The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-10-07
| 1T DIDN'T STOP THE GAME:
KNIFE AND GUNPLAY THAT THE
(HIEF or Police STOPPED IN TIVE.
One PLAYER Felt That lie Had ITS Moneys
Worth. Though II Cost Him n thousand
Doliars-poker with. Lively omp
ments In a Western Clty-rhe Nerve and
OnlIkncsa Of The NhIef OF Police.

The stories that arc told Of sensational
games Of poker" said a commercial traveller
who r%ecoutly returned from q tour OF tho West
crn States, ARE usually placed a little outside
the icnscly populated part Of the country,
and are told of occurrences of twenty years or
more ago. Now Il may Re true that ilorCer
poker was played by the last generation than
Is usual nowadays. though | doubt II. Cor
tliuly there Is more poker PLAYED to-day than
ever before. and though much Of Il IL small
playing, and goes on with surroundings that
are likely to prevent any great display Of icroc-
ity. there l. stil a vast deal Of Il that IL played
for blood a. the gambler say, and by men
who are ready and wiling to take LONG chances
to win. honestly II they can, but to win any
how. The drawing Of guns may not ne as COM
mon as II was. but guns are stiil used As a sort
OF fifth ace when the occasion demands that
kind Of play, and the man who plays crooked
still takes his life In his hand in certain places,
1t Il perfectly true that the public does not
hear Of such things frequently, but that Is
because when they do occur II Is In places
where the only witnesses arc likely 10 be men
who are Interested IN keeping the facts quiet
IL was not 50 very many Years ago that a very
wcll-kuoWn citizen Of Utnh shot n man dcnd
In gambling house In Chicago In n quarrel over
n gamcof poker. Nothing was over doneto him
/ lOT the murder, Tor ne nlu UNllNlll'u money
at his back ami the most powerful sort " in
fuonca So, though the facts were perfectly
well Imown in the sporting fraternity, the
authorities never occurred the evidence ncces-
sary to try him. much less 20 convict him
And even to-day 1t IS possible for a man
who is known among gamblers as a game
sport TO get into q game In which he will be
accommodated with any stakes he may prefer.
And he ma" be perfectly certain when he sits
down to play that he Is up against the hardest
proposition in poker that can be found. II
h. does not understand the game well enough
to see any crooked play that NAV be attempted,
PLAYING and save the time, but II he has all the
requisite confidence IN his own ability, and q
sufficient amount Of cash to make L worth
excitement he Is looking for
"Ihpd an experience myself only n few months
ago that | mn say seems f., ne 10 be worth
all tho money IL cost me-, and | dropped nearly
5000 in the game before il hrok" up Fnddenly.
| don't often play as heavily as that, but | must
preference for large stakes, 1t happened that
/ had put up n couple Of hundred on a flyer
with a chicago broker. a friend u mine. some
might UNEXPECTEDLY The next days papers
contained quotations that made me enter the
two hlndred TO Irolt ana loss 4nd had
him. When | did hear. / felt faint. for he wrote
that when hc started 10 buy according to my
OIlNF, ne saw tlA TIlHTh II WIS bTPdfllEs anu
he therefor" took the responsibility Of waiting
a little flo had bought afterward, however.
ana had closed out for me At his o"n discretion.
lie hUIcd | wOu4dnt be offended. but the two
hundred had earned a thousand and he had
pleasure In enclosing a certified check for twelve
hundred, less hs commission for buying and
1t was like finding money In the mouth Of
a lish. After | had recovered from the shock
and had written 10 him in appropriate terms,
| considered the question Of investing the
money. 1t occurred 70 me. after some study
that | was never likely to have a similar stake
that | could So we'd ailord To put into a poker
game. and that then, II ever, was the oppor-
tdnlty for the game Of my life.
j knew Just where to get II, too. for IN the
name Of II for reasons that will appear directly
the chief OF police was a man who was under
dered years before. / knew that his good
faith, 50 far as was concerned. was beyond
a question. and also knew, what everybody
else did not know, that he was one OF the best
short card player in the country and was con-
sidered a match for any Of the professionals
either in a straight or a brace game.
Accordingly. / looked him up and told him.
| was yearnlne Tor excitement TO the tune OF
a thousand, and that | didn't care how hard a
played on the square. lie knew me well enough
not 10 waste time in talking sonse, so he said.
\ery wei, sonny, If you're hen bent on beng
naughty, I'll let you IN on the game pay
in its square enough. I'll guarantee that
for the men that | play with know that could
run en- out ol town IN 4 day II they tried any
lAA'hg WA "'N' 80 - "
know their game as well as they do.
Il told him that was about what was look-
ing for, and accordingly | went with him about
10 O'Clock that night TO the side entrance OF
an ONCE building on the main street OF the
town. He opened the street door with MS 9wn
key and We climbed two flights Of stairs. Then
he produced another key and we entered a
room where four men sat play ing casino.
They were evidently waiting FOR the Chief,
for at the conclusion of the game they moved
Ia make room for US at the round table, ana
one Of the number proiuceo irean uarqs ahu q
byauy one cXccrting that the yhiet said: THIS
gentleman Is a friend Of mine, and each OF the
four bowed and said. Good evening sir
1t wasn't necessary for me 70 be instructed
in tho etiquette Of the place, so | simply said;
Good evening, gentlemen and took my seat.
| cannot LAY that | felt no surprise at reoog-
ni2ing one Of the players as the cashier Of the
, bank where | had negotiated my certified check
that afternoon, but wa7ntQulte 1901 enough 70
The other three, | felt sure. were professional
gamblers, and | aftcrward learned that one
of them owned a faro bank In the same street,
but that he played In this game habitualy Tor
his personal Amusement. No one was intro
duccd 10y name, however nor did hear any
o""The game was Tor table stakes rs the Chief
had told me, and zach man took a hundred dol
lars worth 81 chi; =, ones. nves and twenty-nvcs,
Then each nut four hundred in bills in front Of
him and u course | followed suit, IL was likely
20 De interesting enough and AZ the same time
IL gave me the chance TO sit in again IN case l
should losH the first stack.
The game began rather slowly. as poker so
often begins, no two notable hiulus being out
against each other for perhaps twenty minutes
or, maybe, more. IL went as the Table stakes
game is likely to go, all in favor Of the first bot
tor, with a good many jack pots Ill falling 70 the
opener, until there came one pot that had been
swcetened UP 70 seventy-tiye dollars before II
was OF enpd. The cashier opened II Tor seventy
Eve and cHue next. Looking at my cards l
saw n rair of kGgs and naturally ceme in. The
next two men passed. one OF the gamblers came
in and the CHEF passed
In the draw | took three cards and each OF
the Other men took one. ! let my three lie face
down til the cashier had bet two hundred. Then
| picked mine UP one at n time. When | saw
my fourth card | raised IL two hundred. l
didn't catch my third one but was playing the
blum. Tho gambler threw down promptly, and
tho cashier after a brief study showed his OPEN
ers, aces up. SCORED the pot OF course and
began TO feel MY oats. IL was the nrst large
play and | had worked the blufl all right.
Whether ! was too confident because OF this
success, or whether II was iust unadulterated
poor play | am not prepared to say, but the
very next Jack pot was Disastrous to me. The
Chief oDcucd IL for fifty and | came in on a four
straight. The uCtt nan raised IL a hundred
and the Chief and 1 both stayed, the Others pass
ing. The Chief drow two. cards. ] caught an
ace. GlinE my straight, and the other nan drew
one. The Chief bot a hundred. | raised it two
hundred, the next man raised me two hundred.
Tho Chief put up the rest Of his money, about
three hundred and Aftv and ! raised again, two
hundred. The other man called mo for a hun
Irnd which was NIL no Ind In sight, and showed