Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1900-11-01
LONSDALE A GOOD LOSER.
He Had Been Up Against a Hard
Game, but Ke Didn't Squeal.


Said a Washington man who does lot
of transatlantic voyaging: mo man can
pat himself on the back and say to him
self that he is too wise to be done by
card sharps. I've seen some pretty clever
men get theirs at cards on the ocean
liners. One of them was Lord Lonsdale,
about as clever an all around man as ever
climbed over the gangway of a ship, and
nobody would ever have fancied that he'd
prove himself a mark for professional
gamblers.
"At the time Lonsdale first came to the
United States he was in the full tide Of
his rapid career. Amid the uproar over
his landing in this country the fact did
not leak out that Lonsdale was plucked
Of $4,000 on the trip over by George
Sampson, one of the most notable Of the
older clique Of steamship card sharpers.
He has since died in Australia, believe.
II think Sampson had it in mind to do
young Lonsdale when he got aboard at
Liverpool. Sampson had been working
the steamers for Is years, and at this
time he was a man Of 40 or thsreabouts.
The two men struck up friendship from
the very first day Of the voyage, and il
was Lonsdale himself who first suggest
ed-as he afterward acknowledged, for
he was manly young chap-the game Of
draw. Lonsdale had only recently learned
the hands at poker, and he had the poker
initiates enthusiasm for the game to an
exaggerated extent. Before going any
further l ought to say that Sampson al.
ways maintained afterward that in his
play with Lonsdale he was perfectly on
the level.
"Lonsdale and Sampson started the
game on the first day out and kept It 60
ing almost until the steamer plowed past
Sandy Hook. OF course Sampson beat
him right along. He made no effort to
let young Lonsdale win from him at first
He simply played poker and raked in the
young mans money and checks. A 10,
of US aboard knew Sampson, and those
of US who had met young Lonsdale In
England got him aside on the second day
out and automatically put 1t to him that
he was engaged in a pretty difficult en-
counter-that, in brief, Sampson was a
professional player of cards. For our
pains we were told that we were too
confoundedly oficious.
"At any rate, when the steamer was
drawing near the shore, Lonsdale decided
that he had had enough. Several Of us
were in the cardroom when the last hand
was played. Sampson took the pot, and
Lonsdale scribbled check on his Ameri-
can banker for the amount he had lost
at the sitting. Then he looked up at
Sampson for moment and said:
"'Some of my friends here estimate
you bit unkindly, Mr.. Sampson
"'How's that? inquired Sampson cool
ly. He was a man who never betrayed
surprise.
"'Well,' said Lonsdale, they maintain
that your skill at cards affords you some
thing better than livelihood
"1 never denied that replied Samp-
son calmly.
"In playing with me on this voyage
you have employed skill alonep inquired
Lonsdale courteously.
"'At your suggestion replied Samp-
son, with careful emphasis, I have play
ed draw poker with you fer seven days.
/ understand the game of draw poker,
and l have $1,000 Of your money. Do
you want it back?
THAT was a magnificent bluff on
SIMPSONS part, you perceive. The
young chap, he well knew, would not
squeal.
"'Oh, if you elect to be insulting
said Lonsdale, flushing hotly, and he
rose from the card table and left the
room.
"Well, couple of elderly Englishmer
on board who knew Lonsdale and his ia
ther before him went to the young fellow
and told him that it would be perfectly
proper and right for him to stop payment
on the checks he had given Sampson
who, they told him in SO many words
was nothing better than a swindler.
"'You will be good enough to mind
your own business replied the hotspur
IN do nothing Of the sort And that
was the end of it."-Washington Post.