Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1918-01-19
HMT NH IA - IA "a IA m ~ N "a - nm
N GAME FOR Freedom. :, :.
N BY RICHARD MARkLEY. n
WHY m ma m m IA IA ea Nm y, m m VD
IN M M M ~ Ma IA m IA m 4

WHY m M ~ M ~ IA IA m IA m M WV
Copyright 1917. Western Newspaper Union.J
Goodbye, Pete; good bye Ginnie,"
said Colonel st. Ledger to negro and
his wife who were about to be taken on
board a steamer at Vicksburg. in 1910.
III hope you will get good master. I
was about to give you your freedom
when this blow fell upon me. The law
takes you out of my hands and I have
no power to make you free. The col.
onel who had heart as big as an OK
had endorsed note to save a friend
from bankruptcy, and thereby become
bankrupt himself.
ave know dat Marse Colonel" said
the woman. Don't yo' worry yo'self
about dat; YOU couldn't help it,"
The slaves were taken aboard the
boat which was bound for New Or
leans, showering blessings on their old
master. but as soon as they were off
on their journey southwark they began
to bewail their probable coming sepa-
ration; for they would doubtless be
sold to different masters.
In those days the steamers plying on
the Mississippi river were infested
with gamblers. In the cabin of the
steamer on which these slaves were tn.
ken, were half dozen tables around
which sat card players with chips or
money stacked up before them. A man
whose serious mind marked him for a
clergyman, went to one of the tables
and said to those playing:
Gentlemen, there are a couple Of
slaves on this boat, a man and his wife.
who are going to New Orleans to be
sold. quite likely. separately. It has
been suggested to me that a game of
"freeze out" be played for them-what.
ever that may be-the winner to give
them their freedom. Will someone
please tel! me what Is n freeze out ~
"What this plan is that has been sug.
gcsted to you, sir" said one of the
gamblers, "is to sell chips to the
amount of the price the owner puts on
his slaves, and the chip holders play
Il game of poker till one of them owns
all the chips. He then buys the slaves
and Gets them free"
Several Of the players ut the table
bought chips, and the clergyman went
to otter tables and induced others to
buy. But when he had got In all he
could 1t was only half enough. The
owners Of the negroes wanted 1900
for the two, and chips only to the val
Tie Of 5000 could he sold.
"Frlend." said the clergyman, call
the money have In the world Is sew
en- hundred dollars. will buy the rest
Of the chips If anyone who knows how
to play this game of poker will play
for me-"
"YOu needn't take all the unsold
chips. parson," said the owner Of the
slaves. "Ill divide 1t with you. I'll
take half; you take the other half"
The game was arranged but there
was trouble In finding anyone to play
for the parsOn. He would not commit
the interest to any professional gam
bier of which class he prOfessed n hOr-
ror; and no one else would accept the
responsibility of playing for him.
Gentlemen" he said at last, 'the
Lord will play for me. I know moth
Ing Of the game. but In such Il cause
the Lord will send me luck with enough
Of the element Of luck, I will need no
skill"
The chip holders took a table and
the game began. II was u slow pro.
ceeding, for everything must be explain
cd to the parsOn. He neither won nor
lost for a time, but one by one the
players lost all the chips they had
bought except the owner of the slaves
and the clergyman. The former desir-
Ing to hasten the winning of the par
sons chips proposed u jack pot. When
jack pot was explained To the parson
he acccdcd To 1t and after consider
able enlargement of the pile on the tn
Bile his opponent opened 1t. The par
son won on three kings, the other
showing three knaves.
They played on with various success
TIL the parsOn laid his cards on the
table face down, and asked which was
the higher hand, three kings or n queen
and four deuces. When told that four
deuces beat the kings he seemed sur.
prised. But he took up his hand and
after II profound study of IL, put fifty
dollars In the pot. His opponent rails.
ed him. He raised his opponent and
the raising went on TIL all the chips
were on the table. The cards were
turned over.
us that what you call royal flush p
asked the parson looking up from his
cards, showing four aces and king
There was clapping of hands
among the lOOkers-On. The slave own
err had been frozen out.
The clergyman made out free pa.
pers for the slaves.
"Who Is that man?" asked the slave
owner, II think there Is something
wrong about him."
Something wrong and something
right" replied II bystander. Hes q
notorious card sharp, but he's given his
money and his skill to free a couple
nf Sluvasv