The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-28
POKER GAME IN A HEARSE.
7'Uo UtrS AFTER IT a NRu " DIR
2.IKEH CAME 70 TDUN.

UNV w NNtSNt NV DFNV'nstf, FfFJerffu
In Iids Inside-The Result Was That
tho old Undertaken Lost Es OutAt
CHARLESTON. +. O.. May 26.-"spcnklng Of
gambling" remarked the retired turfman. did
! ever tell you how n good poker player won m
undertaker's whole establishment one night
while riding home from n funeral in a hearse p"
This was a proposition that the gamblers
had never gone up against. but they were will
Ing enough TO hear the tale. The retired .nrl.
man vouchcd for its truth.
This all happened years ago."he said. ANA
! got the story from the man who turned m.
dcrtakcr In a night. out whore I lived there
was not much Of q town. No pretensions we're
made for style, but a number Of old arlstocratic
families had their being with us. These falGi.
lies we're short on funds. but they wore still
PLAYING tho limit on style. AMI thoy showed y
in the matter ~ a funeral. When a member OF
one of them died an undertaken from Rr.eu-
town. fifteen miles distant, was eumnonel 70
bury him.. and he generally DID II III etylo.
We'll, one day old Col. Badger died. He had
been a politician ond haG nmessvd considerable
wealth and lost II al! IN bad speculation. His
people wanted n bury him with mnrs
or less show, and 30 the funeral dirco-
tor from Gresntown was summoned by
wire. He came. handled the funeral In great
share. and g. the body buried. IN the after.
noon just before q big thunderstorm swept
ONeT tIe tOWD. hB cApeCteU 10 remain over
night In the town, and was comfortably quar-
tered at the hotel early In the evening when his
assistant at Greentown telegraphcd to him to
hurry home for another funeral. 10 he had 70
60 thnt night. Tho storm was spent. though
the heavene were dark and gloomy aud another
speli Of lightning and rain was not unexuectcd,
While the negroes in the stable were hitching
! tho horses to the hearse a Young mar who was
at the hotel. a drummer. said he had missed
| liz. n, l,s ,~A ,,,AnIl ltt~A a. ..-l
town rhat night 90 he could finish his work anu
leave early In the morning. The CmhnlntuR
artist offered him a seat on the hcarsn.
It's not the kind OF train | usually talc,'
said tho drummer. but ] want TO reach your
city. ard If three OF Va can crowd Oh the sent
/ will risk it,
Whom the hearse was driven up to Inc
hotel porch tho guests ambled out to SO it
start. The undertaken had his trappings and
the drummer had his grips. There was u lot "
joking. and a moment later the Heath carriags
ratified of through tho sand.
"Thc night was dark and stormy. Five mites
out drops OF rain began falling AMI rumblings
Of thunder made the drumlnci shove further
on the scat. The undertaken sugge ,tcd that
they 90 inside TO escape the ,!rrnrhiug which
was certain to come. and the drummer con-
! scented. The driver had n stack - coats 10 keep
himself dry. just after the two men crawled
In the hcarsc the !ain began to "omc dowE in
torrents. The passengers AL q lantern.
though they could not lcei comfortable. Tho
drummer opened his satch"l and hrougl ont 4
flask. He offered II TO the undertaken. who
took a heavy swig and then passed it back.
The drummer finished it. As ho fumblcd with
his grip "A deck otcards fell ont.
"'Whcw! remarked tho funeral director.
'Whiskcy and cards in a hcarse at midnight,
almost"
"'Wcll. to show our nerve said the drum
mcr. we might play a bit hero lust to talk u
t ,Is;Ti i The 10y, for s S1i a"a II T. sa aSIIi; ttIhi ns
morrow, provided We get thers alive. 1t would
be funny, though. to see an undertaken die in
The road, was not bad and the hearse
jolted bur LITTLE. The lantern was sufficient to
board hoy and turned out a handful Of small
sized conn EniiSnnot cigarettes young nun.
e S%, Il 3" a TSp' tr' 'ai"S SaerG lie to 11 maEo c 1hf nnai!
"'Atthe most he said. You can't lose more
than you buried in your pocket from your Job
The undertakcr went in the game simply
%eusi3mcd to many grucsomc, sights. but his
asrSs tT Ts Ioyod rE} r VT TINE he fingered the
the nails ciinksCj { alone on his 'sidcc" Of lie
hcnrsG. The drummer bought another hand
dIrgcr's luck. and in loss time than he had lost
t bS!2 3G III H. h HI y Ton g nmd n ma Hort T 4 pi the +, dirSHi
~ h' "a " NIE hiu ny WIZ N.Y. .iliN - INsl
buving again. Wien he lost this stack lie
bought more like man. ana offered 10 raise
an, i've We m are ETblii i , for or, h"}oS nTWy;th he solI;;
this game gong until W" SEQ Vi" lights ~
Grr"ntoTn. II you want We can llHy for tall"
STAKES. I've got u wll OF money as big n Your
head in my clothes. and II you are iho b"st
man, why. then. YOU ran take it,
rn ITafe ,o IrpmmGT a'r%H'tI the rrorosirt"G: ns
for a man "l, ms, h%H~InG@". IN" min was rLlll
TaIyiirG "' ,mS gas T!nef %i M WnG%n a. tns
steady. witt. III" lost Of iii" lnrk g1inE l. lie
' 'Tf % e ., T he n men s, wsrs I,rHrETr,. 'Mt tHs
Tia" pay, ,or it was on his d"a,- III AZ, LIST
mot The drnmncr was game 70 he finish. MI
than anocc, for high, ny doing tht- one, hegpt
% lhcir guard. ono pad strNaE for the owner
NOR. The undGrtnkrr sad he worhi give u
note payable II "re"ntown ON arrival. ana WIN
t,rriT' wa; done. 'G!ii;l' Of ithiSS please! ih ID drnm.
nlSy, He !olt that IL" hears, wa? LIs n,a~c,t
The Gr-t nn'o was lost IN a !irv. Then nn"iher
was scratched Off; it was half gone wnrn the
The hands for several rounis were chang
Ing and luck was with the un1crtaker His
could pun W even aud win the ]drumm"r's wal
besides before coming in sight of his city. All
fag to the game inside, II was ON tho deal by
the undcrtnker that the sensational finish ar
rived I'll" pot had passed repeatedly and tho
stack Of nails looked like II woodward to tho
man who expected to rake tin. The drummer
had said he could not open 1t. or rather he said
he would pass. The undertnkHr opened Tor
what appeared 70 be Il pound Of nails and every
nail was valuable.
well. I'll raise that. said the RUNNER
quietly, or my namo ,sn't McNulty.'
"'All well. then. Mr.. Mack, | an glad to
know YOU. ! am undrrtakcr Brown. ns you've
Doubtless heard, and I'll raise, That a bit
There were several raises before the cnris
we're drawn. The drunulcr. M,Nulty, took a
single card, and l'rown drew ii couple. The
betting io,1W"d tnIs MaISS AFTER raI1 Il came:
and ] am going to PIay this 10 a standstill.
Nothing II going to come too high for me-
THE undertaken was rather ncttlcd at tho
pcrsistcnry with which MrNulty met his ruisrs,
though he saw him every time, Brown put up
all h. had handy. hut there appeared To be 40
end to McNulty's atring.
I've got You sure said the undertaken,
and It's foolish for you TO keep the thing M,
Inl as won snnm To- lnNn unLlmilnl mnLnN /