Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-04-24

side man.
The poker game. eight handed, In
which at least four men whose wives
are now widows, had participated. was
aside from the sharks" business.
They no longer deal with this branch
Of the game,
There were eleven men in the Ii
tauic's 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 interrupted until the smoke
room steward had one outside and
returned to say;
-Gentlemen, the accident looks seri-
Gus. They are lowering away the
boats for women and children.
kept ON Playing Poker.
Men engaged in the poker game.
playing among themselves and know
ing 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 and the
game vas resumed.
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!"
This warning caused all hands to be
laid down on the table. The players
looked over and saw the poker gam
still running. They were about to pick
M their hands when the smoke room
steward. who knew and liked these
players of the greyhounds of the sea.
save them a second warning with his
eyes. A word to the walters brought
q raincoat for each. and Their they
walked out on deck, smoking cigar
cites.
They mounted to ting boat deck.
Deck B." and there they found Il
squirming lot of men trying to ~unfasten
the lines holding a lifeboat and lower
her through the blocks and falls.
These three gamblers. men who were
supposed 70 take no chance but never
went in unless the age was in their
favor. helped to launch those hfeboats
They stood calm. dressed in their din
ner jackets and %raincoats, while other
men were climbing to the boat deck in
psjamas and women were suddenly ap-
p~earing in night clothing.
There was a chance to plaS the
game square says Homer. tand we
were up to the test. We helped launch
the lifeboats and put the women and
children aboard.
saw sfrsuses Together.
II saw Mr.. and Mrs. Isidor 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. It 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 !
. the last the world will ever
know of them. They were game"
While the crew of the three card
sharpers were playing the game
square" on the boat deck. and while
the boals on the ~starboard side were
being launched, their sharp eyes saw
a motley crew at work on a lifeboa5
on the port side. They went over to-
gether to find out why the boats wera
being launched on that side before all
the boats on the s%tarbOard side had
been launched. and found twelve stok-
ers, 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
gamblers chance, a chance that these
Fsure-thing7 men probably had never
taken before, but by a common m
pulse they ran to the companionway
and down to the next deck. The boat
was ten or fifteen 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
fifteen men aboard. and three of them
-n1nI.ad ha-1- ,,o.A A.