The Portland daily press., 1900-10-12
LoNsDALE A GOOD LOSER.
He Had Been Up Against Hard
Game, but He Didn't SqueaI.

Game, but He Didn't Squeal.
Said a Washington man who does LOT
Of Transatlantic yOyaging: 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 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.
Il think Sampson had it in mind to do
young LOnsdale when he got aboard at
Liverpool Sampson had been working
the steamers for 10 years, and at this
time he was man of 40 or thereabouts.
The two men struck up a friendship from
the very first day of the voyage, and it
was LOnsdale himself who first suggest
ed-as he afterWard acknowledged, for
he was a 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 I 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 LOT
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 it 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 AOk the pot, anC
LonsdaIe scrubbed a check on his Ameri
can banker for the amount he had los
at the sitting. Then he looked up a
Sampson for a moment and said:
Some of my friends here estimate
you q bit unkindly, Mr. Sampson
sHow's that? inquired Sampson cool
". He was a man who never betraye
surprise
Well said Lonsdale, they maintai
that your SIX Il at cards affords you some
thing better than a livelihood
I never denied that replied Samk
son calmly.
In playing with me on this voyag
you have employed skill alone? inquire
Lonsdale courteously.
AT your suggestion replied Saml
son, with careful emphasis, I have pIa.
ed draw poker with you for seven day
l understand the game of draw poke
and I have $4,000 of your money. Z
you want it back?
''That was a magnificent bluff c
Simpsons part, you perceive. I'll
young chap, he we'll knew, would NJ
squeaL
'''Oh, if you elect to be insulting
said Lonsdale, flushing hotly, and ]
rose from the card table and left Il
. room.
'WeH, a couple of elderly Englishm,
on board who knew Lonsdale and his f
ther before him went to the young fello
. and told him that it would be perfect
proper and right for him to stop payne
/ on the checks be had given Sampso
t who, they told him in so many word
, was nothing better than a swindler
You viii be good enough to mil
| your own business replied the hotspu
c TN do nothing of the sort And tn
was the end of Washington Post.