The sun., 1901-07-07
SENTENCE OLA CARD CHEAT
COURSE PURSUED IN A CLUB AT WHICH
THEY PLAYED POKER.
No Public Exposure Of the Club Member VINO
was Detected In the Act o. Cheatins--A
Perfect Case Was Made Against Him and
Social Extinction Followed.


Was Detected In the Act o. Cheatins--A
Perfect Case Was Made Against Him and
Social Extinction Followed.
Il suppose every intelligent man who
has given the matter any thought" said the
gray y-haired young-looSing man, is practi-
cally convinced that the average man ID
instinctively and entirely honest. Curiously
enough. /. may seem to some people. NJ
own conviction on ,nls point is enorrnorftT
strengthened by my experience In playing
poker for more than thirty years. In al
my experience have never met more than
three or four non-professional players who.
in my judgment. would take the slightest
unfair advantage Of an antagonist in the
game
There was one case under my personal
notice some years ago, which. as GlarnS
exception. went far TO confirm me in my
belief In the general rule that poker playing
is conducted on the basis Of absolute hon.
esty. Then there was small club uptown.
of which / was member. ia which card
playing wss perhaps the principal amuse-
ment. There was a certain clique OF six
OF us in the club who formed the habit OF
playing every Saturday night together.
and kept up the habit for nearly year.
There hadn't been brea in the game
or an unpleasant incident Of any kind in
all that time. and no one had been fer a long
time a conspicuous winner or loser. bus
toward the end OF tho year we noticed that
a young lawysr--l'll call him Edwards.
because that was not his name-was winning
steadily. After things began TO run Ed
wards's way we found thot he wns taking
money from the party at the rate OF some
thing like $4,000 year.
AT hrst set It down to run OF luck
thst would in the nature Of things be broken
after a time. but after nearly three months
Of it was surprised one day 10y call at
my Office from the oldest man in the party.
He was an army Colonel on the retired list
and a man Of unquestionable character.
He began BY asking me II l had over
had any suspicious Of crooked play in our
poker game at the club, and when assured
MIN that had not. he said, with every
appearance OF deep regret that he had
recently seen two OF three things that forced
him TO believe that one man IN our particu-
lar party was cheating
Now. what | propose. he said. lis for
vou IN take this as a confidential conmuni-
carton md continue 10 play az usual Tor a
time. II you see anything wrong make a
written memorandum OF 1t. and we will SEQ
n Il comedies with memorandum that |
have ,nEde. have asked two other men
in the party to do the SAME and may perhGps
ssk the NTH man. But j ask you, rs have
asked the others, to do nothing and say
nothing without consulting with Ine further
Il promised him readily enough. 1t was
a strange and by no means pleasant SEN
s,tion that I experienced when sat down
10 play the next time in feeling that there
wss probably one in the party whom had
n, lied friend and whom | might have 70
denoupoe. Moreover. was watching four
men, for ! had absolutely no suspicion of
anv one Of them, ,
do a trick so unexpected in kind, and do IL so
neatly that could hardly believe my eyes.
II was mis- deal. and when he picked up
the deck after laying II on the table for the
none 10 cut he transferred tho two packets
of cards 80 that the cards were In thssame
nositlon that they we're before the cut. 1t
was a lightning-liEe moyenent. ana nsd
not been looking particularly for something
wrong would never have detected II. AZ
Il was. ! doubted my own eyes and decided
10 wait until he should deal again before
forming Judgment.
That pot went to the dealer on fun
hand that he made on a three-card draw.
IN course, that might have been mere
coincidence, but Of itself II was enough
10 make me still more uneasy and | was
nervous enough when Edwards dealt again.
/ saw nothing wrong that time. he was
cunning enough not to cheat too often
a nd SO Increase the chance or being caught,
hut the second deal afterward he reversed
In | ba him ftafOIH
This time | was too positive 10 admit
NJ any doubt, and feeling that could not
contain my Indignation. | made some ex-
Cuse and quit the game. The nrNt d1y
called on the Colonel and handed bim
memorandum Of what | had seen. Dr.
Harry. as we called hun, was there on
simiIar errand when | entered the room.
and while We were talking together young
Hrrson came In with very troubled face
ana q similar report ,u
tho Colonel spoke. IT is evident that wo
cannot ali b, mistaken, he bald. Tor We
NH saw the same thing ri the same tiine-
IL, question is what are we to do
Again there wss silence. We all knew
what hsd to be done, but we waited for ths
Colonel. ,.,., -. c,,o,ol ~ ,s,ctb
that none OF us would be willing 10 make
n ecanaal OF this even among the members
M the CluD. No pbr bhN Opi
ot This and there L. no necessity for making
il knOwn. but there Is no possible question
ng overlooking the offence. II seeILs 10 me
Tint The thing to do Is To write him briet
letter telling him that W. have detected
him in cheating and demanding that no
sbell withdraw from the club. Further
more he must be warned that II he 10 ever
known by any one Of us 10 play eards again.
he shall certainly be exposed Ana we
rn,lst ali sign the letter. and make sure that
il j. delivered 10 him personally. -,
This was agreed 20 without much dis
c,,ssior and the letter was sent. 1t was tho
sentence OF social death to man who
might have aspired 10 almost any DIS
tinction. lie must have had too much pride
To- remain in community in which even
four men knew him 20 be scoundrel' tor no
disappeared thar night. and 40 far as know,
has never been heard of by any. one III New
York. His bride that was 10 be married
another man two years later, and hrs FANNY
mourn him "a dead.
The only letter he left behind. so far as
have ever heard. was one rcslsnns hiA
membership in our club.