Bisbee daily review., 1903-06-23
A GAME CT FREEZE CU's
lOriginai.l

tuc hioIhliS a hidn eot Ou tue stedAnef Prairie Queen at Natchez with an old slave and his wife, intending to take them to New Orleans to be sold. They expected to be disposed of separately and were broken hearted at the pros poet. Seating themselves on a coil of rope on the forecastle. they bowed their heads in their hands and gave way to convulsive weeping.
 By tine time afternoon came on most of the passengers had seen them, ano a great deal of sympathy had been ex cited. Finally d man approached th' owner and asked him what he expect ed to get for the couple.
 "Six hundred dollars each.'
 "I'll tell you what I'll do." said the inquirer. I'll make up a party to buy poker chips to the amount you ask for your man and woman. and we'll play a game of freeze out for them, the man who gets all the chips to own the niggcrs."
 That would be agreeable to me suh." said the owner. I'll take my share of chips. Make up your party"
 It was not long before four men wers seated in the cabin to play a game foj two human beings. it being understood that the winner. other than the present owner. should not sell them separately h an hour one of the party was frozen out. and soon after another met the same fate, leaving the owner of the slaves. the principal winner, to play out the game with one man who had gone into it on purely philanthropic motives,
 It was about this time that clerical gentleman stepped from his stateroom and as he passed the gaming table seeing a crowd looking on, asked the cause of the especial interest. Upon being informed he pushed his way to the remaining players and said:
 "Gentlemen, I am surprised that you should play for this old couple without giving them chance in the game for their freedom"
 ''They don't play poker" replied the owner.
 some one might he found to play for theln." pursued the clerical man.
 'Very we'll" said the owner. If you want to play for them I'll sell you hundred Of my chips"
 T gamble! l never touched a carl in my life. But if any good poker player can be found to play their stalk 1 will advance $l00 for the chips"
 One or two men standing by offered ,.. .l la ,,1, hr-4 al sic nffs ment of thQir fitness some one ill the crowd protested.
 Give me .he chips" said tie cleric. 1t is the Lord who will decide the fate of these his servants. and l, wi1o know nothing of this game of evi! will make it a game of good. I will play it myself.'
 The chips were turned over to hlD and the money paid, whereupon he began to play. asking dozen ques- tions with every hand. though finally the game proceeded without any marked stoppage for information Meanwhile nearly every passenger CD the boat was looking on. Then the clerical man began to have fine ruD of luck in the hands he held. He blundered So frequently that he did moi win all he might have WOE, bat his pile grew steadily.
 Finally the S1,200 represented 1T chips. owing to the blind luck Of the cleric, was pretty nearly divided bc tween him and the owner Of the slaves the other mans ''ISle" being reduced to $150. Then came a large jack DO: that no one seemed able to open. Wher it was opened, it was the cleric's turr to bet He studied his hand for some iime. then laid down his cards and asked for an explanation of jack pot The players somewhat impatientIy ex Piained it to him several times. wheI Le said that he thought be understood it. Then he resumed the study of hi; hand and seemed in doubt what 10 do once mal.tug a movement t0 throw il down, which he reccnsidered. Taking a jack from his hand he asked one of his opponents if it were not king. Or being correcfS1. he showed a queer and asked if it did not stand next be low the jack. Corrected again, hs unused for awhile. then put up the re quired chips and drew one card H. had had one straight and knew what i, was. It was plain either that he drew for another or to two pairs. One of the players bet all he had, and when the betting continued was frozen out The other. the slave owner, had three sevens and filled with pair of deuces He determined to end the game by taking all the cleric had, thus retaining his slaves and S9OO besides.
 There was no trouble about drawing the cleric in. Every time his opponent raised him he raised his opponent Finally when the chips of both parties were all in the pot it was explained to the cleric that nothing remained to bt done His opponent threw down his full hand"
 Does that beat four ten spots?' ask, cd the cleric innocently, throwing four tens on the table.
 There was a shout of laughter from the crowd and an oath from the ex- owner, after which a bill of sale was drawn transferring the slaves to the cleric, who made out free papers foi them.
 "Who's the psrson poker playerT