Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1847-11-24

ed, He is mad - But the game went on
and the captain continued needless. Th
fourteenth was in his favor. At the fifteenth
thousands were at stake, from the small be
ginning of twenty-five cents, and all eve
seemed fixed in amazement. Still he won
The sixteenth was the same. The banker
voclIerated curses upon the wheel players
Others urged the Captain to withdraw a
least part of his winnings. Sirteen thou
sand dollars were al stake. The ball flew
like lightning, but there was no change
The money was piled up before the captain
in heavy bank notes, but he moved not
finger, nor uttered word. At this juno
ture, husky voice, in seaman's phrase, ex
claimed Haul in, old captain YOU don
bet all that pile against this set of land pi
rates ! haul in - and hand was stretched
forth from one at the table, grasping the
money, and depositing it in a hat. 1t was
the first mate of the captains vessel. Ila.
wing thus secured the money, he seized the
captain by the shoulder, saying" Come
you have full cargo, it's time to hoist off, .
when, horrible to relate, the corpse of the
captain fell against him. He had been sit.
ting with his head upon his hand throughout
! this exciting scene; having died while in the
/ act of betting his first quarter. The mate
called for water, and dashed ii into his face:
then for the spirits; but all efforts to resUs-
cltate him were in vain. Life was extinct
Green goes on to detail the result.
The gamblers then demanded that the
money should be refunded: but the mate had
rolled it up in handkerchief, put it into
the hands OF cabin boy. and charged him
to run with it, as if for his life, to the ship,
and deliver it to the clerk, and summon the
crew to the gambling house. The tumult
and confusion were so great that the boy
slipped away unnotlced.
When the corpse was laid oil the plank,
the gamblers again demanded the money OF
the mate, stating that as lie captain had I'M
doubleday died betting the first quarter JUS
ticc required that it should be returned to
the bankers. The mate in a tone of def
ance, replied that the orphan ch ldren of the
captain needed the money, and should have
it. Force was then threatened if he refused
TO deliver it up. Seeing that their threats
were unheeded, they rushed in upon him
with violence, seized his hat, and bore il
off, supposing that they had thus secured
the money: but to their surprise the hat was
empty. 4 large number who were present
took the part Of the mate, and great excite
mcnt prevailed throughout the house. An
assault was made upon the mate. Some
cried one thing, and some another. down
with him - Get the money ~ "I.et him
alone - lou have no right TO rob him ~
mingled with oaths, and imprecations, and
curses. At this moment twenty or thirty
Of the ships crew rushed in, and one word
from the mate brought them to his rescue,
and the gamblers were made TO stand at a
distance. Something was said respecting
the money, which led the sailors to suppose
that the mate had been robbed, and they
were about rashing upon Monsieur Gram
pm, as the proper person to indemnify him
for any loss he might have sustained, but
were diverted by the entrance of some 20
Of the city watch, armed with short swords.
TIL" o'Iors knew the character Of this posse,
made up OF what is called among them,
WhGLj rat Frcachme1," and were no more
dauntcd by their array Of force, than they
would have been by the display Of lin swords
in the hands Of so many trained monkeys.
\ fiacas was, however, prevented between
the sailors and the watch, by the assurance
OF the mate, that the money was safe, and
a request from him that they would return
to the vessel. He proposed to take the
corpse on board, but was informed by the
Captain Of the watch, that Coroncr's in
quest must be held over it before it could be
removed. He then seated himself by the
corpse OF his Captain, to watch over it dur
ing the rest of the night; and the gamblers
returned to the common work of darkness,
playing cards and drinking liquor, mean
while now and then ultering curses upon
the dead body Of the Captain.