The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-03-23
DENIES IDKER STORY.
Asserts That NaIdorf-AstOrIa Card
Party ATTENDED by Joseph Letter Was
Imaginary.


"Tne weird newp PIPER story of a poker
game at the Waldot- Astoria, involving
half million dollar or such a matter,
In which John W. Cites. joseph Letter,
L. l.. Smith. myself. and two or three
other men, were supposed to have sat in,
is absolute nonsense, and there Is not q
word Of truth In it,"baid John A. Drake,
SOD of former Governr Drake Of Iowa.
yesterday: 81 can fiji but one expla ma.
ton for it-that it ID pite work on tbs
part OF II, II. kohlhat, due to the per
aonal enmity he feel toward John W.
Gates. The fake wasgiven special prom.
inence for two day In the Chicago
Times Herald and ittNew York oonnso-
tion, the New York israld, and this Ii
In itself proof that tire Is spite work be-
hind IL ell.
Elm the first place MIR. Gates 10 In
California, and ha been there for a
week. About two weeks ago Mr.. Gates.
Mrs. Gates, their sol and daughter, and
Mrs. Drake, and myself we're In New
York. We all stoppt at the WRldorf-As-
toria and returned t{Chioago In party.
A day or two following our arrival there
ID +. Gates went to Clifornia. While we
" ere in New York v did not even meet
oseph Letter.
"Ihis ia sufficisntienial OF the story"
continued Mr.. Drakl ''but 1 want to say
that John ". Gates and JoEpeh Letter
never made trip THEW York together
In n private car; AM, as far as am CON-
cerRsd. / was peyern private car with
Mr.. Letter. Furthdmor can say pcs
itivoly that Mr.. Gdes and Mr.. Letter
have not sat in a gahe OF poker together
for tHo years. If ] am not mistaken,
some OF the membei of this imaginary
game Of chance, IN lhloh fortunes We're
waged ON pair OF tyens, did play poker
enc night at tbs bland house. about
two years ago. MIR. ta.es, Mr.. Letter, and
myself were paIticibnts, and $40 was
the limit. Who thdkxinners were l do
not remember
Z The idea that bu hess men would play
any game Of ohauoa for such stakes as
are mentioned 10 absurd. Men with
large commercial idereets are not given
to that sort of thing Why even wealthy
gamblers, who havdaoquired their money
by come such mean and who live ia an
Atmosphere Of ohate, never dream Of
risking such sums I money at cards.
"The men menti4ed, l presume, have
all played poker foHecreation, but those
whom / know Eelddn or never play
bigger gains than ! or $40 limit, and the
story OF this imagi1ry game is so stu
pidly prepcsterous DAT It must have bsen
conceived in spite, living not u single
fact for bssis.
"1he desire to intre Mr. Gates Is pal
pable, because OF It'd attempt to mix him
up in the Letter what deal Of two years
ago, and to place hIh in the light of hAv-
ing taken Adyantab of Joseph Letter,
when he was short Y funds. The story OF
double dealing on 10 part OF Mr.. Gates
and a 500. 600 ohsol b Ike the poker game,
untrue and ats1lttily without fonnda-
tion. The facts III IL matter are that
Mr.. Gates offsisd Mr.. Leitsr his advice
as well as materifl assistance when he
was embarrs s'sd. He advised Mr.. Letter
to close out NJ time when be could have
saved himself and / know that in many
ways he has proved himself to be q good
friend OF Letter.
''ro accup Joha W. Gates Of double
dealing wit hts friends IL to attack him
where he isinvulnerabls. He IL q shIewd
businefs MN, and kas many enemies,
but his reputation for ssraigt t.orward
dealing is yell known. He has stood a
great man testg Of this Kind, and such
double dssing as he Is accused Of in con.
nsctiSn With the celebrated wheat deal ID
not only Ihtr1es but impossible.