The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-07-06
MINISTER FELL BY POKER.
Streak Of Luck Struck by a Young
Crusader.

He was new In the city. When he
first arrived strangers who saw him
gambled that he was either a profes.
sional poker player or a minister.
They could not tell which. He was
not known personally to the men who
frequented the gambling houses, and
not much notice was taken of him
when, in search of material for his
sermon, he walked in alone one Mon
day night and glanced nervously
around a room where a dozen men
were playing different games. 1t seem
ed familiar to him for in his younger
and wilder days he had gambled him
self. The manager spied him and
put him down at once as a slick pro-
fessional who was there on a tiger.
bucking expedition. He spoke to him,
and learned his name.
Dawson" he repeated. Say, are
you old Bill Dawson who used to run
the faro bank in Memphis when l
was there ten years ago? No? Well
you are welcome, for you look like
the dead game article and if you can
beat me why then all well and good"
Mr.. Dawson did not know how to
explain. He had an inkling that he
would be sent away if he said he was
Dawson the minister, so he said moth
ing. He walked about aimlessly. The
proprietor wanted to see him play.
Dawson had not looked for anything
/ like this and hesitated. The proprietor
/ pushed him. There was a two dollar
game, he said, just starting in the
next room and they needed another
/ player The rafting of the chips and
the calls of the gamblers, with the
big money in sight, da1s1 Dawson and
he allowed himself 70 be pushed into
the poker room. Before he really knew
what was up the proprietor had shov-
ed him to chair.
/ Here's a good player, boys" he
said, "and | want to see what he can
do. He is Mr.. Dawson and he is all
right"
OF course the players were glad to
see Mr.. Dawson, but gladder to see the
color of his money.
''You look like you could deal the
cards in the pulpit" said a big man
at the table, and Dawson colored. He
laughed it away. The proprietor came
up and Dawson, like man in dream,
took out some money and bought a
stack Of chips.
Seems as If the new player Is
dopy," commented hitherto silent
player, and Dawson braced himself.
He saw that he was in for it and he
had to play his way out. II he could
lose, he thought, and then get away
nobody would suspect that he was
the parson, and all would be serene.
The game opened SLOW There were
no good hands running and the betting
was quiet, so Dawson had more time
to think. He was the last man to
deal and he took the cards nervously,
but the feel of the pasteboards seemed
to give him more confidence in him.
self and he shuf1led them like a veter-
an. Everything was a jack pot and
the first man to say opened for a
couple of dollars. Two others stayed,
third raised and Dawson came in.
There was more betting. When cards
were called the opener stood pat, an
other man wanted Two cards, another
three and Dawson took one He had
drawn to aces and Fights, the gam.
blers hand, and when he picked up
the fifth card he saw the ace of spades.
The betting got lively The opener,
with a flush considered it good and
bet accordingly Dawson, who by that
time, felt the return of his old-time
sporting blood, came on with a raise
which paralyzed some of the more
timid players and they dropped out.
The dealer stuck and sent back an
other raise which WAS met and return
ed, Dawson was not going to cover
and 1t was left to the opener to call.
That's good" the opener said quiet
/ ly, when Dawson announced that he
had a full hand and so the big pot,
which was rich, was moved over to
! the parsons corner.
BY this time the minister forgot his
/ cloth and his errand to the pISece and
he played with all his old-time en-
! thusiasm. The cards ran well; it was
! Just such a streak of luck as occa.
sionally is found with a newcomer.
/ The minister took in pot after pot.
/ Once there was good pot which had
] been sweetened time and again, and
i when one of the players said he would
open 1t, Dawson found that he did not
have a pair even to go in with. He
1 had an ace, Jack, seven, a trey and
! a deuce He wanted to go in and try
| for the pot He could well afford to
lose a few He started to draw to
! the ace, but reconsidered and held
up the seven because he considered
1t lucky. Well, when he picked up his
four cards, glanced at them without
moving feature and began raising
the big bets, the other players put
him down as a wonderful buffer and
came back at him hot and fast When
the big man finally called, the gam
bling parson quietly laid down four
seVens and raked in the pot. He had
beaten four tours. That was a sample
of his luck.