The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1848-01-15
A Scene in a Gambling House.

.4g11ctatlTiSt.
A Scene in a Gambling House.
The following very remarkable circum
stance is vouched for by Green, the reformed
gambler. There is degree of romance at
tached, that in a manner relieves it ofthe hor-
ror excited by the catastrophe. 1t occurred
atNew Orleans some years ago:
A sea captain was i'll the habit offrequent-
ing roulette table, kept by n Frenchman, in
company with n party Of gamblers. Green
remarks that they played with more regard
to fairness than 10 customary or general with
them now. The captain was evidently in
fiuenced in his visits more by a wish to kill
time, than any passion for the sport. lie had
visited the room frequently, and his inyuria-
bic bet was twenty-five cents and winner or
loser, he never increased it, He visited the
place cn the night in question.
The sea captain, having placed his bet on
the red, with his head leaning upon his hand,
as tito await the result of the game. The
bali fell into the column, and he was the win
ner. The wheel started again, but the cap
tin did not move, and contrary to usual
practice, the amount of his bet was doubled.
He won the second, third, fourth and fifth
/ the sum doubling each time. Thus 1t went
on to the eighth time, when the gamblers be-
gan to be excited, and uttering loud curses,
exclaimed-"He wins again." At this, many
who were in the room gathered around the
/ table The result of the ninth and tenth be-
| ing the same, one of them cried out-"IIe's
a fool! why don't he make sure of what he
has won?" The eleventh, twelfth and thir-
! teenth brought the same result, and many eX-
claimed-"He is mnd!" But the game went
ou,and the captain continued needless. The
fourteenth was in his favor. At the fifteenth,
thousands were at stake, from the small be-
| ginning Oftweniy-tive cents, u all eyes SEEM
ed fixed in Amusement. Sill he won. The
sixteenth was the same. The bankers vocif-
Grated curses upon the wheel players. 9th
ers urged the captain to will; draw at least q
part of his winnings. Sirieen thousand dollars
was at stake. The ball flew like lightning.
but there was no change. The money was
piled up before the captain in heavy bank
notes, but lie moved not finger, nor uttered
word. At this juncture, husky voice IN II
sea captains phrase was heard-"lIaul in,
old captain! you don't bet all that pile against
this set Carbohydrates! haul imp and hand
was stretched forth from one at the table,
grasping the money and depositing it in IL
hat. 1t was the first mate of the captain s
vessel. Having thus secured the money, he
seized the captain by the shoulder, saying
! Como, You have full cargo, it's time to hoist
Of"-when horrible 10 relate. the corpse Of
the captain fell against him. lie had been
sitting with his head upon his hand through
out this exciting scene; having died while in
the act ofbettng his first quarter. The mate
called for water, and dashed it in his face;
then for spirits; but all efforts to resusci,ate
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 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 I'M
noticed.
When the corpse was laid on the plank
the gamblers again demanded the money of
the mate, stating that as the captain had I'M
doubleday died betting the first quarterJustice
required that it should be returned 10 the
bankers. The mate in tone of defiance re-
piled that the orphan children of the captain
needed the money and should have it
Force was then threatened if he retus
ed 10. deliver itup. Seeing that their threats
were UNDECIDED, they rushed upon him with
violence, seized his hat, and bore it off, sup
posing they had thus secured the money; but
to their surprise the hat was empty. a
large number who were present took the part
of the mate, and great excitement prevailed
throughout the house. An assault was made
upon the mate. Some cried one thing and
some another, "Down with him" Get the
money!" Let him alune!' "You have no
right to rob him!"-mingled with oaths and
mprecations and curses. At this moment
twenty or thirty of the ships crew rushed i'll,
and one word from the mate brought them
to his rescue, and the gamblers were made TO
stand at distance. Something was said
respecting the money, which led the sailors
TO suppose that the mate had been robbed,
and were about rushing upon Monsieur Gram
pm, as the person proper to indemnify him
for any loss he might have sustained: but
were diverted by the entrance ofsonIe twen-
ty ofthe city watch armed with short swords.
The sailors knew the character ofthis posse,
made up of what is called among them,
''rCiGrtr rat FTenctmels' and were no more
damned by their array of force, than they
would haze been by the display of SO many
tin swords in the hands of SO many trained
monkeys. A tracas was however prevented,