two blues and
a white. Not having any loose cash at
hand, he was doomed to leave the game
in case he lost the next pot. Jefferson's
face had peculiar smile when he looked
at his hand the next deal.