The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-23
POKER WITH THE PRINCE
GREAT JACK POT IN WHICH III. r.. III.
WAS BLUFFED WITH DEUCES.
Famous Game at BevOir Castle
Which {. Veteran Voyager Always
Likes to Tell About



He had played poker with the Prince
that is why we loved him. And this is the
story of his adventures, which he told in
the smoking room Of a Cunarder: He was
a man from San Francisco. Every year
he would go to the oasis which he had dis
cover in the desert of Sahara. connected
by "a J with Algiers, for the cure of his
rheumatism, and return to his Western
home by way of England. A round of
house parties there made him sure visitor
TO the desert of Sahara again. But this is
aside from his most entertaining story
which we all liked to hear, and which he
told upon the slightest provocation.
Gentlemen, have played many a game
of poker, and play a good game, as you
know"
Faith, we did. He had just won a cool
hundred having bluffed out jackpot on a
pair Of tens.
1t was in 1886, believe, when 1 happened
to be a guest-let me see where it was-oh
l remember, it was the Duke of Rutland s
place. Belvoir CASTLE" and, by the way, he
always in telling the story pronounced Bel
voir "Beever," and always pretended to
forget just where this historical game was
played. But after having once settled on
Belvoir castle, he was all right, and went
on as chilly as the most expert and beauti-
full typewriter The house of the Duke of
Rutland had charm for all of us. We
had read in our chidhood's days that beau
tiful episode in the history of great families
when the dukes ancestor, John Manners,
eloped from Haddon hall with the beauti-
full Dorothy Vernon. So we listened, and
this is what he said:
There were five of us assembled there
am
Rose. whose father at that time had just
been appointed receiver of the duchy of
cornwall and was looking after the finances
of his Royal Highness and keeping a
mighty strict rein upon them, you can bet;
there was the inevitable Charley Beresford,
old Charley BereSford-Beresford of the
Condor, who now has run the race and
lived the life and can tell you to-day more
about that fable Of the earthen pots and
the iron pots floating down the stream to-
gether than any other man living.
Well we were all there. First and fore
the prince. Whatever the prince wanted to
do why. we all did. And L can tell you L
felt mighty cheap for two days because
everything that L wanted to do was an
sWered by the prince wants this, the
prince wants that
Finally, on the evening of the third day
i had been invited only for three days
the prince proposed a game of poker.
made up my mind then that ] would get
square with him for all the petty annoy
ances he had put me to since had been
down there at Belvoir castle. And | did it,
That night we assembled about o'clock
1t was as soon after dinner we could get
away and the duke-good man that he
was-did not attempt to play, but lowered
around the table. If he had attempted to
play 1t would have broken up the whole
game, because the duke was seventy-one
years old and had q sublime ignorance Of
poker We had not played more than three
hands before the duke went to sleep and
Snored most VociferOuSly.
NO l. o. US ALLOWED.
"Never one of his ancestors bugles rang
out challenge to the enemy Drawer and
more defiant than did those snores of the
duke. But we played poker The first two
or three hands did not amount to much.
Everybody seemed to be sort of feeling his
ground. We played for an hour I think,
and we had English sovereigns to pay for
what we lost, for knowing each other SO
we'll as did Gordon Cumming, Billy Rose
and the prince, to say nothing of Charley
Beresford, there could be no |. O. L. game
run in that castle
II think it was just about as the dawn
was breaking over the magnificent demeSne
which surrounds BelvOir Castle when we
came to the final and crucial test of the
evening, or rather l should say morning,
for then it morning. Certainly never
a more beautiful morning broke. The
prince was dealing the cards ana went to
one of the great mulliOned windows and
looked out upon the park, where the
spotted deer were nibbling the fresh spring
L
William Gordon Cumming had been win
ming. Charley Beresford and myself had
just about the stakes with which we went
into the game
I'VE had been keeping our checks before
US, but L had noticed that once or twice
the prince had slipped checks into his
pocket. When this last round was dealt,
however, a simple mathematical computa-
ton told me that the prince was busted
knew he had some checks in reserve, how
many 1 did not know, but l knew he had
not enough to stand out the game. We had
agreed that the last jackpot should be for
$1,000 ante.
the fresh air and bathing in the fresh sun
shine passed. Rose sat next to the prince,
hand I found two jacks; and Immediately
opened the pot with a thousand
"Gordon Cumming came. in, Beresford
came in, the prince came in and holsted
her another thousand Rose then whooped
her five thousand. I drew out. Charley
Beresford came in and so did Gordon Cum
Rose took one card Gordon cumming Two
and BeresfOrd one. The prince took two
ming's bet. He bet G1,0O0 and Beresford
saw him. The prince studied his hand
awhile and said: Well | ot think that my
hand is worth at least $4,000 more.
FAIRLIE CUNNINGHAM' JOKE.
"Rose looked at him and says: Your
ROYAL Highness. met Fairlie Cunningham
the other day, and you know the motto of
that most ancient house.
what is that?' said the prince; Gun
ningham, Fairlie Cunningham; yes, yes.
Scotch family, poor, though; poor, poor
Yes. but your Royal Highness, said
Rose. until you make your bet send down
and get a peerage. There must be Debrett
or Burke somewhere about the house
so one of the tired and Weafy-eyeQ
licenses who had been waiting on us all
night went down to the dukes great library
and brought back a copy of Burke. The
play had been. stopped meantime, ana we
were all drinking champagne out of COB
let's admiring the bright morning which
filtered through the trees and turretS of
the dukes beautiful possessions. when the
man came back with the peerage we Went
to the table again. and while the prince
all looked over his shoulder to see what the
motto of Fairlie Cunningham was, ana
what do you think we read there? Under
shield crest and supporters, we read the
magic words, Fork over.
Har said the prince; good joke; Never
theless gentlemen, l am in this Jackpot for
GO coo more.
Rose Immediately said: L see your
ROYAL Highness's raise and go you $4,000
Here Mr. Rose put in Bank of England
notes and gold for $4,000.
shot and it was then left between his
Royal Highness and Mr.. Rose The prince
looked over his hand once more and looked
at Mr.. Rose AS he did so Mr.. Rose turned
to me and said: i am very fond of Ameri-
cans, you know, because am an American
Vt-most delightful place-and my father,
as YOU know, is now receiver or the reVe-
MUGS which his Royal Highness gets from
the duchy of Cornwall: L always think