The Savannah morning news., 1901-04-07
PICKED THE WRONG VICTIM.
Strange Manner i'm which Two Polx-
err Sharps Were Fooled.

strange Manner IN Wh1ch Two t-OtN-
err sharps Were Fooled.
F'rom the New Orleans Times-Democrat)
THE strangest and most exciting in
cident ever witnessed in all the high
play / had seen on the river" said an
old steamboat captain, occurred one
night during a trip We were making to
st. Louis, very shortly before the break
ing out of the war. We had on board the
usual crowd Of planters, merchants,
gamblers and micellaneous travellers from
the city and every night the social hall
was pretty we'll filled with poker tables.
l was chief clerk of our boat at the
time, and on the evening have in mind
/ had taken a seat near the Office to have
quiet smoke, when my attention was
attracted by three men at an adjoining
table. Two of them i knew very well
They were professional gamblers who
travelled regularly up and down the river
and had the reputation of being as smooth
a pair of pasteboard manipulators as
could be found in the business. The third
man was a stranger to me. and / put
him down mentally as the dupe. never
saw him after that night, but remember
HIM with perfect distinctness. He was
about six feet high, slender, with very
broad shoulders, and had a dark, lean,
smooth-shaven face of rather attractive
expression. l was a little puzzled to size
him up, but finally concluded he was
merchant from some small town in the
interior. From where sat could easily
overhear the conversation of the group,
and, knowing 1t was against our policy
TO interfere, the gamblers paid no atten-
ton to me. After little general talk
they proposed a game of poker, but the
dark man begged to be excused He said
he very seldom played the game and did
not feel in the mood, and in spite of all
their pressing he politely but firmly de-
clned.
g Perhaps. then. you wouldn't mind
looking on said one of the gamblers at
last, while l entertain my friend here
for half an hour or so?' 4 would enjoy
it. he replied courteously, and the two
sharpers began to play what would now
be known as freeze out BY that time
my interest was strongly excited, for /
knew, of course. that some scheme was
afoot to fleece the stranger, and from
prior experience, / even had a general
idea Of what was coming.
Both players bet heavily" continued
the captain, land one of them, who sat
directly in front of the dark man, was
presently more than $500 loser. A mo-
dealt. AT any rate there was a swift in
terchange of betting and raising before
the draw that put perhaps $50 on the
table, when the sharper on the opposite
side suddenly hoisted the pot $1O0 more.
AT that his companion made a gesture
OF chagrtn. I'd see your hundred with
pleasure he said in a tone of bitter an
royance but ! have less than $40 in my
pocket Hold? he added, as If struck by
an aIter-thought perhaps you will al
low me to show my hand to our friend
GU may If you like said the other in
olfferently, and he passed the cards to
the stranger, who was leaning forward
evidently deeply interested. The hand, as
could see, contained four aces and a
SIX of clubs. The dark man passed them
back without disarranging them and the
gambler Immediately laid them face down
on the table. How would you like TO
oack me and go halves on that?' he
asked. II your friend is willing said
the stranger deliberately. I have no OBJ
terJection, said the other man, and the
stranger counted out and handed over
Sl,OOO IN bills. The gambler to whom the
lean was made threw $500 in the pot. 4
see your bet and raise you hundred.
ne said. / see it, said the other. and
now suppose we stop this fooling and
draW cards The big hand still Law fat g
| uoWn on the table, and, without looking
at IL, the gambler pushed aside the card
on the extreme right, where he had APP
parently placed the six of clubs.
1t was an old, cheap trick, and
knew perfectly we'll he was discardine
one OF his aces, so as to lose to his con-
Ieoerate, and would claim later that he
did 1t by accident. His companion dealt
MN one card and took one himself Now
raise you $780, said the one who held
the aces, putting the rest of the strang-
er money in the pot I call YOU re-
pIed the other, counting out the cash.
Inen an astonishing thing happened. L
nave four aces said the first gambler.
and began to turn over his cards one by
one. BY the eternal! that was exactly
what he had! He was confident. of course.
that he had discarded one of them, and
was all prepared to yell: 'Merciful
heavens! l threw away one of my aces
by mistake! But there were all four
staring him in the face. The other black
leg, who had four kings, almost fell out
OF his chair, and before they could re-
cover from their amazement the dark
man was on his feet. We seem to have
won,' he said coolly to the gambler he
had staked; let us divide the spells.
With that he counted over his $1,000,
put 1t in his pocket and split the balance.
making his share, as remember it, about
$3.50. The faces of the two gamblers were
study, but there was something so in
describably menacing in the mans look
and they were SO clearly outwitted that
they offered no objection. He then babe
them an ironical good night and disap-
peared to his cabin. He got off before
morning at a plantation landing, and !
learned long afterward that he was a
noted professional card sharp whose home
was In Baltimore. How did he do the
trick? Well the best 1 can give you is
my theory. l believe he substituted an
ace for the six spot when he examined
the hand. The gambler subsequently dis
carded an ace all right enough, but I'M
luckily for him he still had four left
If 1t wasn't done that way I give il IN -