Evening star., 1935-01-06

gospel. dubbed him "Poker-Bob," and
the name, as usual, sticks.
How Henry Clay was cheated at
cards is story told by Congressman
Calkins. He heard it when he was
campaigning in the southern part
of Ohio in a little town where Clay
was accustomed to stop overnight on
his way to Washington.
"One night" Mai. Calkins says,
ito pass the time Henry Clay became
engaged in game Of poker with
some men about the hotel. A pro-
fessional gambler pushed himself into
the party and for time he cheated
without being discovered. At last he
laid down three aces, while Clay held
two in his own hand. One Of the
poker party who told me the story
said that Clays anger was terrible.
He slowly drew himself out of his
seat and rose upward until he seemed
about II feet high He pulled out
his pistol. as the man made for the
door. Clay did not follow him. In
stead, he walked around to the chair
the gambler had recently occupied
and shot a hole through its seat.
The gambler left town instanter."
A One-eyed Cheater.
"I have another good card story"
continued Maj. Calkins, "and Senator
Jones is my authority for it. He
says the incident actually happened
in one of the little mining towns
of his State. One night at the lead
ing saloon Of this town a party of
half dozen men we're playing
poker. One of the players was nice
young fellow. graduate of Yale COL
lege. man who had been quite sue
cessful at mining. and who had made
himself popular with his fellowmen.
Another member of the party was
a one-eyed stranger. The others we're
honest miners working about the
camp. The play went on from early
in the evening until about midnight.
All the time the one-eyed man seemed
to get the good hands. On several
occasions the Yale graduate thought
he saw the one-eyed man cheat, but
he made no sign.
AT midnight the college man
stood up and quietly said: Gentle
men, we are all tired playing and
some of us are about broke I pro-
pose that we now take a recess and
have some oysters and champagne.
Then We will throw away these cards.
get a new deck and see if our luck
doesn't change. We will set out to
play a strictly square game and
here he looked straight at the one
eyed stranger and put his hand on
his revolver at his belt-'and the
first man we catch cheating we will
shoot out his other eye The oysters
eaten, the luck did change. The one
eyed man lost every cent of his win
nings and as daylight broke through
the dirty panes of the saloon win
dows he rose, declaring himself dead
broke"
Another story about Clay, so we'll
authenticated that it comes to me
almost directly from Henry Clay's
mouth, relates an adventure of his
with old Throckmorton, a noted hotel
keeper of Louisville in Clay's time.
Throckmorton was one of Mr.. Claws
most intimate Kentucky friends. In
their latter days the two were almost
inseparable, and they often played
together at the whist table. Throck-
morton was a fine whist player, and
nothing irritated him more than to
have his game interrupted or spoiled
by talking. He generally beat Clay,
but Clay got ahead of him at one
whist party in Louisville, when the
two men were partners.
The stakes were NOMINAL dollar
a game, I think-and as soon as
the party sat down at the table Clay
began to tell stories. He paid no
attention to his hand and through
his blunders trick after trick was
lost. Throckmorton protested from
time to time, finally saying: Really,
Mr.. Clay, for a man of your ability,
education and reputation, you are the
poorest whist player I have ever
known. You talk too much"
But the play continued in the same
way and Throckmorton grew more
and more explosive. At last Clay
said: "Throckmorton. you are making
more fuss by your objecting than
by my stories. Now"-and here he
pulled ten-dollar gold piece out of
his pocket-"we will each lay $40 on
the table and the man who speaks
first shall lose his money"
Throckmorton consented. The $40
were laid besides the stakes of a
dollar a side in the middle of the
table. Clay began to play worse than
ever. He trumped Throckmorton's
ace. He threw away tricks until
Throckmorton. who for some time
had been gritting his teeth, rose and
pushed the money at Clay.
Here. take the money" he cried.
I am not going to let $50 stand in
the way of my telling any such card
playing idiot what I think of him"
He then went over Clay rough-shod.
Clay laughed as he put the two gold
pieces in his pocket and the company
laughed with him when he said that
he had been trying for years to get
the best of Mr.. Throckmorton and
he was glad to feel he had done so
for once"