"STACKING CARDS"

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 27, 1 February 1929, Page 13

"STACKING CARDS"

' MISSIONER'S PAST

BEFORE HE WAS CONVERTED

' Meeting the .challenge of a published statement.that his creed as exemplified by his teachings would "send people to hell," the ilcv\ C. G. Sci-imgcour, Methodist City Missioner at Auckland, related tho story of hi 3 own life to a' largo audience on Sunday oveniug to 'show how that creed has reclaimed him.

"I was jiL'vcr insiilc a church or; a Sunday school until nearly twenty. years of age," said Mr. Scrimgeour. My -first job, lit the ago cf fourteen, was with pick and shovel, but we soon parted bad friends." In 1916 Mr. Scrimgeour became bosom friend and banker of "one of the smartest gamblers in New Zealand," in whose company he often gambled from noon on Saturday until the early hours of Monday morning. "Two-up rings/ "poker schools,", and the.like werje'his houses"of worship, and he entertained his audience with demonstrations of tho methods of- the use and abused of the "kip." Often he had, ho said, seen, men lose hundreds of pounds in a fc'w' hours. Double-head-ed and. tailed pennies and threepenny pieces were exhibited from the platform and their employment demonstrated. ' -. ... . ■-.

On one occasion, the preacher confessed his use of a double threepenny piece caused trouble_ with the -workers of a New Zealand "timber mill. ..from which he escaped only with the aid of an automatic pistol, , which was still one of his possessions. Another time he happened to get three aces and a pair of twes in a. game of poker, in which: another man twice his size held three-kings and a pair of tens. "The fact that it had been my deal • rather complicated matters, and again: I left a good job without a reference," • he said. '■ . ' ■■■'.'

"I can still put tho pennies up where the birdies live," continued Mr. Scrimgeour. ' "I can stack a pack of cards —for one never forgets these matters when ouce the aptitude is learned —in such a; manner that after .every person in this' th'eatrehas had a ,cut I will deal thirteen persons four, cards of! a kind and will tell;exactly where every card is."' This Accomplishment, says this Auckland "Herald," he undertook to! display, to any doubters -"'lio cared to remain after the service.

At the age of seventeen Mr. Scrimgopur was initiated into the "hip-flask brigade." ', ■' • "Slow horses" were another of the speaker's experiences. Ho related, how' he arid his brother attended 1 one race meeting at Wanganni armed with a list of "sure things," but had at its conclusion to walk six miles ,to their homo because neither had;a tram fare. Later he secured the post of scout to a Castlecliffi two-up school, and there he earned as much as £5 for two hours of vigilance. ;

Religion had been .considered by Mr: Scrimgeour "but an old woman's tale," in spite of efforts at his "conversion," until lie read for himself tho life of the P.bundor of Christianity. Then.he fqlt and answered tho challenge, "Follow Me," which had ( an effect that threats of "hell" had failed to bring, about. /'You know the rest," he said in conclusion. "I do not merely preach redemption, T demonstrate it."