Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-06-17
ROUGE-ET.NOIR.
BIoodshed at a Gaming Table.

Since Monaco, in Northern Italy, has
been the only place in the Old World
where King Roulette and Queen Rouge
et.Noir are still allowed to publicly
WELD their seductive sceptre, it has at
tracted a crowd of desperadoes and
blacklegs, such as, perhaps, are not
found in similarly limited compass in
any part of the globe. A most exciting
occurrence took place in those gilded
halls on the 23d of April last. The
gambling saloons had been crowded from
an early hour by throng in which all
civilized nations we're represented. The
great center of attraction was the sec
ond rouge.et-noir table, where middle
aged Spaniard was playing with an ex-
traordinary run of luck He had staked
one franc note on red, and red had
won fifteen times in succession. lie
had left his winnings except some gold,
on the table, aud when the head crouper
sang out in monotonous voice for the
fifteenth time, Rouge gagne ct couli-
eur" there was a stir of excitement
among the dense crswd of spectators,
whose eyes were riveted upon the lucky
winner. The bank officials, seeing that
the Spaniard wanted to risk his whole
winnings, amounting then TO two hun
dred thousand dollars, became nervous,
and declared they could not accept so
heavy a stake.
The Spaniard, whose imperturbability
excited general admiration, replied that,
according to the rules of the bank,
stakes to the amount of two millions OF
| l.. III A frl
sued, and finally he arose, and said con-
temptuously: Very WE'LL if you are
afraid, l will play no more. He pre-
pared to rake in the pile of bank notes
before him, when several men, who had
been crowding around him for some
time exclaimed stop, stop" The
Spaniard turned toward them, and asked,
in tone of surprise, "WhyW Be
cause" they answered, part of the win
nings belong TO US" The men said that
they had staked a one thousand franc
note and won eight times; they claimed
upwards of one hundred thousand
francs. All this caused intense excite
ment The Spaniard had part OF the
money, but his vehement interlocutorss
snatched it. The spectators crowded
round the group. The policemen were
unable to force their way toward the
men who were scuffling with the Span
lard All at once there was a loud
shrek, and then another. A moment
afterwards the crowd fell back foot OF
two from the fighting party, and the
Spaniard was seen, deadly pale, with
bloody poinard in his hand, while two oi
his adversaries gasped out that they had
been stabbed. A mOment alterward the
.confederates of the stabbed men, who
sank to the ground felled the Spaniard
to the earth with their heavy arms
Meanwhile, during this indescrlbablt
scene of confusion and terror, some
adroit blacklegs help themselves freely
to the vast sums of money still lying on
the green baize table, and the be
wildered croupiers hardly attempted to
prevent them from so doing. at las
ten soldiers entered, commanded by 2
lieutenant. Then the room was sutii
ciently cleared to enable the soldiers
and police to reach the spot where the
terrible quarrel had originated. The
two men whom the Spaniard had stabbed
Law on the ground weltering in gore
One of them was dead, the other dying
The Spaniard had half raised himself
from the ground, and looked around
with the bewildered air of lunatic
| His face was terribly bruised, and he
had evidently not yet recovered his en-
tire consciousness from the stunning
blows that had been showered upon his
head He had also been trampled upon
by the excited crowd, and his clothes
were torn in shreds. He and his vic
tins were shortly after carried out on
litters. The three confederates of the
dead man were heavily ironed In their
possession was found most of the money
(which the Spaniard had won, and which
they grabbed while he was scuffling witt
the other two. All were recognized as
desperate characters and low French
blackguards, while the Spanish residents
of Monaco vouched for the respecta
bilitv of Senior Waldo y Garrizo, who
had been involved by the men, who had
undoubtedly planned the quarrel with
him in order to obtain a portion of the
money which he had won. He was in q
precarious condition for several days
after the affray, but then recovered
rapidly.
According to carefully collated stats