, 1872-10-21

over which the cyclone gWept are rendered alb
solqtely worthless, and the loss occasioaed By it
may be estimated at thousands. Where it came
from and where it went no one knows and no
one cares It utterly devastated one of the fair
est valleys in Georgia. It is reported that Sugar
valley had visit from this terrible fiend.
A MODEL MISSISSIPPI GAMBLER.
He Beats Four Cold Aces with Five
Rn1letss stahs an officer, Rips Up
Bis q Pard,'' and Slices OFF the Tip
of q RIVALS Nose.
From the st. Louis Democrat
In the good old steamboating days, the steam
boats plying between New Orleans and ST. Louis,
andNew Orleans and Cincinnati, never made
trip without carrying one or more cheuaher dan
dustrie, who turned any trick that came in his
way, from robblng state-room to Wringing
in = cold deck on fiat in game Of draw
poker. Tbs men were Invariably well
They generally travelled in pairs, as It was re-
quent1y possible for one OF the takirs to render
his companion valuable assistance, especially in
q little game Of draw, where the dealer would
stock the cards, alp the cut and deal IN gqch
but to furnish his partner with q larger full.
The victim, if smart, would tumble to tie game
and jump it after getting outrageoualy beaten
once or twice on almost invincible hands, but
LQo DaaEklEE8 WOQlu 8lIEAuY uk4f6 luhu9 6u0uhu
to pay them we'll for the trip. One Of the most
noted OF the professionals WAS Humphrey Davis,
q small, dapper and rather good-1ookng man, Of
perhaps 80 years OF age, who travelled almost
continually On the boats, bat made his home in
New Orleans, where he supported 8 woman IN
luxurious style. He Was not married to her, but
seemed to entertain an UNUSUAL affection for her,
and treated her with the greatest tenderness, al
though he was naturally utterly cold and I'M
scrupnlous. He weighed only 12Q OF 125 pounds,
hr,f %r1Y feA hx1
companions, who knew that he would brook
contradition or interference from no one, and
that his hand readily fell on the hilt Of d knife
or the handle Of q revolver: Unlike many Of
was always ready to test his skill in a game Of
poker with one or more strangers, but the pro
fessionals who knew him only BY reputation hes
itated ut trying to beat him BY l1egitimate
means, well knowing that, should the cheat be
discovered, it would involve the loss Of their
money, il not their lives
On one occasion, when coming up from New
Orleans, Davis met 3 party who expressed 3 de-
tested no reluctance, they ali adjourned to the
cabin after supper, and. wheeling out q table,
commenced to play. One Of the party WAS .
man standing over Six feet in his stockings, and
q perfect giant in muscle and strength He had
heard Of Davis, but probably underestimated his
ehrewdness Or courage, and determined to win
his money by raising cold hands from his lap and
playing them. White he was reserving material
for an inyinclbfe hand, Davis noticed it, but said
nothing, and the game went On. Finally, Davis
received more than ordinarily good hand, and
bet fifty dollars on it. The giant adroitly chang
ed the hand given him for the reserve on his
knee, and thinking that the manoeuvre had not
boon observed, raised the original bet one hun
dred dollars MORE Davis saW the one hundred
rniee, lin turn raised one hundred dollars. The
other, thinking he had a sure thing, raised two
hundred dollars more, and 80 it went until $500 or
$7oo we're mp, and Davis called. The giant
klr,4. Ill
quietly remarked, after looking at it, :s1That's
good hand" The other assented, and reached
out to draw the money in, when Davis said,
Don't touch that just yet" -,
hmd mWhy hot2" said the Goliafl, II have the best
II say, don't touch it, repeated Davis, whose
outwardly calm and collected.
Yes, will touch it, too said the other, IN
him with his arms. He had barely placed his
arms On the table when Davis reached over the
table with his left hand and caught him by the
hair, while with his right he drew q revolver and
fred pointblank at his body. Although shot
through The chest, the vitality of the man was
go remarkable that the wound appeared to affect
hin but little, and, rising to his feet, he caught
Davis by the hair With his right hand, and,
t5EsTdns faEssd hs bis bssd lsti 5sek a9sG 1b h ss
intention, as he afterwards said, Of breaking his
neck. Davis comprehended his design in an in
slant, and, quick as lightning, fired two shots
into the giants right shoulder, completely Grip
pling his arm. He then sent another ball
through his left arm, and, as he fell back into
his chair, fired the fifth shot, tho bullet passing
through his antasonist's right ann near the -el-
bow, aeTernig one Of the tendons,
The wounded mans friends had, in the mean
time, crowded back ont Of the way, and Davis
swept his pistol, which still contained one 1osd,
around tho table once OF twice, and, still holding
it in his right hand. called attenEon to tha cards
which tho blackleg had dropped, and coolIy- re-
but you would do it." Hethen crumpled up the
bills in his loft hand, crammed them into his
pocket, and, unmolested, retired to -hia- state
room, where he reloaded his pistol and packed
his portmanteau..- At the next landing-h he left
the boat without Interference, and was quickly
lost to sight as be climbed up the landing and
entered the woods.
It was probably owing to two reasons that the
officers Of the boat or passengers made no at
n ffrEf yCap