OCEAN GAMBLERS

Grey River Argus, 22 June 1925, Page 2

OCEAN GAMBLERS

CAUGHT BY OLD AMERICAN SEA LAW. For the lirst time in almost 30 years gamblers ha\(> been convicted of cheating and. under the maritime Jaws of Iho I uited States, sentenced to prison, says the New York r ’” Jeremiah Paine, Norman M *Leo>|, and Charles Sleek found guilty before Judge A. F. St. Sure in San Francisco a few days ago, were sent to prison for five years ea<-h, the charge being that they cheated in a poker game on board a coastwise liner, plying between Seattle and Sin Diego. The three gamblers had Roe;) plying ,’ine” on the >’ '-si Coast for a number of years. Previously they had practised on the passengvrs of I raiw..\ t lanl i<- liners sailing from Now York. While on the Atlantic, they had kept clear of the law, lor they are of that group whose hands are quicker than (he eye. For years such card sharpers as these men were* almost sure to be aboard, but now they are disappearing. They were •Is clever at concealing their identity as they were at concealing extra aces. Paine, M ’Lend, ami . feel found the -DI: •' ’ i nhospil able some years ago, and u. i-.; <. - | n |l le \\ r vs t they resumed their tricks and had taken in many thousands of dollars by perfect team work, when suddenly a tew weeks ago luck broke the wrong way. On the trip down from Seattle the three enticed -I. A. Rolfe, a wealthv manufacturer, into a poker game. Rolfe proved a most astute Hand after hand he won, ami the ■h , 'rr»s began to got restless. Tn order Io break th<> . j () f luck of t ieir intended victim, a Gfth man was in_ vited to join the game. After the fifth man sat in things began Io I rank right for the three partners. At last RoLfe was dealt three kings in one Dind and threw into the discard an ace of diamo'nds. II? had the fortune to draw in a fourth king, so ho followed the betting until he had stacked 260 dollars on his four kings. But one of the three sharps took the pot with a royal (lush, it had too much flusbness, since his royal Hush was ace king, qucc»n, jack and ten ol diamonds. Spectators of the game testified in court that the ace of diamonds originally dealt to Rolle was found in the discard, that Rolfe held the four legitimate kings, thus proving that the sharps had introduced a fifth ace and fifth jking into the game. li The trial took more lha»n two weeks, simple as the case looked Paine and Al*Lend, and Steel contended that they 1 w6re men of inklepenJ; nt means traveili|ig for pleasure, that the extra cards were introduced by Rolfe. Government -..evidence revealed that all three of the mon had been known as professional gamblers on liners between New York and European ports. rh» judge believed the evidence so convincing that he denied a motion for a new' trial.