The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-03-22
The Gentlemanly Gambler.

west. Only day or two since | noticed in
ot. Louis paper long account of how he ant
his cOnfederates waltzed Maine Yankee who
was going south to buy a plantation for 81 ,T0f
at three-card monte. 1t was the old story of
. Texas stock trader who had been beaten out Of
5000 by the little picture cards, and was ex
planning to the passengers how it was done. He
mad learned the trick. Maine saw through it
and wanted to bet that he did. Deyol was 4
southern planter who was tired of planting and
wanted to sell out. and gently led Maine up to
the biting point. When he did bite it was to the
extent OF his pile OF ready cash
Devol Is gentlemany looking man of A.
dark sandy hair, light sandy whiskers, begin.
nihg to show the silver, Il quick, piercing gray
eye, ruddy complexion, of good address. and .
sweet talker. lie was born in Ohio, but for
thirty years has followed the profession of y
gambler. Some years ago he worked on the
roads leading into Louisville, and is we'll known
there. While operating on the Short Line road
| near Lagrange, he won about 81 800 and five
gold watches, and ended the game Just as the
train was leaving Lagrange on its way to Gin
clunati. The victims squeaed terribly and pro
| posed to have their treasure or blood. They
marshaled their force and drew their revolyers.
| Devol skipped into the rear coach, locking the
| door as he went He then went to the rear
platform, and although the train was running
at the rate Of thirty-tive miles an hour, selected
| 4 clear spot and jumped. He rolled over at Il
lively rate, but picked himself up unhurt,
| though his late friends fred Voley at him
14'Ai tilSli lSNOlNcLS. l1t cut dCIOSS lLlt tOuH-
| try and struck the railroad at Lexington june
| ton and went back to Louisville
DeYot is full of anecdotes of his profession.
| ana tells some good ones. He tells of little
game he had with A. NJ. Waddell, of Louisville,
| thu Billy Cneatham, Of Nashville, eighteen
| years ago. DeYol and Dad Ryan were going
! down the river. Waddell and Cheatham got
| aboard at Smithland. A game of poker SO
| ante, was soon III progress. Directly" said
| Deyol, Dad gave me the item that he was 60
hp 7 cd n1-a. and
SAID to Cheatham That is tine single-stone
| diamond you have there" This movement
enabled Dad to wiring in the cold deck Wad-
| ucii got three tour,, and an ace i'll the draw.
! and lost 5000 on the hand
SIN or seven years ago Canada Bill, another
famous ihlee-cafd man, set up at the mouth OF
he'd river with Il lot OF horses to sell, most u
OF winch he had won, and Il store, which lie had
bought, 1t wa, right in the line of Texas travel,
ana BlIl was winning everything in sight Deyol
suspected (.vr9ngtuly, rs it afterwards proved)
that Bill had held out 5000 from Il divide OF
winnings hey had made together. and deter
mined To get even. 70 do this he went to New
Orleans and manufactured Il sucker" especial
" for Bill. He dressed him up i'll rough clothes,
gave nm $1,000 IN money tied up in woman
SILK stocking, and told hum to pl4V inc game OF
green by gaWklng about Bills stable and count
ing n> money where Bill could see it. Deyol
pat the ''suchel' off at Hogs point, three miles
below the mouth of Red river, while he contin-
ued on the steamer In due time the sucker
came into BllfS stable and getting into an out
OF the way corner, pulled out the stocking
winch, by the way, was Il keepsake presented
to Devol by Il lady friend and began to count
The money. Bill dropped on it, at once, and
took Deyol out and said: George, here is q
sucker with $4,000 or $1,000; let's take him. f"
DO You think can handle him." said Devol.
"of course You cam said Bill. I'm try it.'
sad DtEo|. He careles>Iy approached the
"sgeLer engaged him in conversation and pro
posed walk fhe ''sucFer" ussented and they
walked out together. While they were gone
DtIol told the ">ucker Just how To play The
game. said he; pretend that you are going to
turn the spotted card, but don't DO it. Turn the
one L motion to- After awhile they came
back and Devol gave Bill the wink that the
sucker" was ready for the bait. Bill opened
out. The usual prellmnarles We're gone through
with, and the "sucker" united the knots in his
stocking and put up - 00O and Bill covered it,
DeYol beng stakeholder for the reason that the
sucker would not bet unless Devol would
hold the stakes, Is lie, the sucker" ''knew
that peVol was an honest man." EVERYTHING
was all ready; and even then it looked so fair
that the sucker" wanted to turn the card with
the spot on 1t, and 1t was all that Devo could
do To prevent it, and he had to whisper to the
sucker several times which card TO turn.
This whispering Bill took to be part of the plan
necessary to induce the "sucler' to bite Final
Iy he reached Out let his fingers linger mo-
mcnt over the card with a spot on it, and then
suddenly turned the right card. Bill look ed
like he Wouid sink through the floor, then at
DGyol and then ut the sucker aud said
That's the first rub" The sucker said
Rub, HI; | want my money! and pulled
out 4 sY-shooter that DeYol had given him and
pointed il ut Bill, aud l:il said, George give
it up The sucker" wheeled and pointed the
pistol at Deyol, who says Bill, shall | give it
up "les," said Bill, and the money was
handed over. After the sucker" walked OFT,
Bill said George, by Cd | have seen six
cooked pistols pointed ut Your head and you
didn't give up nothing. How is it that you
PLAYED il on HIM, and gave him back all but the
500 Whrh hr thought Bill had 'held OUT on
him. After this Bill and peyol worked together
and made a great deal of money.
The closest place was ever i'll i'll my life
said Devol, was in 80. / was coming up the
river from New Orleans on the steamer Fair
child, and had won great deal of money. The
boat landed ut Napoleon, and about - OF those
killers there who i'll those days did not think
any more Of killing a man than they did rat
got aboard. opened ont and won good deal
Of money and four or live watches. Everything
went along smoothly enough until about )
O'Clock in the afternoon, when they began to get
drunk. one of them said: Where j. that
d--d gambler? | am going to kill him. I'm
With you, said another Il, too said another,
and The whole party rushed to their state rooms
and got their pistols. | slipped up and got be-
tween the pilot house and the roof They
searched the boat from stem to Steru but did
not think Of looking under the pilot house.
whispered to the pilot that when he came to
blum bank to throw her stern in and give ne
the word and would run and jump off. About
o'clock he gave me the word and | ran and
jumped. was weighed down with the watches
and gold | had won and the distance was more
than | thought, and | missed the bank and
>trIcl tight, waist deep, in soft mud at the
waters edge. The killers saw me, ana as the
boat swung out they opened fire. could not
move and the bullets whi>ted past my ear and
I,.. A1tntlt n .tfI Al N