Evening journal., 1910-07-19
Poker Game
BY REGINALD d. HAVEN
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

III ASSOCIATION. III !
when Thomas Morgan Of Kentucky
made up his mind that the war Of 81 |
was coming on he concluded TO take |
his slaves into the heart OF the south.
where he considered that they would
be safer than in a border state. They
consisted Of a man, his wife and two
children, a boy and a girl. He had
reached Bowling Green. where he was
obliged to wait for a train for Nash
vile, and was lounging with his hui
man chattels in the station when
man stepped up TO him and began to
chat with him, ringing in questions
about where he was going and what
he was going to do with the negroes
Having learned the facts, the stranger
asked If he would like to sell them
Morgan said he would prefer that to
the trouble OF taking them south.
The stranger went away. but soon
returned with several men and said:
1--WE don't Hike TO see the niggers
going south: we want 'em here. These
gentlemen and lwould like 20 buy
your slaves. but no one Of us has
enough money to buy 'em all, and
we're against the principle OF separat-
ing families. What do you say TO
selling us chips TO the amount Of your
price for EN-? Then wen play
game Of poker, and the man that even
tuaily gets all the chips has the mig
gers"
Morgan, who was anxious to turn
his negroes into cash, consented. and
the party adjourned TO a hotel near
the station TO carry out the plan.
Twenty-four hundred dollars was
agreed upon as the value Of the prop
erty. The owner, much pleased to be
able to ~ so high a price-for the
coming struggle bad lowered the
market value Of negroes-agreed to
take share Of the chips and enter
the game with the rest AS they were
arranging themselves around the ia
BILE q gentleman wearing a white era
vat stepped up and demonstrated
against the sin of gambling. When it
was explained to him that the object
Of the party was TO keep a family OF
negroes from being separated he re-
GREETED that he knew nothing about
the game or, clergyman that he was, he
would take a share and a hand.
"Oh, come inn said one Of the party
'WeIl show you how it's done, and
you win soon get used to It."
All begged the clergyman TO join
them. and finally he agreed that since
the object Of the game was noble one
there would be no sin In taking a
share. allowing some one else to play
his hand. but they wished that he
would do that himself, and. dragging
him down into q seat. they put the
cards in his hands.
For awhile the numerous questions
asked by the clergyman about the val
Ne Of the cards or the rules Of the
game delayed the play.
Nothing but an occasional case o.
blind luck prevented his being frozeI
out. Several times when his pile O
chips was reduced TO a minimum h
held the winning hand in large po
and saved himself. On this account
while one 10y one the other player
dropped out Of the game. the domini
kept his place Morgan also kept
respectable pile beforc him. and whe
all but he and the clergyman had bee
frozen out it began u look as if b
would still own the negroes and Ia
S21OO besides In case this turned on
TO be so he could not even be prevente
from selling them separately.
1T all depends upon you, psrson'
said one of the party.
"Gentlemen," said the clergyman
81 protest against the fate Of thes
poor negroes being left in my hands
one Of you play FOR me-"
But Morgan protested, and tho cler
cal gentleman was obliged TO play hi
own hand. Despite the blunders Il
made he held hands that enabled hin
to keep even Morgan, seeing that h
adversary was having q run Of lucl
ceased to bet till that run seemed
have ended. then made several apps
NMl HihMc WIN NAAi NA'N Va h'Ahih
considerable money in the pot and tai
/ ing it. Singularly enough. every tin
he tried this expedient the clergyman
hand laid over his own.
b When several OF these hands ha
been played $1,000 OF the S2.4O0 WI
. before the clergyman. Morgan begf
TO look concerned. II seemed singulI
r to him that a man who at the begi
t ming Of the game didn't know the vail
J, Of the cards should have remained
. the game and hold more than fou
> ffths Of the whole sum invested. I
cast several scrudnizing glances at 4
adyersary's face. but Il showed not
ing other than piety and benevolence
= But finally each seemed 10 hold
J hand that warranted high hettin
Morgan opened with $50; the clerg