The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-06-24
.AGREATPOKEl[RG GAME
IT MIGHT HAVE BROUGHT ABoUT AN
INTERNATIONAL ROW.

The Victim Was the Samoan Kins
Malistoa ana the Victor an Amsri-
can Naval Omcer The Jack Pot
That Caused the Trouble.
'There was stiff game of poker played
by q paymaster in the navy with King
Malietoa several years ago. guess this
was about the healthiest game ever in
dulged in by foreigner. Malietoa had
heard of the great games played by Kali
akaua, king of Hawaii, and the Samoan
thought he'd like to take little brush on
this line. Well, Malietoa's opportunity
to test his belief came one day when m
American man-of-war-never mind which
One-sailed into the harbor at Apla. His
determination to take the thirty-second
degree In the mysteries Of the great
American game was satisfied to the full
est extent. Among the officers aboard
the narrower were paymaster. q
lieutenant and an assistant engineer,
who had burned the midnight lamp
studying poker at Annapolis and had
prosecuted the study in season and out
Of season ever since they left that place.
In word, they were all three just about
as smooth poker players as you could find
in a months travel.
'.rhere was trader among the white
residents Of Apia who was known to
come to the front with pretty stiff
game, and Malietoa soon arranged
through him game with the officers.
By invitation and appointment the king
and his friends met the officers in the
private parlors of a European, and before
the evening was half gone Malietoa re-
quested that the limit, small one, be
taken of. The old codger had won sew
eral pretty fair jack pots and felt his inn
portance and ability to clean up the
whole crowd. OF the limit came, and
for several hours Malietoa had almost
phenomenal luck. winning jack pot after
Jack pot. The more he won the more
reckless he became, and when something
was said about closing down he entered
a large and emphatic protest. The game
proceeded, and the healthiest jack pot OF
the night was on the table.
Several hands had been dealt around
without any one having expressed his
ability to open the pot, when the king,
with a look of surprise and smile
Of pleasure and triumph combined, an
nounced that he would open it $40 worth.
Every player staid. The paymaster drew
three cards, the lieutenant the same num-
Der, the assistant engineer took two and
the trader one. Malietoa showed his
blood by standing out and putting $40
more into the pot. The paymaster saw
this and raised him $25, while the others
staid. Then the king raised again, and
the paymaster threw in $25 more. 1t was
becoming too interesting for the other
players, and they dropped out. After the
kings last raise the paymaster hesitated
a moment, put his cigar to one side and
showed $50 to the middle of the mahog-
any.
Chilean silver dollars, the currency Of
the islands, and, drawing small sack
from his pocket, emptied its contents be-
fore him and excitedly placed In the pot
the funds of the royal treasury Of ga
moa, amounting to $40 in silver. The
paymaster's face grew serious, and he
looked at his royal opponent in a hesitat-
ing, puzzled sort Of way. Gould this be
a Samoan All Sin he had run againstf
Had this kingly copper colored son of
gun learned the art Of poker playing
from visiting traders years before and
had he been playing possum all the even
ing? Having six or seven months pay
in his inside pocket, the paymaster de-
cided to chance some Of it in finding out.
AFTER few moments Of undecision he
drew $579 In gold and silver from his
pocket and added 1t to the pot, which
now covered the table. Malietoa gave a
gasp and called for glass Of kava to
steady his nerves. This he gulped down
and announced that he was out Of funds,
requesting at the same time that the pay
master take his word for $500, but there
was nary a take, the paymaster only
smiling and looking 6xedly at the pot.
Then the excited monarch offered to put
up the island Of Manono, one Of the fin
est in the Samoan group, against the
$500. To this the paymaster consented,
and a transfer deed Of the property, duly
signed, attested by the trader, who was
a notary public, and witnessed by the
other two officers, was put in the pot.
Then the king called the paymaster, who
slowly laid down four aces and five
spot
with look of horror and Samoan
wall of despair. his majesty exposed to
view three kings, an eight spot and
deuce. Then he fell off his chair in a
faint, the excitement having been too
much for his nerves. kava in copious
quantities brought him around sufficient
ly to enable his removal to his own cas-
tie. The paymaster shoveled his money
into sack and placed it in the traders
iron safe, but the deed for the island he
carefully placed in his pocket.
Next morning the details Of the big
poker game were known to nearly every
inhabitant of the place, and the German
and English consuls sent official commu-
nications to the American consul pro-
testing in most emphatic terms against
the action of the king in disposing of the
island Of Manono to an American or to
any one else, and warning the consul
that unless the paymastsr returned the
deed for the island to the king at once
they would direct the attention of their
respective governments to the case.
"IIere was a pretty state Of affairs.
The officer had, no doubt, won the is
land fairly, and the kings action was
binding, but in the tension in which Sa-
moan affairs were at that time the Ger
man and English governments would on
ly too willingly have taken advantage OF
the circumstances as an excuse for in
ternationa complications, ending ulti-
mately in a disastrous way to American
interests.
"The facts were fully explained to the
paymaster. and on the promise Of Malie-
toa that he would give the officer num-
Der of fine mats and other Samoan arti-
cles of value the deed was returned to
the king and destroyed. By mutual con-
sent of the consuls and others interested
the affair was hushed up in every way
and was thus allowed to die out. Malie-
toa took an oath that he would never
again play poker. "-Chicago Inter Ocean.
Reciprocal.
"Yes, sir" remarked the amiable man,
al