The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1905-06-17
REVELATIONS BY
AN EX-SPEAKER
INSIDE HISTORY OF A STATE
LEGISLATURE By ONE
WHO KNOWS.

How Bride Money Is Transferred h
Purchased Legislators In Poke
dames-The Betting Ingredient
A "Stake-Holder Who Decampe,
A Lobbyists Clever Betting
Manoeuver-An Envelope Deliv
cred to Wrong Party - Few
"Squealers."
SY AN Ex-sPEAKER OF THE STATE
LEGISLATURE.
Copyright. 1906. by Joseph b. Bow.es)
The great American game of poker
has been used more than once &c
safely" pay Tor votes In a legislature
There are "grafters" In a general as
sembiy who are over-sensitive as to
the manner In which the doodle" is
10 be slipped" to them. Tbs n.oety
is due to their cowardice. They are
not afraid or ashamed TO commit a
great crime, but are afraid CT being
found out. They stand willing TO sell
their votes. but their tender con-
sciences will not permit them to take
the cold cash In an ordinary way.
To meet such qualms the agent OF the
vote buyer sometimes is forced to
adopt methods which. to the un.hink-
ing. may seem entirely unnecss airy.
The general run of "bCod'ers,'
when they have sold their vo es. get
their money. and they don't care how
they get 1t so II is handed them
with no Outsiders" to witness the
transfer, and with no bills marked.
Some of them stipulate that the money
must be in the shape OF small bills,
as the possession OF new. inkly
hundred-dollar notes might awaken
awkward suspicious. But there are
some boodlers who think that dead
walls have eyes and bare floors have
ears. So to meet their needs the
method of paying brides over a poker
table was invented.
Time hangs heavy on the hands Of
most members of legislature. To
speed the slow hours the members
play cards. and so it happens that in
every state capital, when the legis-
lature Is in session. there are numer-
Gus poker games running. Some Of
them are little penny ante. nickel
limit games and in some the ceiling
alone limits the height to which the
pot may reach. II was while watch
ing one of the high games that saw
several hundred dollars distributed
without even suspicion Of the
transaction until toward the last of
the game, and then could not have
sworn that had seen anything but
an ordinary game OF draw poker in
which large stakes we're played.
The game was one of a dozen run
ming in the hotel that evening; the
players were four members Of the
house and an attorney who represent
ed large corporate interests. No at
tempt was made at con ealment; the
bell boy was called In at freqcent in
tervals to fetch cigars or drinks. men
dropped in, watched the game for q
few moments and left. l sat in the
room behind the at orney for an hour
looking on. Nothing occurred to ex-
cite my suspicion at frst. While
knew the yellow chips were worth 8
hundred dollars each and blue ones
were worth $50. saw moth ng Out
OF the way, for such stakes were not
rare and for al knew to the con-
trary the players were abundantly
able to make large bets on theil
hands.
noticed first that the attorney wal
a 60 ady loser. He void gather in 9
small cot occasionally. bit lost ever,
jack pot and tn, jack pc were eoot
fat ones. but as the attorney was
banker 1t was { ifficll to say how
much he was losing. Thsn I noticed
that the other players did not seem
to win from each other The attor-
ney me into e. ry hand; he stayed
with every jack pot.
The rule of the game called for q
jack pot when three Of kind or bet
ter were shown, and such a hand hav.
ing been called and shown the next
deal meant a jack pot. saw the
cards In the attorneys hand. Ee
was dealt three kings. an ace and q
queen. He gently raped the table
with his knuckles and said: II cam
open IT,, when, rs any poker player
knows, he had a hand which has
opened countless jack pots. The mar
to his left opened the pot by tossing
a yellow chip on the table The Other
members laid down. but the attorney
saying, "I'll come In, but what's the
use; can't win anything" threw
q yellow chip into the pot and called
for one card. Maybe I can fill Q
belly straight" he said. with a laugh
He caught another ace. He held
kings full on aces and I said to my.
self: Hell rake in that pot sure thi:
time" grinned to myself when tn,
lawmaker stacked up Ave yellow boyi
and pushed them to the center.
could Just see those chips comInf
toward the lawyer. He looked\at hi
hand q minute; then, saying: We'll
I'll see what you have" showed $50
worth Of chips into the pot. Tn,
legislator threw bis hand down and
showed he had made his bluff on two
little pair. That's too big for me. >
said the lawyer and pushed his kings.
full-on-aces into the discsrds. while
the house member gIeefully pulled ali
A L. a