Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1907-08-02
THREW AWAY DICE
coLoRED SOLDIERS IN A FIT or
P~ENITENcE.
Severe Storm at Sea Caused ImpromD-
tu Revival Meeting In Earnest -
No Moro Crap Shooting
During That Voyage.

Five hundred pairs Of dice are lying
on the bottom OF the Atlantic ocean
somewhere on the east coast Of the
United States. unless the fishes have
swallowed them and carried them
away. says the Kansas City Star. The
spotted cubes were thrown overheard
by the negroes OF n Kansas regiment
during a violent storm at sea, the sac.
rifce having been prompted by peni.
tence. It vas while the negro regi.
ment was on board the ship Vigilance
en- route to Cuba in September, 1898.
that u storm converted q score OF
boisterous crap games into a f~ervenr
religious meeting.
The regiment went from Topeka to
New York city and from there sailed
for Cuba. There was no sleep on
board the Vigilance the first night out.
!. is said that practically all OF the ne
groes who were o Frustrated with
seasickness were shooting craps. The
scene is described as n OF mingled
suffering and excitement. The dis.
trcsscd pleaded for quiet and rest.
but were unheeded by the noisy gam
blers.
Above the cries and means OF the
suffering. such language as this could
be heard In different parts OF the yes
sell:
IT'S levcn an | know IT." Shoot
dc money" Didn't | get a coon? ?"
Little Dick"
Late at night while the games were
running high a violent storm broke
suddenly upon the sea. When the wind
struck the Vigilance a rudder was
broken and she whirlcd round and
round and then dipped down into the
hollow OF q mighty wav The shock
was unexpected and In "A the
soldiers were experiencing all OF the
horrors OF u storm AT sea. The ne
groes grabbed up thedice and loose
change and huddlcd together like cat.
tie, some OF them moaning and others
zoo frightened To utter Il sound.
The storm ragged for an hour. the
soldiers thinking that every ONE
would be the last. Fortunately there
was a negro preacher on board. the
Rev. John l.. Waller. II was for him
10 rise to the occasion. He gathered
a crowd Of negroes around him and
spoke thus:
brethren. the Lord sent this storm
on tho heads Of sinful crap shooters
II We want TO be saved let's pray"
Then he dropped down on his knees
and his voice was heard praying above
the noise OF the storm.
h soldiers joined with the preach.
O. in his prayer. In Il short time
lamentations. means and promises
could be heard on every hand. II was
n revival meeting In earnest. Nearly
every one OF the 500 soldiers was
either singing or praying. The whole
regiment was converted" In a very
few minutes.
Iiut the rough sea continued. The
colored preacher felt that something
further must be done. An inspiration
came 10 him; there must be a sacrI.
flee OF some kind.
Our prayers and songs don't pre-.
Tail.' he shouted. There's some.
thing wrong. Brethren. the dice must
go into the sea"
INC auSbCSllOn naQ only to be
made. Tho dice were tossed into tho
angry waters. about 500 pairs. Some
OF the cgroc also threw In the
money which they had won with the
dice. In half an hour after the dice
were given TO the sea the storm
abated.
The Rev. Mr.. Waller held RELIGIOUS
services at frequent intervals during
the rest OF the voyage. They were
always well attended. AZ each meet.
Ing he told his hearers that the pray.
ers of the righteous had saved tho
wicked Then no urged them all to
remain %steadfast.
Nothing was said about crap shoot.
Ing during the rest OF the yoyag
Shortly after the soldiers landed In
Cuba there was a pay day. Then Il was
that a "backslIdcr' tried to borrow
some dice. but not n single pair could
be found In the regiment; they had all
been consigned to the sea.
This was a condition that could not
last. An Ingenious negro soldier stole
IN ivory billiard ball from a Cuban
pool hall and whitfield out a mir OF
| diCp IIn pnld fbou f. s,o