The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-08-24
POKER IN VIENNA.
So Popular That the Police Are
Asked 70 Suppress Il.

Nothing that the Americans have in
troduced to Vienna has met with such
an enthusiastic reception here as the
game of poker. The four kings have
more admirers than the four harrison
sisters. and the enterprising courage of
the Americans meets with less notice
than their ability to astound an ad-
versary with an empty card. The pas
sion for the game of poker has spread
with such amazing rapidity that It re-
calls the hazard epoch, the game that
at one time marked the dividing line
between the Austrian aristocrat and
his social interiors. The difference now
is that everybody plays. In the cafes
the jeunesse doree Join eagerly with
merchants, lawyers and clerks In the
fascinating game. In private circles
poker Is played in the best houses by
people III excellent positions, and what
increases the evil is that 1t has been
taken up with enthusiasm by ladies.
In winter on the jovrs and In summer
at the fashionable baths and watering
places, groups of ladies engage In the
favorite game with all the ardor OF
those half-pay officers who, after the
disbanding OF Napoleons armies, spent
their days and nights at faro. Repeated
cases have occurred OF ladies being un-
able to pay their weekly summer PEN
sion through losses at play. Tney
leave their property as pledge In the
country while they come 10 Vienna Tor
fresh funds, which they are often
Obliged to seek from the money lenders
at enormous interest.
To such disgraceful extremes mas
this game led that the police have re-
solved to put an end to Ii. In the Aus
trian code there Is an article forbidding
games of hazard, but what hazard
specifically includes is not stated: cer-
tainly not poker, as Ii Is or compara-
lively recent date. There Is. indeed,
very ancient ministerial edict mention-
ing certain forbidden games, bat poker
Is naturally not among them. Learned
1urists go so far as TO say that, ac-
cording to the edict named, every
game at cards Is a game OF hazard, In
which chance and not combination on
the side of the player decides the result.
Some years ago the police. relying on
this law. brought party OF poker
players before the COURT Ihe nrss
judge-such case in Austria IL ophseo
to be carried into the lower court-sen-
fenced the players to a fine, while the
appeal court acquitted them, as the
four learned Judges of the latter tri-
bunal declared that poker Is decided by
both combination and chance, ana tnat'
therefore, 1t is not game or hazaru;
In consequence OF this decision tne
rage for poker spread amazingly; III
fact there are cafes whose proprietors
exist only upon the proceeds or poker
playing, as the charge for cards to eacn
player is about Ave shillings. SO many
complaints have now reached the ponce
from parents, guardians. wives AND
husbands that II is resolved TO take the
suppression OF this dangerous amuse-
ment seriously into consideration. Inc
verdict Of the appeal court mentioned
tust now cannot be accepted as pre-
cedent, either by the police, the nrst
Judge. or the four judges who pro-
nounced It, "A precedent Is only estap-
lished in Austria when, after q verdict
by the four judges. the attorney ior the
crown appeals to the supreme court.
The police have now brought TO the
notice of the court case in cafe OF
Paker. in which two lawyers. two
manufacturers and man Of private
means are involved. The case, which
was at first carried before the single
Judge, was very amusing. The judge
called upon two persons in the court.
not connected with the charge. to listen
to an explanation OF the rules OF poker.
They were then ordered to play the
game before the judge In court, that
he might decide how far chance was
involved in II. The two lawyers charged
are highly indignant with the police
for having made examples OF such re-
spectable persons as themselves and
their partners TO test the illegality OF
poker. One of them caused much
amusement by declaring that the police
themselves played the game. Another
INQUIRED Of the two independent per-
sons selected to play in court II they
had ever played poker before, and
were answered In the affirmative,
whereupon the attorney for the accused
party demanded the citation OF these
two gentlemen before the court. This
the Judge refused, as the Austrian law
prohibits the punishment OF gamblers
who betray themselves and others
Finally the Judge decided that poker Is
a game of hazard and fined each player
q sovereign. Fortunately no foreigner
was among them. or, by the Austrian
law ne would have been expedited
over the frontier" The sentence Will.
Of course, be referred to the Appeal
Court. and as other Judges must also
consider the question. 1t will probably
he several years before the legality or
illegality of poker is decided. Till then
the police authorities have forbidden
poker i'm all public resorts, but In pri-
vate houses the game Will go on more
furiously than ever, famed by police
opposition.--vienna Letter In LONDON