The Washington weekly post., 1899-06-06
WON AN ISLAND At POKER.
Remarkable Gsn-. ia which King Haiie-
toA Was sbe Victim.

Remarkable Gam-. Ia which King Nalie-
toA Was sbe Victim.
From ths New Ycrk San.
These stories about Speaker Reed in
dulgiug In poker while crossing the pond
said an army officer. remind NE of stun
game played BY Paymaster in the navy
with King Malietoa several years ago
guess this was about the healthiest game
ever INDUCED in by foreigner. Maiittoa
had heard Of the great games played by
Kalakaua King OF Hawaii, and the Sa-
moan thought he'd like 10 take little
brush on this line / suspect that NAH
kaua had done just as many American
pcker fends-had tclG almost unreasoIl-
able yarns about. his winnings-and his
boasted good luck made others think that
the average American poker player was
as easy King 10 go against. Well. Male
toa's opportunity 20 test his belief came
one day when an American man-0f-war-
never mind which one-sailel into the
haTbo. OF Apia His stern determine
tIOn TO take the thirty-second degree IN
| the mysteries of the great American game
| was satisfied TO the fullest extent ana
| for years afterwarG he was gong drouhd
| trying 10 get some one 10 Kick him OH
| the Island, and declaring that he was an
/ eighteen-kaTat darn fool with french
| roof Among the officers aboard the mar
| of-yar were d Paymaster. a Lieutenant,
end an Assistant Engineer, who had
! burned the midnight lamp studying poker
al Annapolis. and had prosecuted the
/ study IN season ana cut OF season ever
! since they left that place. In Nord'
| they were all three just about as smooth
| poker players as You could ma IN
| months travel
| "TheIe WAS a tracer among me VIZ
| residents OF ADia who was known 10 come
| 10 The front with pretty sun game a'la
| Asa.letoa soon arranged through MN
| game with the Onccrs- BJ lHNltal lIoil -, -,
! appointment the king and ms lIle4is
! net the officers IN the private pdILOtS OI d
| European. and before the eNe4Lns We We
! half gone MalietOd began 10 ieeI rs Oa'9 Oa
/ ana requested that the limit. sIAaii Oile,
| Dc taken OF. me old cOdger had WI.
| several pretty fair jaCkFOts ana It4t iti9
| in4po.t4nce ana ability 10 clean up tHC
| whole crowd OF the limit came, anu Loi
| several hours MalietOa had almost plls
! nOmtnal luck, winning JACKPOT dlleE jim
pot. The more ne won the nytS sDf> 80,
| less he became. and when something va
| said about closing down he entered Il
! Iar2e and emphatic protest Inc game
| proceeded aud The healthlest Jackpot o.
! the night was on the t2ple; Settidl n4I-u IL ; ;
| had been dealt around without any one
| having expressed his ability TO open lue
| pOI. when the King, with look OF sur
| irisc ard a smile Of pleasure ana "
| Lmph combined. ann9unctd thal ne Mou,H ',y.l,t
| 0Den il a., worth. Every player Stdytu.
he Paymaster drew three cdrds, the
| Lieutenant the same number, the Assls--
ant EneineeT took Two and the tFadef one
Nali2toa showed his blood by stanolhs
| aat and putting 81 more into the pot
| 'The P.ynasteT saw this and raised hlni
| So while the others stayed. 1heh lhe
King raised again, and the PaymasteI
| threw In S25 more. II was becoming 100
| interesting Tor the otner prayers anu
J they dropped out.
After the Kings last raise the Pay
mast-r hesitated a moment, put his cigaT
70 one side. and showed so TO the midIle
Of the mahogany. The King put up tnt
equivalent In Chilian silver dollars, the
, currency Of the islands, and, drawing a
small sack from his pocket emptied ltS
p contents before him, and eEcltedlE placed
in the pot the funds of the royal Treas
ury Of Samoa, amounting TO $.y IN silssr yer
The PaymaSter's face grew serious AIlu
he looked a his royal opponent IN 2 hes
2 itatins puzzled sort Of way. Gould thl:
: be a Samoan All Sin he had run against
Had this kingly COpper-colored son OF
, ! gun learned the art Of poker playing IRON
Visiting traders years before, and had Re
= been playing 'possum all the evening
{ Having six or seven months pay IN ms
= inside pocket the Paymaster decided tC
F. chance some Of it in finding out.
, drew SJ7g i'm gold and silver from his pOCk
! - and added it TO the pot. which now GOV
cred the table. Malietoa gave gasp anI
( called for a glass of kava 10 steady hl'
5 nerves. This he gulped down and an
| nounced that he was out of funds, request
ing al the same time that the PaymaStei
| take his word for 500 But there was nary
| a take the Paymaster only smiling an(
! looking fiNedly AT the pot Then the e%
h cited monarch offered TO put up the isl
If finest
. | Samoan group. against the 5000. To thl
. | the Paymaster consented, ana a transfer
y deed Of the property, duly signed, attesteJ
z nv a trader who was a notary pubic
0 and Witnessed by the other two officers
h was nut in the pot Then the King CdlleC
a the PaYmaster, who slowly laid dowT
| four aces and a five spot
= with a look Of horror and Samoan
, | wall of despair, his majesty exposed Il
o | view three kings. an eight spot. and
| | deuce. Then he fell off his chair in
a faint. the excitement having been toe
: ! much for his Teryes. Kava in copiou'
u ! quantities brought him around sufficiently
!, to enable his removal to his own castle
Z The Paymaster Shoveled his money intC
n d sack and placed il in the traders : lror
a | safe. but the deed for the island he care
d fully placed in his pocket
l. Next morning the details Of the biz
' poker game were known TO nearly ever
0 inhabtant of the place, and the German
{ and English C9nSuls sent official com
~
p testing in most emphatic terms agains
e the action of the King IN dispOsing o
d the Island of ManOnO to an American o
e 10 any one else, and warning the Consu
Y that unless the PaymaSter returned III
n deed for the island 10 the King at once
\ ! they would direct the attention of thei
2 | restrictive governments TO the case.
), Here was a pretty state of affairs
a | The officer had. no doubt, won the ISLAM
g | fairly. and the Kings action was bind
,e ing. but in the tension In which Samoa
=, ! affairs were at that time the German an
20 ! English governments would only too Will
= | ingly have taken advantage Of the cir
!, | cumStances as an excuse for inteTna
= | t.Onal complications ending ultimately i
: q disastrous way 10 American interests.
10 The facts were fully explained TO tn
z Paymaster, and on the promise OF Mali,
| toa that he would give fhe officer a nun
ber Of fine mats and other Samoan art
cles OF value the deed was returned {
40 the King and destroyed. By mutual CO.
= sent Of the COnsulS and others interestr
8 the affair was hushed up i'm every way