The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-06
THE POKER CANE AT SANDY BEND.
JadGe Hoke Acts TO Maintain the Principles
Of an American Institution.
Copyright. 1900. bv G. r. Lspis.


Copyright. 1900, nv G. r. Lswis.
This court bein' opened. said Judge Hoke
Of Sandy Bend as he looked around on the
spectators. 1T wont take Ms long to reward
the innocent and punish the guilty and get
back to the Red Dog saloon, I'm lookin' right
at Pete Mcclure. but law demands that I ask
him II he's present in this court room"
I'm here. replied Pete as he rose
And hev you got a lawyer"
Il hev."
AND has the constable got the defendant
on hand?"
"He has, said the officer.
And has he got a lawyer"
"Hc has"
Then thar's nothin' TO delay the perform
ance. This is n case whar | don't want TO
hear any CAB from the lawyers, and thar wont
be any need Of ringIn' in any witnesses. This
Court knows Pete Mcclure, and this Court
k Sa,s Jim a, Tay LoiDd T ,Ss ito ni nj, sS TntIn
and wi-hin' he could take a hand in a game
of poker along comes Jim, They had a two
Court has played poker with both of EN- and
knows their WAYS. Pete Mcclure puts on q
smile which cant be beat for blandness, and
the poorer his hand the biander his smile.
On the contrary. Jim Taylor no sooner begins
n game than his face goes into mournln ana
a. thu, game purceeds a stranger, would think
ne nuU lbSl III ms T'luSUllilN anu nil De'h 'h'
to funerals every day for n week. .
This game at the Whit" Wolf didn't amount
70 much for an hour or SO; Both critters we're
layin' down ,hrees and fun houses 10 lead each
other on and make a big scoop. Bineby. Pete
Mcclure thought it was time to spring his bar
trap. He didn't have nothin' IN his hand but a
pair Of queens, but he had sized Jim Taylor M
for a man who could be bluned That bland
smile growed soft and sweet and spread all
over hi, face rs he added IS to the pot. jim
saw him and went $40 better. Thar wasn't no
pertlckler cause for hurry. They ordered the
drinks and told stories a. they saw and raised
each other. Pete,s smile kept smilin, and Jim,s
and more funerals. Bimeby thar was slOo on
the table, then it became 500 then smiin'
Pete laid down his two guns, his watch and his
last $40, maxim $50 in all, and thought to raise
Jim out OF the game, His smile as like noun
tain dew. and his words was soft and gentle,
but he was mistaken in his man. jim Taylor
I'LL the hands are laid down. This ere court
knows sW d II D ck,s n it So-t him :2oU D to learn ,Rs it tears
'peared TO be ready TO break down and sob,
a hn1 b pssn G ten m i9 fse before e { 5 iGr han hauled Il o m's So
ihumped. his ribs. lie lad bin holdIn' up 9
say par a % %f aus ". he ". so1 four ana idefi Fl, IL, he VIM %hIts
Wolf. and some folks thought he was goin'
away to shoot hisself That wasn't his plan
however. He comes right over to the Red Dog
N'Ff's - ''t'' - - - '.
hallls me aside 10 say that he'd been robbed and
wanted %Jestice il was my dooty 10 Issue a
warrant for the arrest OF jim Taylor, and |
did 20. and II was only later on that ! got the
full J-rticklers.
"Mebbe thar's a criitar in this room who
will deny that Pete Mcclure IL "A ~squealer, but.
II 20, I'll send him 10 State prison tor i've wears,
II was a sure 'nough suueal He hadn't no
more case than that wall-eyed heather over
there by the door, and that warrant never
ought 10 hev bin issued. This ar a case IN which
thar l. a heap more than appears on the sur
face. It's IA blow AT the bulwark~ OF American
liberty. rs an attempt a revolushun. II
not nipped in the bud right here and now. the
national game Of poker will soon follow the ma
tiOnal game of croquet into ObsCurlty. No
gentleman will be safe and even Digger In
iuns viii be Canterin' about and appralin Tor
i~estice. This court proposes to nip il Pete
Mcclure. it's no use a,kin' YOU IL you've any
thing TO say, You cant hev. It's one of them
cases whar a man hides N the grass and don't
want TO be seen or heard Of for a week You
have cast a blot on the fair name of SANDY
ladled OUT. The sentence of this court Is that
YOU fork over s2j a. fine and costs, and then YOU
will Proceed 10 walk ont OF this town and
never return
Your honor began Pete. but the
Justice interruptad him -
"Shet w, If il was stealln a hos. julnpln a
mine or shOotn' a Chlnviuan thar might b.
some excuse, but IN this case; no. III give
YOU thirty minutes to raise the money anC
di-appear. A. to jim TAYLOR, he's a free man
and he goes out of This court without any scar
ON his character. As his %eorrarful way o.
playin' poker and holdtn' fours has BIN glver
away. however, and ~ he Is no hand at hare
work. II might be- well tor him To 20 over 4
Red Hill for a lew weeks and do business will
Stranger. That's all TO-DAY, and anybody
who's got auv fault 10 find with the way ie.tic'
ha- foppcd her wings and lowered over thI'
court house can tackle me a. We Kit outside