The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-11-01
supcr.tition. Of card Player.

NupeFaftftOne 0f Ahfu EiaNfFAs
a man who plays poker can't help be-
ing superstisioIs. was the rather phiio-
sophical remark Of John Moriarty. whose
several furniture Establishments about
town stare o1servant surface car riders
to- the face. sayr the New York CONNER
ciai Noriarty was standing on the steps
~ the Hall 81 Education. inside which a
meeting IT fho Committee on School sup
piiae. 81 which be IS chairman. had Just
broken up The talk had CHANGED 10 turn
or au sorts 81 supsrstitions, and Moriariy
added
"A queer thing o. the way poker play
er WIZ attribute changes 20 luck 90 the
most rrotesquc ana outlandish INCIDENTS
Yclrs ago friend Of mine. = veteran
river eapiaiu. was one Of "a poker party
la "a hotel at Hot Springs He vas losing
steadily. aud glanced .sround siyly 20 ind
mascot. a gentleman wearing very
.oDg fr0ok coat was sitting near him with
his back turned and the captain quietly
picked UP one Of the howing ooatiails
ana tucked tho corner under his leg
"Hc did 50 on the theory wen known 60
confirmed poker players chat some outre
act viii change rae run 81 the cards
A. chance would have g.. he Immediately
began "a win ard was on the high tide
Of success when the other man started
% get up IIoid on" xtialmed che cap
tain. caug.nR Ike grim death % the coat
tnL. Yer heavens sake don't take away
ms mascot" but confound u. SIR re-
piled the other. when the situation was
explained 90 you expect ne 20 80 here
all night so yog can keep my coat-tau
under your leg" a bright idea struck
Tie captain I'M zen sou what III DO.
DO said "Il. buy your coat What do
you want Tor lt9 a hundred dollars. an
sw.red the stranger. An right sah the
captain. handing over the money. nov
slip out Of q as easy as you can Next
morning he told me that the deal HAD
r-tted him s9-0 profit
I'm thaf same sort Of superstitious
crank myself" pat iu John h watkins.
o. the Slafioucrs Board Of Trade. Now
I've Eoticeu tnat 30 any prolonged game
such extraordinary strcaks OF good and
bad luck are certain TO occur. such
strange coircidenCe- Riii take place In the
draw ana SO much apparent fatalism VIII
attach to certain cards thar player viii
look around instincuvely for some mascot
or hooioo 60 hold responsible for the pine
nomena. The commoucst superstition.
suppose IA that the foot OF spectator
Oh the ruug OF ones chair brings had FOR
tune ] confess can't stand lt. Not long
ago ! was playing ia friendly game az
hshiuE club up ut Alexandra Bay Ia the
Thousand Islands. when a man sat down
behind me and rested his foot careIessly
on my chair Instantly luck left me. and
after had losi five or six good pots IN
succession. ! got desperate and Tilted for
ward Boz the hope Of shaking the fellow on.
Thercgpon Dee removed his foot from the
rung and put Il on the floor. ] glanced
around. and seeing 10 directly beneath the
chair leg. decided 10 take a horrible re
verge So ] settiee back and came down
square on his toes but. 20 my amazcment.
be never turned a hair lie was chatting
With somebody az the time and seemed
a. be- totally unconscious Of the fact that
the chair leg was resting on his pedal ex-
tramity with pressure Of about 200
pounds 20 the square inch That uncsuuy
episode made me so nervous that I quit
the game Later on / iesrned that he
had a cork foot"