Weekly Calaveras chronicle., 1866-04-28
CALAvERAS CHRONICLE.

A Coon "DRAw."-On Saturday night
last our usually quiet town was the scene of
one of those startling episodes which, were
formerly of such frequent occurrence in the
mining camps of California but of latter
years. owing to the fact that the morals of the
inhabitants have improved and society has
become more settled, circumstances similar
to the one we now relate have become very
rare indeed. About nine o'clock on Satur-
day evening, mild, inoffensive looking gen.
tleman, stranger, entered one of the many
saloons with which our town abounds. A
number of games of various kinds were pro-
crossing at the time, and in common with
several other gentlemen, the stranger was
apparently an attentive observer of them
At length he modestly limited that poker
game would not be disagreeable to him. Now
there are great many things person might
search for long time in Mokelumne HILL
and then be unsuccessful; but poker games
do not belong to that category. We have
been a resident of this town for some time
and have yet the first man to see who could
not be accommodated in that respect any
day of the week or hour of the day his wish
es became app rent. In accordance with
this time honorcd custom. no sooner had the
stranger expressed himself as being desirous
of indulging in that fascinating pastime, than
a three handed game of a "quarter ante and
rush the buck" was made up. Fortune, the
fckle jade, smiled in her usual coquettish
manner, first on one and then on the other
AT one time the stranger had nearly all the
money; but finally his luck changed and in
short time he lost his winnings and forty
dollars besides. He bore it, however, with
apparent equanimity, conducting himself and
losing his money like a gentleman. He anted
his last quarter, and as the cards were being
dealt, with the utmost sang troid reached
over, took a couple of twenties which were
lying on the table before the person who was
the principal winner in the game. and hold
ing them admiringly between his fingers,
smilingly remarked: "You are winner to
considerable amount, SIR "Yes," return
ed the individual addressed, 81 have been
very fortunate this evening"" Instead of
returning the money to the owner. as quick
as a fash of lightning he put it into his
pocket, and at the same time drew a six
shooter, cooked it and leveled it at the head
of the horror stricken hom5re from whom he
had taken the money, and walked rapidly
out of the saloon. AT the time this happen
ed quite number of persons were in the
room, who, previous to this grand coup de
main, had been very attentive observers of
the proceedings but when the pistol was
drawn they suddenly lost all interest in the
game, and spirited foot race, the "object-
i've point" of which was the street, ensued.
In the rush, chairs were knocked over, tables
upset; some fell down and others tumbled
over them. There were lively times in Wells
saloon for few minutes, but no money was
taken in at the bar. Every one tried to get
out of the first door they came to. and one
excited individual, who had shooter
and bowie knife strapped round his waist
and pair of derringers in his pockets, In his
frantic endeavors to escape, opened the stove
door instead of the one leading to tie street.
and did not discover his mistake until he had
reached the elbow in the pipe. Others tried
to open doors which have been closed for the
last fifteen years but all managed to get
out in an almost incredible space of time,
with the exception of one terrified individu
al, who finding he could not reach the door
very easily, hid himself behind billiard cue.
Meanwhile the stranger walked quietly off
with the money he had won on the last
hand" leaving the disconsolate loser to
ruminate on the uncertainty OF things in gen.
eral and poker games in particular. In the
morning, Deputy Sheriffs Bates and Mat
thews, who had had an eye on the gentle
man, and who suspected that he belonged to
the band of 'road agents" who have been
committing so many robberies in the lsouth-
ern portion of the county, lately, followed
and arrested him near Garland's Ranch, on
the road to San Andreas. In carpet bag
which he carried they found handkerchief
with two holes cut in it, supposed to have
been used as mask. He was brought to the
Hill and committed to Jail. On Monday an
examination WIS held before Judge Leavitt,
and he was bound over to appear before the
Grand Jury on charge of highway robbery
Mr.. Pike, of Copperoplis. identified him as
the man who robbed some time since, near
the Stanislaus river. That "draw" he made
when he played his last hand will probably
lead to his incarceration in State Prison for
several years. The one with with whom we
condole with most, however, is the person
who lost the money. After sitting up all
might and winning few dollars, it was
heartrending to lose il all on one hand in that
way but never mind, julius, such things
will happen sometimes you can stand it,
for when that fellow ''pulled'' his six-shoot-
er, it was the first time anybody ever "Cut-
drew" you in this country.
SAD CoMMENTARY.-Froma private letter
which we received from friend who resides
near, and is Superintendent of large min
ing claim not thousand miles from Mokel-
.umne Hill, we extract the following:
"I looked the CHRONICLE over very care