The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-06-05
GOING A HUNDRED BETTER
or WHICH HAND TAXES TIE POT
A GAMBLING TRIAL IN CALIFORNIA.

Il
-Thsra ,s such a place as % Dead%ooo IN
California A friend of ours passed thfousu
the town the other day, but stopped ious
enough to witness a trial before t'e IF
Officer of the law, vulgariy called uS'i0o ~
The case was Hanks rs. Breese, ana the
facts were: -, 3o,o,aa Tho
law nv nIavipg poker on the Sabbath. lit
Is ner6aps proper TO state that the gooo ioiKs
OF Dead wood had not seen the Supreme co"i'
Sarond That Breese played very " low
do,,,n - or in other words, cheated piaintiH.
Third That she game broke up in row,
the parties being arrested by the = "St'cc' " N0
IL 4, vas an IMPORTANT case. Both parties
were well known, and had hosts OF frirnGs.
The defendant, through his attorney a 80
uttle man. demanded jury. Inc PtoPle "a
Dead wood never 20 TO trial without n jury
The legal prelimlnaries having been proper
ly arranged the case was Called WE'VE %
the hest men in the locality formed tht iut >
Interviews were big with the event OF the
hour, At length m odd looking genius named
stephen Lick was placed on the STAND Oy tue
urotarution. The case proceeded.
.,You said YOU were present during tEe gam,
bety.aen the parties. Did we 50 understand
You, Mr. Lick?"
The witness nodded in the Affirmative
did you observe tht progress VI 'no o'>A-
with any interest p NJ, 49, :. =,
- reckon l did--licher was pendin' on IT..
s.yVhat was the amount at stake at the Tune
the row occurred -.
Hanks bet half on his little par linen bin
h., went i'll
..Eay.r mind the Details Interrupted the
la,,ver i'm patiep tly-''ausweT my ques tioh.
.,Tbat's what l M going 10 do" replied the
witness, drawing large black plug of tobacco
from his pocket , -, ,o,r -,
the pot, Bill Eivered il with a big dollar
'c,use | stood iast whar could see that he
hrIt a little par, too. Lem he then TOOK q
drink and 'peared sort o kreriess---
Come, come, again interrupted the law
Var .ieIi US the amount OF money At stake
al the time the quarrel commenced
"Steye" said the Judge famiiiarly, "you
saw that when Bill Breese showed up his DOL
ItT Iam Hanks took snitfer and 'pearci sort
o kparIess What did he DO then ~
"Why, he seed Bill and lifted him two scads-
BilI he 'peareG little uneasy, but raised Lem
;, i've Lem he took another drink and said
the game was gettin' interestin', at the same
time shaking 4 ten-dollar piece out on the
same pot Bill he then said, Lem, you
kinder suit me, anu calleo OUT twenty po''e4'
The Lawyers here protested against this
manner of giving evidence, but thsy were
overruied by the Court, who asked the VII
ness what the parties did then.
Then we ali tuck a small drink ana Lem
spread himself. L see that matter OF twenty
doll.rs' said ne 'and go you thirty better
viii the constable please Keep order il
the COURTROOM so that the jury kin ketch 81
tnp words - cried one OF the Jurors.
The witness proceeded - Bill he then 90
6o,In tn scratch his feet, and when ne got vi
he lifted Lem twenty more. Then Lem began
10 look distressed and pushed his shirt sleeF
up To keep il from gittin' dirty, spose, bu
cum mp bimeby like IL man with
"Stop, stop, stop shouted one OF the law
yers whose patience was exhausted. I"
do not care about SO much detail, but opsil
simply 20 know what amount OF money Is
"Mr. constable" follow ed the Judge, VIII
was deeply interested i'll the witnesses story
sdo your duty" Then fixing his eyes upo
the Witness he asked 'Steye, nay boy, VINE
Bill plunged his thirty better, what did Lee
why Lem ne lifted him a cool fifty"
The udIe collapsed
"Gentlemen OF the Jury, that's SO, for W;
thar, and seen Lem do 1t. -
BY one Of the jury: " nat did Bill
then p
"Bili he took another look AT his hand, III
.:len got down and scratched his foot agai
When he came up he SAID 10 me, saiu Il
Steve, lend me hundred dollars. says
what fur?' He said, 10 clean out lie
Hanks l said, 1T can't be did on your 7
ofjuces, for he's got bully skies Good tina;
says he giving me a wink. 'hlVer MS pi
and I'll call him, =
Never mind what you did" said the la
yer for defendant, ''that has nothing to
with the merits OF the case"
Tire Judge gave the lawyer q terrible loo
THIN turning to the witness, he said, "Ste,
If he Court recoliects herself, then you car
n.y. with the spondulicks, and Bill Breese tu
down LENS pile"
This announcement was followed by mt
murs OF dissatisfaction. The attorney for
plaintiff was the first 10 speak,
Now, if your honor pieases," said he,
would like to ask one question. How com
i, that the defendant got that money, If
only had Il pair of deuces against my ellen
sixas Y''
"Yes," said several members of the jul
show could that happen ?"
Bill did have Juices fust-In swear
that" resumed the witness but sotneno
when il come TO the last, he was stronger
The lawyers, thinking he was about TO CO
tinue the story to an endless length req nes
him to be brief. Taking Il fresh "cheV
Steve said:
1.-The way OF il was this When I kiye
the pile, Bill called Lem. Says he, lie
what have you fur yourself? have tn
of EN-, says Lem, reaching out his Al N
Three what 7, says Blu. Nice ht'le sp'
all Ia the middle OF the keerd,' says Lem, Ii
Ing his fist on the money. Show EN-, s.
Bill. Thar they be- says Lem. Ihi
CLEVER says Bill, but they can't win I
pop How so p says Lem, putin his h;
ON his revolver. 'Coas here four Of The 50
Sort says IIill, putin one hand on the mo-
and tother on his revolver. All know
Bill got the pot before he was arres ted"
The lawyer for the plaintiff III tended 10 h
made a good case in relation 10 the manner
which defendants hand became sirengthe
from little pair OF Juices 10 Tour aces;
TO do so he would probably have been cal
on TO explain how Lem got his three spot
The Judge through the ease at OF
He charged the jury that If they thought tt
Was any Thing wrong in the man scratch
MS foot during game OF poker, they wo
40 nnd but II they thought that such a me
,nent WAS on the square, they would also
likely TO pass over the act OF fumbiing v
shirt sleeves, committed by the piain ill.,
The charge" WAS followed by loud dem
STATIONS CT approval, such as yellmp thr
ing up hats, sc
The jury, after being out Just three min,,
brought In verdict 10 the effect that il W
j draw game" and the J adgs thereupon
mis- sed the case.
THE ..DisF ATgH,, STEAM p0N,