The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-27
THAT ATLANTA POKER GAME.
FURNISHED TALK FOR A DAY FOR
SAVANNAHIANs.


Awaited with Interest.
The most talked of subject in Savannah
yesterday was the little poker game of
| the Citizens Club leaders in the Kimball
house in Atlanta. The Atlanta dispatches
to the Morning News describing the ar
rest of the players was read and re-read
and discussed at the breakfast table, the
dinner table and the supper table. Poll
ticlans, business men and church people,
all talked about it.
| The gentlemen most interested were very
| sadly surprised when they saw the account
of their arrest. They had hoped that the
matter would be kept quiet. In fact, it
was very hard on them. If all the respec-
table citizens who INDUCED occasionally in
little game of draw or otherwise devil
ate slightly from the narrow path of rec
titude should have their names announced
to the public by the papers so many we'll
known names would appear that 1t would
soon be regarded as quite
the proper thing and announce
ments of evening draw parties and
jackpot socials would soon be in order in
the society columns, In fact, it is an open
| secret that the festive game of draw Is
very popular in many circles in Savannah
The general verdict seems to be that
the chief sin of the five unfortunates was
not that they technically violated the law
by sitting down to a game of chance, but
that they allowed themselves to be caught
The exposure falls hardest upon Solicitor
General Osborne. of course. AS the ex-
ponent of the law, it is his duty to prose-
cute those who violate the laws prohibit.
ing such games of chance and to urge
upon jurymen their duty to convict. 1t
is true that those who come before him
in this manner are men who make a pro.
fession of gambling, but at the same time
there are many good people who make
little distinction between those who follow
gambling as a business and those who in
dulge in an occasional game for the va
riety of the thing. The country papers
will be full of the thing and Savannah
viii be held up as a center Of iniquity.
While opinion differed as to the degree
of culpabiity of those who engaged in the
game there was but one opinion of the
party or parties who were responsible for
the arrest. People of all shades of
political opinion Joined in expressing their
contempt for the man who would take
such an advantage of others, either for
political or personal reasons.
Under the circumstances, Of course, the
natural disposition was to attribute the
exposure to political motives for the pur-
pose of placing those affected and the
party they represented in a bad light at
a very critical moment of the political
game. On second thought however the
a nN1yil1i 10 oil
tribute such an act to any member of the
opposing delegation. The Liberals them
selves most vehemently deny that any of
their people would had been guilty of such
a thing.
The five gentlemen most interested are
at a loss to know who could have served
them such trick, but they are very much
determined to find out and will do so il
work and money win accomplish 1t. Nat
urally the principals In the affair were
very much disinclined to discuss the sub
ject, or to give further details.
Some of their friends claimed that there
was no game of poker, that preparations
had been made for a game, but that it
had not commenced when the detectives
entered the room and placed the whole par
ty under arrest.
The circumstances appear, however to
be about as follows: The game had been
in progress perhaps an hour, when a mem
Der of the delegation entered the
hotel and started for the room where the
game was in progress. He was
joined in the elevator by two men
whom be learned were bound TO
the same room. Thinking they We're
political friends or something of that kind
he concluded it was all right and the three
entered the room together. The two de-
tectives stood around the room a minute
or two until invited to enter the game,
when they announced their business and
proceeded to take in the participants
The parties were allowed to remain in
their room while bonds were prepared
Having attended to this legal formality
every effort was made to learn the name
of the informant The information was
demanded of the officer at the police sta
ton, but it seems, he was unable 10 give it,
1t was learned that the party who caused
the arrest had made two reports and that
he insisted that the room be raided to the
extent of threatening to report the officer
if action were not taken. He was evil
IDENTIFY determined to accomplish his OBJ
| ject.
THE peculiar malice of the informant"
said member of the delegation, who was
not concerned in the affair, however" is
plain when it is understood that
there are number of rooms
in the Kimball. which are devoted to
| card playing and are especially fitted IN
| whist rooms. There were probably not
less than dozen games of poker in prog.
ress at the hotel at the time. The fact
| that this room was singled out from ali
| the others showed that the information
had been given by some one who had
! special object in view"
| Major, how did it happen that you were
net caught with the rest of the crowd?'.
Morning News reporter asked Mai. G.
NJ Ryals yesterday.
Il learned to play poker in the old
school, replied the major and do not une
! derstand this modern game of jackuots
| That's all that saved me, l guess"
| Seriously" continued Mai. RIVALS al
! think it is high time that we quit this
thing of playing poker, voting for popu-
lists and mailing up the doors of the CITY
exchange, and all get together again. It's
giving the county a bad name. Let's all
get together, put the best men at
the head OF the party, give US
white primaries, and present solid front
! to the world once more"
| Not a word was breathed THANKSGIVING
day either by the Citizens or the Liberals
who had just returned from Atlanta of
| the interesting affair of Tuesday night.
| and nothing was known of II here until