A GAMBLING STORY.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 4896, 23 June 1887, Page 4

A GAMBLING STORY.

A well-known American gentleman tells this story : — ll Last summer I took a run over to Europe, and had a good opportunity of learning how gambling confederates worked together. One of the passengers was a well-dresaed young man who said he was a member of the Board of Trade of Chicago. There were other Chicago people on board, and they did not know of him, but ho talked so glibly of wfcll-known Chicago business men, and was such a good fellow generally, that everyone thought that he was all right. He was «oon on good terms with everybody with a single exception, this was a middleaged doctor from some Western city. I never learned what their quarrel was about, but they never spoke, and eyed each other with great coldness. The Chicago man was always ready for any game tf cards, and when he lost everyone knew it, as he talked so much about it. I noticed after a time that his losings were only in small games, and when the stakes were high he generally won. The doctor never played. He did not approve of gambling, but he liked to look on. On the third or fourth day out he was standing behind the broker's chair when the latter threw down his cards angrily, jumped to hia feet, and addressing the doctor, asked him not to look over, as it made him nervous and brought him bad hick. The doctor apologised, and after that kept on the other side of the table. This collision intensified the feoling, and I often saw them exchange bitter glances. We were fearful at times that they might come to blows. After that the broker had a great run of luck, and as the game was a heavy one, he won several hundred pounds. I was up late on the night before we reached Liverpool, and while strolling along the deck, found the broker and the doctor engaged in close conversation in a dark corner. They separated hastily when they saw they were seen. This started a suspicion in my mind, and when three days later I saw them eating dinner together in achophouse in London the whole thing was plain. They had been working together, and by a system of signals had won the money of other players."

According to the accounts that come from Russia a reign of terror prevails in St. Petersburg. The numerous arrests lately effected have driven the revolutionary party to exasperation. Some time ago they threatened vengeanco if they were molested, and they are putting their threat into execution. On the night of April 2(» a house two stories high situated in the Napeska quarter, and inhabited by police agents, took fire siniultaneoußly in different parts of the building. Some of the inmates were saved by jumping out of the windows. There were in all eight burned to death and 10 dangerously injured. On the following day a fire broke out in the large timber yard of M. Pavloff, on the Neva Embankment, and within an hour the whole place was in flames. The fire brigade were compelled to confino their efforts to isolating the neighboring premises. A number of workmen and several firemen lost their Placards were found close by announcing that there would shortly be more catastrophes of the same kind. On the 29th a large timber yard behind the Kinourija was likewise deBtroyed by fire.

An old sailor recently spun & yarn to a contemporary, in which he laid :— "A spanking breeze was driving the ship, everything drawingalow and aloft, when the cry, * Man overboard ' startled the ship's company. The captain came on deck, and, looking over the taffrail at the rapidly receding object and observed the good speed the ships was making, said— 1 Poor fellow. God help him. I'm sorry for him, but we muafc take advantage of this breeze in the interests of the owners. , Just then *«ailor ran aft and said—' Captain, it was nofc a man, but it'a a hog. ' ' Aha ' said the captain, 'harda-port, back the mainyard, clear away tho boat, and save fchat hog. ' "

Miss Lorillard Wolfe, a wealthy lady who has died in New York, has made over her large residence in Lafayette-place for " Bishops' Club, " in which clergymen of the Episcopal Church will be able to enjoy temporary entertainment when visiting New York. She also leaves £200,000 with which to endow a cathedral.