The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-26
POKER ASJUSTICES AGENT.
n STBlNrBR GAME THAT sBRTED
TIE DETEOTIVE's PURPOSE.

Capitals ana FINALLY to Lapa rsis Mas or
HnRtish Sell without AZ Extradition FiEht.
"Poker 10 not generally looked upon as an
agent Of Justice. but I once sat in q Rame, or,
rather. q series Of games. when II did play that
role successfully. and the recent conviction OF
the International bunco steerer Woodward has
recalled II to me" said q lawyer in the Criminal
Courts building last Wednesday. Woodward
has much the same kind OF skill with cards and
the nerve to back 1t up as had q chance ac-
auaintance Of mine whose cards bore the name,
'walter Brent, London. but II landed the former
IN Sing Sing. and the latter, II ho is still alive.
is undoubtedly using his skill for the benefit OF
his fellow men. We CHANGED to be passengers
on the same steamer bound for Nassau and the
West Indies q few years ago. My trip was q
combination Of business and pleasure. A small
legacy had placed In ny possession $4,000,
which ] felt FREQ to invest In q sponge fishery
on which ! had had my eye for several years,
and I determined. after settling my business at
Nassau. TO take advantage Of this opportunity
and extend my trip down 10 Cuba.
"The boat was two days out before the mild air
Of the Gulf Stream thawed the passengers, and
We came on deck to sun ourselves. It was a
little out Of the season, and tho passengers
numbered less than thirty. Two OF the men
attracted my attention at once. Ono was q
slim. good-looking young chap. with Q dissi-
pated face and an extensive wardrobe. The
Captain told me that his name was Hurd. and
that he believed him to DO an Englishman OF
title who was travelling incog. The other mar
was Brent, and there could be no doubt as to
his nationality, Cockney at that. He was q big
man, strongly put together, and his face gave
out the Impression that he was much more alert
than are most of his countrymen who are
caught on the fly away from home.
"It was apparently chance that made these
two Englishmen fellow passengers, and. thanks
to the Captain, who observed that We could find
mutual interests to amuse us. we were all
three soon together In the smoking room. Inn
proving our acquaintance over brandy and
coda. Hurd and Brent represented very differ
ant classes. Hurd talked about Oxford, the
army, big game In India, and q good deal about
horses and Kaflr stocks, which were then at
tracing more than their usual share Of attention.
He took care not to place himself, however, and
I~received o very definite impression that he was
. young man of fortune who was travelling
for pleasure. and because he was an English.
man. Brent, on the other hand, frankly an.
nounced himself as n civil engineer. and he said
he was bound to Cuba in behalf Of an English
company to make a preliminary railroad survey
between Havana and Santiago. The talk drifted
around from one subject to another as we sat
In the deck smoking room, with both doors open
for the breeze. until at last it got on poker. and
there 1t stayed.
"Both the Englishmen knew the game. was
pretty cocky on poker at that time. and, while I
was In no sense a gambler. I enjoyed a small
game intensely. We fell into 1t gracefully.
Brent called for q pack Of cards to illustrate q
hand that he was telling about. and before we
know 1t We were pegging away at a bO-cent
limit and enjoying 1t. Luck ran evenly. and
Judged that, SO far as poker was concerned. we
were in the Same class. When lunch time ar
rived Brent had lost So and Hurd and l had
about divided 1t between us.
.h %Th here is mo @ better ,nsr Place . for a quiet; enjoy,
The life on board Is lazy at best. and one feets as
II he had unlimited time at his disposal. It was
Aurd seemed to have all the luck, He
e %sG. Brent eas 'G played C saatious sGa and ID w SlSssS
Hurd's game. After dinner We went at
I, Tina sT %s s opd ts rs T sfe pFePG's I'd s to have . sh les , sis
not DO left in the dark when the electric lights
doesn't matter. Brent suggested thst we stop
We agreed, and from then until daylight the
around aSst to ffars and / T saw H that the ine YOUNG W s~ cSap
S Sa . Z ss siss q sa *. tS s.: an" and a at.1ss t + set' TSrs on
uncertain. Brent played IT in yariou. ways., /
M Ssn q Ss s.r aissF y fool e l' Ri"y e H sG paisea T HsFa Is 's9 be;
which he showed down With a eris;
S En- 500 sst5's a n%' H fH,sss's ssi;ed Af basf. br sasn s"i sss
dfsepsa SUNNY Brent %"R 8eil!e d'% the sf Cling al oaS
S1,4O0 pot he showed down four jacks and took
We wont at the game the next afternoon,
and with much the So e result. Hurd and l
knew 1T. He dealt and handled the cards al.
ways above the table, and there could be no sus-
1hed lost 50 much that i kept on In the hope Of
Brent puzzled me. He seemed to DO as elnted
70 mo that he Thought Brent was a tenderfoot
PLAYING in great luck and that we would, have
poker crazy and so was Hurt; On the night
before reaching NaSs.p we both played as 4 w
wsns b mas,oHgiT Wss s A .coo out 2 in Of the noc %%RSEEn .nS
knew that I had heen a fool. Hurd wanted t.
asSp on; and id tlp sHG , he su and Brent Rsn begin PiaTire
luck, and Hurd finally threw the cards down
with an onth that was FIRST applied, collectivell
to all OF his ancestors and then individually
winding up With his own opinion of himself.
oh1 ~ thu blkktE Iooi, btu EIuTu.
Fisked everything for that money which I hav,
lost. and ] think I'd better jump overheard
Just Their we heard the he'll ring in the en-
gino room. and, tho Captain began shouting
orders from the bridge. 1t was nearly dayligh
and our steamer was outside OF n. ssau harbo
waiting for a pilot to tako MS In. A red rookie
Css sent np' and then another one. In tn
tho 'Humphi humpni humphr of III
negro crew that was bringing the pilo
out TO. us. Brent watched Hurd like
cat as he stood near the rail. The pilot cam
aboard, and lust after daylight we found ouI
selves anchored in the harbor, with the town
mile distant and tho bottom of coral plainly out
lined below MS through the clear water. I'll
Health Officer came out on hi1 tug to look u
over. Wretchcd rs l felt over my loss, which
could i'll afford, the scene interested me. b,
sides there was some comfort In the though
that Hurd's losses were greater than mine.
=" Doctor. we are now in English waters
aren't we, and under the English flag = aske
Brent.
".You are. sir, said the Health Officer proud,
Then, said Brent, have an unpleasaT
duty to perform and before the rest OF us kne'
what was happening he jumped on Hnrd Just
the young man was making for tho rail. snappo
= N - go - 80. 1 ,,nl ,a..l ..Gl - n