The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1910-08-26
A Poker Game
By REGINALD D. HAVEN
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

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 border state. They
consisted of man, his wife and two
children, boy and a girl. He had
reached Bowling Green, where he was
obliged to wait for train for Nash
vile, and was lounging with his hui
man chattels in the station when a
man stepped up to him and began to
chat with him, ringing In questions
about where he was going and what
no 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:
eve don't like to see the niggers
going south; we want 'em here. These
gentlemen and l would like to buy
your slaves, but no one of us has
enough money to buy 'em all, and
were against the principle Of separat-
ing families. What do you say to
selling us chips to the amount Of your
price for 'em? Then we'll play q
game of poker, and the man that even
tually gets all the chips has the mig
gers"
Morgan, who was anxious to turn
his negroes into cash, consented, and
the party adjourned to 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 get so high a price-for the
coming struggle had 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 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-
gretted that he knew nothing about
the game or, clergyman that he was, he
would take share and hand.
"Oh, come inw said one of the party.
"We'll show you how It's done, and
you will 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
share, allowing some one else to play
his hand, but they wished that he
would do that himself, and, dragging
him down into a seat, they put the
cards In his hands.
For awhile the numerous questions
asked by the clergyman about the val
ue of the cards or the rules Of the
game delayed the play.
Nothing but an occasional case of
blind luck prevented his being frozen
out. Several times when his pile Of
chips was reduced to q minimum he
held the winning hand in large pot
and saved himself. On this account,
while one by one the other players
dropped out Of the game, the dominic
kept his place. Morgan also kept
respectable pile before him, and when
all but he and the clergyman had been
frozen out 1t began to look as If he
would still own the negroes and the
$2,4OO besides. In case this turned out
to be so he could not even be prevented
from selling them separately.
"It all depends upon you, parson'"
said one Of the party.
Gentlemen" said the clergyman,
II protest against the fate Of these
poor negroes being left in my hands.
One of you play for me-"
But Morgan protested, and the cleri-
cal gentleman was obliged to play his
own hand. Despite the blunders he
made he held hands that enabled him
to keep even. Morgan, seeing that his
adversary was having q run of luck,
ceased to bet till that run seemed to
have ended, then made several appar-
ent bluffs with the view of getting
considerable money in the pot and TAX
ing it. Singularly enough, every time
he tried this expedient the clergyman's
hand laid over his own.
When several of these hands had
been played $4,000 Of the $2,40o was
before the clergyman. Morgan began
TO look concerned. 1t seemed singular
to him that man who at the begin
ming of the game didn't know the value
of the cards should have remained In
the game and hold more than four
fifths of the whole sum invested. He
cast several scrutinizing glances at his
adversary's face, but 1t showed moth
ing other than piety and benevolence.
But finally each seemed to hold
hand that warranted high betting.
Morgan opened with $50; the clergy
man raised him $5. Morgan raised
$3.50. The parson raised all Morgan
had left, $500. Morgan had gone too
far to withdraw. He saw" his op-
ponent and-lost.
The parson scooped up all the money
there was on the table, and Morgan,
cursing his luck, made oct q bill OF
sale for the negroes.
"What nameT he asked Of the min
lister.
"Peter Harbeson."
"You Pete Harbeson? Well, I've
been doneP
Pete Harbeson was one OF the most
noted gamblers in the south. He had
been employed by an "abolittonist" to
secure the freedom Of Morgan's ne.
groes. They received free papers and