Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-07-13
Edinburg Tribune: Through the

courtesy of L. B. Follins of Crystal,
the Tribune is able to give it's read
ers the history of the famous poker
game played by Judd LaMoure and
Enos Stutsman at Yankton, back in
the sixties, and in which game Suits
| man STACKED the ground on which the
, historic town of Pembina now stands.
A clipping from the New York
World, of date ungnown, has been for
| Follins family. This clipping is kind
ly loaned the Tribune by Mr.. Follins
who prizes it very highly on account
of it's historic value. The clipping is
yellow with age, and gives us the his
| tory of the game as follows:
Back in the sos when the northern
portion of the territory of Dakota was
hardly more than a bleak waste OF un-
cultivated ground, the town of Penn
bina was founded by Enos Stutsman.
Stutsman was man as remarkable
for his eccentricities as he was for
his physical deformity. He emigrat-
ed to Dakota from the dluckleberry dis.
tricts of connecticut and located in
the upper Red River valley, where he
filed and proved up on 800 acres of
land. 1t was the land on which Penn
bina now stands. He had the head
and body of giant, but his legs
were hardly more than a foot long,
and he was unable to travel without
the aid of two short and powerful
crutches. He was shrewd, calcu-
lating fellow and soon became rec
ognized leader among the handful
Of emigrants who had taken up their
places in his neighborhood.
AS a political diplomat he never
had an equal in the territory. For
four consecutive sessions he was chair
man of the council in the upper branch
of the territory legislature, and he
was one of the most famous draw.
poker players in the territory. He
numbered among his close friends a
pioneer named Jud LaMoure. who
owned line of stage coaches running
between Grand Forks and Penn
| bina.
1t was these two men who played
/ the best game of poker that was ever
! played in the territory. The game
was played in the old Levee Hotel in
Yankton in 1862, and it lasted from
1000 o'clock on Friday morning to
| 300 o'clock on Saturday morning
| During it's progress the people of the
town assembled in the hotel and all
watched the two men as they fought
like bulldogs over the pile of red,
white, and blue checks.
The legislature was in session. at
the time, and Stutsman who was chair
man of the council refused to leave
the game, that branch of the legis-
lature adjourned until the following
Manday and the members watched
the game to finish.
Early in the game Stutsman's luck
was wonderfully good, and he played
with recklessness that surprised
everyone. Later on the tide turned
against him. and the chips began to
flow in the direction of LaMoure, who
with his SLOUGH hat pulled over his
eyes, was watching every move of his
opponent. Slowly and surely the
chips went over to LaMoure's side of
the table. And work what trick or
artifice he would he could not turn
them back.
Dep p .aw?8agwimmittee c c ccc
Matters went on in this way until
past midnight of Saturday, when
Stutsman threw two $50 bills on the
pile of chips in the center of the table
and called a 500 bet made by La
Moure. Stutsman held a king full
on queens and he felt sure the pot
was his, but when LaMoure threw
down his cards there were four deuces
and Stutsman, gritting his teeth, ex1