The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1912-05-02
CARD SHARPS ON
TITANIC ESCAPE
ON "SNEAK" BOAT"

RNcW IOTh, <iDTll o.-SNiSH tIC IL
anic went down there were two card
games going aboard the boat.
Three "card sharps'' escaped. They
we're Harry Homer, Harry Romano.
and Boy Bradley.
The three card sharps' named were
interested In a bridge whist game.
Two were playing cards n the third.
Bradley, was acting as the outside
man." :
The poker game. eight handed, in
which at least four men whose wives
are now widows. had participated. was
aside from the "sharp's" business.
They no longer deal with this branch
Of the game.
There were IL men in the THAMES
smoke room when the ship struck. The
smoke room steward. who knew all of
the men, is dead. His name Is not to
be mentioned here. The bridge whist
game and the poker game were not In
terrupted until the smoke room stew
ard had zone outside and returned to
say:
Gentlemen, the accident looks seri-
Gus. They are lowering away the
boats for women and children"
Poker Game Breaks Up.
Men engaged in the poker game.
playing among themselves n knowing
one another, interrupted the game to
find their wives or children: Three OF
them engaged in such a task while the
others stood around the table and
awaited their return. Directly they
came back. They had kissed their
wives and children goodby n the
game was sumed ~
The smoke room steward. who had
been on deck, came back to the table
at which the "sharpers" played. He
said:
You had better get on deck!"
The warning caused all hands to be
laid down on the table. The players
looked over and saw the poker game
still running. They were about to pick
up their hands when the smoke room
steward, who knew and liked these
players of the ~greyhounds OF the sea,
gave them a second warning with his
eyes. A word to the walters brought a
raincoat for each, and then they
walked out on deck, smoking cigarets.
They mounted to the boat deck,
Deck b." and there they found a
squirming lot Of men trying to UNI
fasten the lines holding a lifeboat and
lower her through the blocks and falls.
These three gamblers, men who were
supposed to take no chance but, never
went in unless the ledge" was in their
favor, helped to launch these lifeboats.
They stood calm, dressed in their din
ner jackets and rain coats, while other
men were climbing to the boat deck in
pajamas and women were suddenly
appearing in night clothing.
Play Square Game.
There was a chance to play the
game square," says Homer, land we
were up to the test. We helped launch
the lifeboats and put the women and
children aboard.
II saw Mr.. and Mrs. Isador Straus.
| Mrs. Straus and her maid were in the
boat. We tried to push the old gentle-
man in. The petty officer In charge
stopped us. Mrs. Straus got out Of
the boat. 1t was lowered away. Mr..
and Mrs. Straus stood together a mo-
ment on the deck where the boat had
been launched. and then they strolled
away together aft, arm in arm. That
| was the last we saw of them and I
suppose the last the world will ever
| know Of them. They were game"
Take Gamblers Chance.
While the crew Of the three card
sharpers were playing the game
square" on the boat deck, and while
the boats on the ~starboard side were
being launched, their sharp eyes saw
a motley crew at work on, a lifeboat
On the port side. They went over to.
| gether to find out why the boats were
being launched on that side before ali
the boats on the starboard side had
been launched, and found ~ stokers,
who had just worked their way up
from the fireroom, at work at the boat.
Don't launch that boat?" cried Ro-
maine. There are women and children
still aboard"
you keep your face closed" was the
response, as a giant fireman raised his
hands to strike down the speaker.
The davits swung outward and the
blocks began to creak 1t was a gam
bler's chance, a chance that these sure
thing men probably had never taken
before, but by a common impulse they
ran to the companionway and down to
the mex deck. The boa was 10 to 10
feet below them and falling rapidly,
but these "sharpers' took the last turn
Of the cards Of fate for their lives and
jumped. They landed amongst the
stokers.
Lie down you ours, and don't move
or We'll brain you!" commanded the
stoker who was at the rudder Of the
boat
Under the shadow Of the high-lifting
sides of the liner, this boat, with only
Is men aboard, and three Of them
super-cargo, sneaked back. past the
stern of the big liner, Inc off into the
blue-black sea. The boat was without
a light aboard, without a feather Of an
oar to disclose its presence in that vast
surrounding field to which the hun
dreds aboard the Titanic looked for
hope.
There is talk Of the "millionaires'
boat" which got away early from the
side. but this is the history Of the
sneak" boat, which left without the
knowledge of a soul not in 1t.
Half a mile back Of the wallowing,
struggling liner. this sneak" boa lay.
1.-THE crew OF stokers at their oars and
the card sharp" passengers lying at
their feet. They watched the liner, as
her row Of lights, string by string,
fell below the waste of water, as though
a carnival was nearing an end. Final
ly they saw the liner-not part in the
middle, but buckle like a giant jack
knife. and then go down by the head,
swing under, and disappear. her stern
straight up above the seas.
The Walls and the Mourning.
Lay off," commanded the steersman
Of this man-manned ship. III they see
us they'll shoot us, sure?'
"Oh, the walls and the mourning!
the cries and the gurgling bouts /
heard while doubled up In the bottom
of that boat" said Bradley. How long
they lasted. There was room for many
more on our boat, but the crew
stokers, begrimed and streaked-simply
lay on their oars and demanded silence.
If / could only have answered a call.
A cheering 'halloa,' or a false reply
that we were coming. Nothing of the
kind. We sat, mute and dumb, until
the cries, like an easing pain, ceased.
and then the daylight came"
From midnight until 8 o'clock In the