The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-04-28
GAMBLERS JUMPED IN
AS BOAT DROPPED PAST
Another Story of Card Mems
Escape Told by a Pal as
He Got II.
SHOTS MADE THEM AFRAID
But Learning From Stokers the
Ships True Plight They
Leaped to Safety.

The "mob," u police name for a gang
Of crooks or grafters. are laughing up
their sleeves at various stories OF how
the card men on the Titanic escaped
"One would think Broadway had been
sitting up long after our early spring
dawns listening to these yarns. but they
haven't" said one OF the esoteric yester-
day Kid Homer and two other men
whose names may be Keefe and Kelly
or any other they care to adopt were on
the boat. They are known as good card
men who 20 about their business In the
prescribed manner. which Is to make the
loser feel that he has had u fair shake
for his money. One Of the three. cele-
brating the other night in the sitting
room of q hotel just of Broadway. an
nounced that he would tell the rcal story
Of how the three survived the disaster.
Here Ia his story cut short.
"'We were playing bridge when the
ship seemed to stop quickly. like ferry
boat going into slip. Every one felt
that something was wrong and the game
stopped without any settlement being
made. No one showed the alarm he felt.
however.
we W0Ihcu Out Ou UAC uCChb. hC
night was clear. More stars than l have
ever seen lighted the sky. Men and
women were scranbling into the life
boats. The ship had not as yet listed
and we felt it was safer aboard her. In
the first few boats launched men were
permitted to stay with their wives or
friends. but that rule was soon changed.
II asked every one who ! thought
might know what damage had been done
and the answer was never satisfactory
so We decided. inasmuch as we were not
allowed to get into the boats. that We
wo uld 60 down and ask the firemen and
stokers. They would surely know what
was up with the ship"
"'Here we got the right information.
We were told thnt the boat had about an
hour to say on top Of the water We
hurried on deck. but there seemed to he
no escape. There was no chance tn get
into the lfeboats from the upper decks
wheyc they were s were rel launched inch q, .h..
ION the decks what was eoon to happen.
I Again We went below to talk with the
crew as to a means OF being saved. Now
We were told that she was foundering
We rushed once more to the decks to sec
sights e. that made us. Us feel s brave ave- Nh. 1he
|
Straus. doubt il either of them feared
the inevitable. Their heroisrn few o
us understand. but it tended to calm us
1t gave us fortitude.
I'VE put our heads together in q finA
effort to solve the problem Of how We
were to save ourselves. We saw a man
pulled out OF boat for the third time
The officer threatened to shoot il he 60
in again. The man went below anc
soon appeared with Q gun and begaI
shooting. We decided it was q dangerou,
place to be in as we could hear othel
ahot.. Here is where the idea arose tina
led to our escape.
-'Wc went down to the lower deck an,
as we arrivde lifehoat was being launches
from the top deck. II swung out atou1
three feet from the ship on the davits
was OUT only chance and We took it
Seven stokers also jumped with us. Tha
is the truth. don't know whether il
was manly or not. Rut We escaped. ant
so did all who were in the lifeboat.
-While We were in the boat WAITING
for the Carpatha to arrive a man swan
: up to the boat with child. Somebody
said it vas Capt. Smith. The child va.
taken aboard and the man swan back
to the Titanic"