The sun., 1896-10-18
GAMBLING ON WAR SHIPS
JACK WAGERs HIs MONEY UNDER
THE EYES OF 7HE OFFICERS.
Trick. By which re Gambies In Utter
Defiance OF Naval Reconsideration
Large sums Won at TImos-Soidiers
Also Crafty Their Passion for GRminR.


gambling are practically the same both in the
army and the navy. In both services. engaging
in games of chance for money stakes lie strictly
forbidden. Punishments for violations of this
regulation are OF more frequent occurrence in
the army, however. than in the navy. There Is
li,tle or no gambling aft in tho wardrooms Of
American war ships nowadays. Cabin and
wardroom gambling died out with tho passing
Of the old navy, and even the tales of big games
on the old frlgates during and Just after the
war, in which the commanding oficcr of the
flagship bluffed the Admiral for eighteen hours
and to q standstill on pair of skies,
&C are now rarely heard. Tho oppor-
tuntics for gambling are SO much greater
In an army post than on board war ship that
the more common indulgence in quiet little
games of draw by officers Of the land forces
than by gentlemen of the quarter deck Is not
surprising. IL quite frequently happens that
the financial embarrassments. with the attend
ing official difficulties in which young officers
of tho army get themselves involved. are direct.
ly traceable to gambling. The War Depart
ment metes out severer punishment every year
in cases Of this sort, so that army officers now
are pretty thoroughly aware that It is easier to
wrigCle out of almost any kind of trouble than
gambling. 1t 10 Of tho rarest occurrence that
officers OF the navy are hauled up for offences
Of this character. There have been no naval
courts martial on gambling officers for years.
Among the enlisted men in both services
gambling 10 rife. 1t is practically impossible
to prevent 1t. The men exhibit ingenuity of q
high order in devising schemes whereby they
may Indulge their passion for games of chance
with money stakes. On shipboard. where it
would naturally be thought that violations of
the stringent gambling regulation would be
easily detected, the bluejackets and marines,
often TO the extent of two-thirds of the crew.
con,rtve to crafty their natural or developed
taste for gambling for days. and occasionally
for weeks, after tho serving out Of monthly
money. Moreover, they frequently play their
poker, seven-up. and pinochle right under
the noses of the officers. with scarcely any
danger of detection and punishment This 10
made possible by the high standard Of honor
which is characteristic of man. Of wartmen in
the matter of paying gambling debts. In order
to have q case against Q sailor marine for
gambling tho man must be discovered red
handed in the act of either passing or receiving
money from or the other Of the men with
whom he is playing. Thoroughly aware Of this,
tho men have devised simple plan to meot 1t.
They play on credit, adjustments of all out
standing obligations to be made at the wind-up
of the game 1t is done in this way.
MAn-of -warsmen permitted to play cards
at any time when the smoking lamp" is lit.
Tho smoking lamp is an oil lantern. open one
:de which Is hung generally at The 6reSk OF
their pipss. it Is lighted bv tho Corporal OF the
marine guard, at the command OF the ofnrer OF
the deck. at al! meal hours and M when the boat, at
close OF tho afternoon. The lamp is for the use
OF all hands forward. for enlisted men are for
AT any time that this smoking lamp Is lit. then.
the men may do as they please in the way OF
long as they keep within the regulations. Flush
after the serving ont OF monthly money.
pended by cords around their necks, they arc con-
sumed by the desire to get into little game OF
poos Sf s, regulations and tho journey up to the
stick" 20 be confronted by the commanding OFF,
Ger, have not yet acouired a,y trrrors: they are
ers. to one OF the fire or engine rooms or 10 some
obscure corner OF the berth deck; 70 hazard their
master-at-srms. whose business 1t is to ferret
out the gamblers and hale them to the mast.
very often takes 1t into his head to make a
descent upon these secluded nooks. where tho
careless a6out the chinkinx of the coin on the
The long headed ones. on the contrary. squat
themselves down on tho main deck or on tho
| topgal ant forcastle. and start the game going
under the glare Of the sun and OF the ofiicer OF
| the deck. II they are to play poker two decks
OF cards with tho same nds of backs are pro.
duced. One of these decks Is cut In two and
| the halves Of cards thus made serve as ch ips
| A Casual loeker-nn would fail TO distinguish
these chips from the discard and by this means
alattsr of the vari. .coor-d ivorien 10 gotten rid
OF. The banker dishes out the half-card chips
That II ' IS al attended to afsr HA The nntsh Of the
game. The chips are generally worth twenty
and the player are accurately carried on both
| sides by the mental process, and there is
during deYn al" tho proSress oN Of 't the % game Wien
a. payer runs out OF chips. he buys
| pile OF another of the players. The indvi dual
accounts between the players are in turn kept
! mentally with the greatest eERC Ctneks. When the
game is over. which is renerally at the last echo
! oil the boatswain's mates pipe down" whistle.
when the liehts, except tho standing ones. go
out, this Players adjourn TO tho head " or TO
some other quiet part of the foreca.tle and set
very complicated AFFAIR. owing to tho curious
method by which the game has been carried on.
But IL any OF the men thinks he has gotten the
wort OF 1t in the accounting he docs not ex-
press his dissatisfaction unit the next day, for
u" bu.jacket or marIne who sPeekts In IN a l1nd 1d
| himself at the mast before tho ofhcer of the
deck, in jiffy. lie nurses mis- grievance until
| the next day. There are very few OF these
Now tie beauty OF this plan of playing poker
be i'm possible for any OF the officials of the ship g
police department. commissioned or enlisted. to
| gambling. Eyed suspicously and taken TO task
By the mas or. at arms the serReant OF the ma
the the Admrsl & Of Of tho fies for the alter ot That.
the men arc aying for fun: he halves OF cards
| are merely counters. isn't the game OF casino
| permitted on this packet. they'd Iii to know
How long has there oeen any regulation prohibit;
| Ing the playing ut euchre on heSe friRates
theyd like to inquire. WronGed, arEreved, in-
suited, martyrs to martinez, he players bear
the marks OF the injury to their feelings on
their faces the accusing officer ret res In cons
| fusion. And then they go right on playing.
There is very rarely any limit In thes. poker
| games between the enlisted men, and large
sums Of money often change hands in the ac-
c0untings. There 1, no welch ng.. A wecher's
| life would bc made so mise eranc for him by all
hands forward that he would md l. eIpedient
| to desert at the n r-l opportunity. The game is
usually in the hands OF dozen or so strong
players not long alter montniy money has been
served out, and ho tu.sle be, wsen these giants
for the fnn poss.-'ion OF the bulk OF tho crews
money Is ot Ell prolonged affair, absoroing!y =
ward. The men WHO have droppsd out. broke. "
do not stand around and watch this contest,
however, for II they did they would draw too
much attention TO me game, tomethinR lhy!
| are exceedingly careful not TO do. But all hands
know what IL bang done in the battle right
along by means Of little siEnsls only under I'D
among man o: ~ arsmen. and this information
is quickly disseminated throughout tns
has been earned and hazarded by a