Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1859-05-18
miscellaneous.
THE LAWYERS STORY.
TALE OF TIE MURRELL TIMES.


tion that | witnessed upon the same river.
1t was not very long after the crusade against
professional gamblers had been prosecuted so
vigorous in all the lower towns, and the
scamps no longer carried SO high hand
they had done. 1t was not oversafe to attract
the attention of officers passengers by
plucking their pigeons too incautiously, ex-
cept, perhaps upon such boats as were owned
by gamblers, of which Indeed there were
! more than one.
! L was descending the river in the old
Thunderer, one of the finest boats that have
ever seen. She met with a shocking fate the
next year, being destroyed oy fire, and of her
! passengers, numbering nearly three hundred.
but few escaped.
My roommate was a very bright young
! fellow, a New Yorker, out upon collecting
tour for his employers, and, game of
euchrc that | played with him for amusement
convinced me, a very skilful and honorable
and gentlemanly player
He was returning to New Orleans with
considerable sum of money that he had col
! lected for the house he was attacked to in
New York, and thought it proper to give
him WORD of warning about playing for
money at all, especially with strangers on
board of steamboat
J
! that this was not his first Southern trip, that
when last winter he went up the river he fell
in with gambler who seemed to have taken
fancy to him, and who appeared to know
ak the principal tricks and marks of cards
He added that as to these tricks he had
not the dexterity required to play them of,
nor would he do so if he had, but yet was
able to detect them in a moment, and that
playing straight forward, open game him
self, with plenty of money aud unfinching 2
nerve, he had always the advantage of gam
blers-so much of their attention being taken
up by stocking the cards, and when THEN
! plans were defeated, being always annoyed
and thrown off from their play.
/ He farther said, that against the gamblers
r he entertained particular spite, as his broth
| er, some years since, had been nearly ruined
by them, when Oh a business trip similar tc
his own /; and that, although he never sought
, a game of poker, he also bat seldom declined
I it.
E 4 still urged upon him the great danger t,
J.. which he exposed himself but he laughed a
5 any dvice, and finally called my attention t.
; three persons then in the cabin, who, he said
he was morally certain came OF board for NJ
other purpose than to bleed him; and he ad
ded, they shall have the chance
OF course, there was nothing more to b
t said by me, and before night he bad quietl
t slipped into the sporting gentlemen's net-a
0 they supposed-and was playing quiet gam
v with moderate stakes
: [ watched the game very closly. It wa
evident that although apparently playin;
! each for himself, it was joint business afte
y all, among the cheualierS a industrie; an
after the game had lasted couple of hour
or so, when the betting ran at all high, ther
t. was but one band opposed to my room mat
in any one DEAL and that one proved th
strongest Of the three.
Q For some time after the commencement
i the play, the gamblers e7idently intende
;, that their pigeon should win; but they nee
; not have taken the trouble, for win he di
!. and would. AS he said, be had nerve enoug
% for nything plenty of money, knew whe
d to press his play. and when, from the run
Sc cards against him, to keep in shore
a d Presently one of the gamblers proposed
y 90 to the bar and procure a new pack
S. cards.
a. DO you suppose that [ going to ru
q any game on you, sir 2 demanded the gan
bier in the ancient pistal style.
No. was the quiet reply; L KNOW i
d are not
j. After this there were no moro attempts
IT. careless playing. The three did their bes
but continued to lose.
Supper time drew near, and the game v
necessarily discontinued for a time ii
three went forward. but kept my eye up,
them, and observed the party assembled
the hurricane deck, at the stern of the boa
Z evidently engaged in animated conversatio
w OF this informed my friend, and advIs
him to break off the game where he was b
no, he would not hear word of quitting the
or frightening them off.
Sc After supper they went at it again With
much higher ante and the betting propt
tionately increased. Many of the passengc
I were assembled around the table, watchi
the game with interest, and evidently to I
great annoyance of the sporting gentlemt
who made as many remarks and limited gu
- as broadly as they dared about intrinsic
but, as | remarked before, their day of r
ga was over, and they dared not. upon any or
nary occasion, exhibit the insoience, whi
ted backed by their ever ready weapons,
ars made them feared, dreaded, and too of
at submitted to, upon the river boats.
hey Among the spectators was a tall, POI
gentleman, of very digni6ed and comma
ing appearance, who, after intently watch
the game for some time, gave me q
hint that he had something to commune
TO me in private, and then walked out u
rth the guards of the boat
Is that young man friend Of your
asked he.
| told him all I knew of him, in a
words
We'll, sir, said he, it's bad business