The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-03-13
THE TICKET
TO SAFETY
A Make or Break Poker Game
The Last Step Before Prison
-Steele's Escape.

.#tf ~ iterhhTrs -, - ne stood tOoking
s-.IrI the mNurionsly Furnished rooms
o. ~ small crowd uf men had gathered
o.. u,ght's excitement.
frW werr already playing at the faro
rs.'r and the roulette wheel was uncov-
,.-I though no one had vet tried fortune
.ar, One group stood Ivy the buffet.
, ...s white aprpned darby was serving
'rru With Entertainments some were
ya'rhiug tho play az the table and some
70 chatting in low tones All had a
-touS Hir of Impression. The atmos-
rhsre -..s'ned surCharged With excitement.
- storm might be gathering.
Gallagher smiled slowly.
Raj - thAt1- he said. half moclinGIy.
N.,- --,ld the other. The fever's on
T. ~ . had night for one of us-
Veil that's what we're here for was
mo rr~ponse. made in a matter of fact
oav I reckon we can meet you half
wov ~ anything you want TO try But
y your" really looking for high play
'rsrall he game Of poker here in about
sr hour that Won may find interesting.
There's high roller from Washing ton
IN town. AMI Jim Alssoa from Chicago
g, coming around with Joe Haviland
They asked me to make Il Ave handed IL
I ooud find a man that wasn't afraid Of
li- shadows
-Good- said the younger man. I'm
getting sore IN your faro dealer. and 7
haven't won a bet at the wheel for a week
! think poker's good Tor what aila me. II
SEA- me- limit game
-lt'll b- that all right said Gallagher
pleasantly and he turned aside To speak
IN three others who were waiting to get
he attention
Tho other rtrolled over to the faro
table After Watching the game for few
minutes he drew ont hundred dollar hill
FROM he I-ocket and threw IL over to the
d-alsr demanding chips When thees
were passed to him he ~at down and began
p'kirg II Was evident that h. was only
playing 10 pass the time. for whom friend
touched HE shoulder he cashed in what he
bad lef' and arn~e quickly.
There's a gam" ON tonight he said
n HI. friend. -that'Il be worth while
He told him the details. whereupon
- fr'-ri declared that IL should ~
-, banded. Accordingly -oon after mid
nigh th@s~ two. St~eie and Gray by
rar1~. sat down in AN inner room with
Gallagher. Haviland. Alison aud the Wash
and made no objection Ca the name
Zach took q stack ~ ten white chip~
nine reds. ten hl'pes and seven YELLOW. and
handed over a one Thousand dollar hill
in payment The deal fell To Alison and
Steele put up = white chip as ante.
There was q play on the first hand. for
Smith came IN. Haviiand dropped. Gray
Vaised IL 90. having two pairs. Gallagher
- a
made u SO mor~ Then Smith trail~d
Gray quietly nut hia two pairs where
they belonged, and Gallagher st'Idted .
moment but finally dropped. whereupon
Alison closed the pot
On the draw steele took two. smith stood
nAr and Alison took one smith then put
N a white chip and Alison promptly
blue and a yellow. driving Smith orit and
giving Alison pauee. A. length h@ called
and showed down n queen full huf steele
had caught q pair to hts tire. aces
He had won the first pot hnt u he was
auperstitious enough 10 regret ~ he
showed no sign OF annoyance az he took
The deck for the next deal. nor did u ap-
psreutly influence his play For a time
the luck stayed With him. and within
che first two rounds he had driven Havi-
land and Alison bath Ia the boneyard
Vet heavy Rs the plav was. they all felt
that u vas only beginning Gray had
los' half his stack. and seeing the run 81
N" game he realized that u would he wise
a. rsttre ~ he lost the second half
steele. however. had no such feeling
Nhsu Gallagher presently let him IN a
s'ani~till and showed down fo,irS against
hs pa, flush. taking the last 81 his chips
10 bought again with a set face From
his manner u was plain that h@ meant
What he said when he told the gambler
was make or break
Thereafter has game was dazzling
alienation between good and had luck
A. fortune varied with the others iEt much
N" -lIn~ way the game was intensely
sIc,ting. hut his nerv. never failed and
~ east once hs carried through a magnifi-
'en' blum coming In on jackpot and
standing pat On a pair 81 sevens.
GRAY. however, after he had run his
n,.n mp 10 about ?, .S0 was caught in a
three corusred fight with "a small full
that seemed goud till smith showed down
larger Evil. Then he pushed his chair
hs~k quietly and Sat watching the game
f0r another half hour.
NJ The end ~ that period Steele was
s-o ont ~ the game He held three
tons Tat "a Baviland's deal and raised
confidently after Alison had seen Gal
sRh"T ante
smith RAISED hum, and though Havi-
land folded Gallagher saw the double
rii-" aud Alison trniled. A. three tens
$50 aardly enough ~ travel further with
o. the fsce 81 such strength he closed
'.' pot and rooted s.rcuuously for another
Tor -tpf
When Gallagher stood pat Steele sized
ram Tor a small straight a. he would prob
'r.~ have Ilayed arcier with a better
I'D han that Then Alison took two,
Indicating 'nrrq. small ones. and he called
- 40 but let them I've on the table for
fT'rln
~r ~ took single card. opening the
-'s.- q" wide con lecture. hut 80 Steele
-"'a. 'si aysn II he had TOURS four tens
ba likely to beat him
-ou h-t small AMI Steele still
o" z has cards lie. trailed waiting de-
r'Hun"nts When smith bet SIOe and
"..H Chez trsI~d ia Difference to a ono
i-aV Alison dropped and Steele
".f aI- draw
- intense JOY he found has fourth
To- mo , Iue~n. showing that only three
'-i ~ straight flush would heat
,ri be- made ~ $50 more
o. studied a hong time. buf finally
.E' NI"k with another SDO and Gal
' '.rppp.d Barring that straight
..n odds were 20 IN Steele's