Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1872-11-21
A Model Rsississlppi camblse,,;.,

A MODEL M'ssissippi cambler,
He beats Four Gold Aces wiah rive
Bullets, ssabs am Offlcer, RiPs mp hts
r. 'sPard.' and siaces Off she, Tsp OF n
| Ruvmlss NNae. .td 9IA1 J.. = Tgab EiEeE1&
| .>1' ost rgo-a al aER vi HadR
In the good old steamboatlng days. the
steamboats, plying between, New Orleans and
| st. Louis, and New Orleans and Cincinnati,
| never made trip without carrying one Or
more chcooGef d. iadustrie, who turned any
trick that came in his. way from robbing d
| stateroom to wringpg In q cold deck on .
| fiat game of draw poker. The men were in
variably well dressed and gentlemanly, and
were rarely without a roll Of 81, 800 or S2,-
| 600. They generally travelled in pairs, as Ii
was frequently possible for one of the raiders
| to render his companion, valuable assistance,
especially in a little game of draw, when the
dealer would stock the cards, slip the cut and
deal In such manner as to give the man at
his left full hand, but to furnish his partner
would ''tumble to the game and jump IT,"
after getting outrageously beaten once or
twice ON almost invincible' hands, but the
blacklegs would already have made enough
to pay them well for the trip. One of the
most noted of the professionals was Hum
phry Davis, small, dapper, and rather good
looking man of perhaps 30 years of age, who
travelled almost continually on boats, but made
his home in New Orleans, where he support
cd woman in luxurious style. He was not
married to her, but seemed 10 entertain an
unusual affection for her, and treated her
with the greatest tenderness, although he was
naturally utterly cold and INSCRIPTIONS. He
weighed only 120 or 125 pounds, but his werd
was never disputed by his reckless compan-
ions. who knew that he would brook contra
diction or intolerance from no one, and that
his hand readily fell on the hilt Of knife or
the handle of o revolver: Unlike many of
the others, he frequently travelled alone, and
was always ready to test his skill in q game
of poker with one. or more strangers. but the
professionals who knew him only by reputa-
ton hesitated at trying to beat him by illegit-
innate MEANS we'll knowing that, should the
cheat be discovered, itwouid involve the loss
of their money, If not their lives. vyiY Hg..@
On one occasion, when coming up from
New Orleans, Davis met q party who ex-
pressed desire to engage in a' little poker,
and rs he manifested no reluctance, they
all adjourned to the cabin after supper,
and, wheeling out q table, commenced to
play. One of the party WAS a man standing
over six feet in his stockings, and perfect
giant in muscle and strength, He had heard
of Davis, but probably underestimated his
shrewdness and courage, and determined TO
win his money by raising cold hands from
serving material for an invincihle 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 changed the
hand given him for the reserve ON his knee,
and thinking that the manGuvre had not been
observed raised the original bet one hundred
dollars more. Davis saw the one hundred
raise, and in turn raised one hundred dollars.
fhinkinR hn had
raised two hundred dollars more, and so 1t
went until $500 or $70O went up, and Davis
called. The giant threw the stolen hand ON
the table, and Davis quietly remarked, after
looking at 1t. ''Thats u good hand. =, The
other assented, and reached to draw the ulOn-
ey in, when Davis said, ''Don't touch that
just YETI j.a s'a E2ii i9'!s ln"!ki44, tila"l
4 ''Why not?"r said the Goliah, Il have the
best hand" .l.7,f,,g .,rttJ,...,,,~ .
81 say don't touch IT, repeated Davis,
whose eyes were beginning TO CLEAN, al.
though he was outwarCily cool and collected q
4i" Yes will touch 1t, too, y said the other
in o sneerins way, as he swept the money to-
ward 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 revolver and fired point-blank Of
his body. Although shot through the chest
the vitality of the man was so remarkable
| that the wound appeared to affect him but
little, and, rising to his feet, he caught Davis
by the hair with his right hand, and throw.
ing his left arm about him, forced his head
back with the intention, as he afterwards
said, of breaking his neck. Davis compre-
hended his design in an instant, and, as quick
as lightning, fired two shots into the giants
right shoulder, completely crippling his arm.
He then sent another ball through bis left
arm, and, as he fell back into his chair, fired
the fifth shot, the bullet passing through his
antagonists right arm near the elbow, sever
ing one of the tendons. n.....,,.. ... .,.......s
The wounded mans friends had, in the
meantime, crowded back out of the way,
and Davis swept his pistol, which still con-
tanned one load, around. the table once or
twice, and still holding it in. his right hand,
called attention TO the caIds which the black
leg had dropped and acooliy remarked, az
told YOU mot to- touch that money! but you,
would do it." He then crunapled up the bills
in his left hand, ,cramned them into, his
pocket, and, unnl0lcsted,. retired 10 his state
room, where he reloadcd his pistol and
packed his portmanteau.SAA Sat she next land-
ing he left the boat without interference. and
wAs quickly lost 70 sight ~ he dclimed up thee
landing and entered the, woods. - 80. ~
| Il II was probably owihg to two" reasons fiat
the officers of thefboat aofi ps.ssengsrs made
no attempt .odstaln hinsill In thesfirss place.
IL was evident p all OF them that the sufferer
Dayis) beig initicii tiie SMALLER and 4 xeakef'
man, they fell Aasympathy fors sAiins sIiotan-f
mixed with ~ .speciessaf admifatioa salshiss
coolness' and nerve Secondly, many, of,
tfiern knew. him 81. SIGHT OF reputation, and
aia fS,sIassrd .fgffra Iiy,,s IN Al,