Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1881-09-22
THE ACE OF HEARTS.

palaces, as the large steamers ply
ing between New Orleans and the
ports above were called. Now the
railroads have driven nearly all the
fine boats off the river, and left the
field to the freight boats, whose ac-
commodations for passengers are
by no means palatial.
The former class of steamer
were in many respects delightful,
but they never ceased to be objects
of dread to timid people, for if the
racing, which on that stream was
reduced to a system, did not result
in the loss of a boat, there was sure
to be one or more encounters be-
tween the more lawless portion of
the travellers, in which pistol bull
lets would fly rather too thick for
the comfort of steady going people.
The cause for such disturbance was
generally quarrel over the gam
ing table.
The regulations of the boat us
ually required that all such amuse-
ments should be conducted in a
room provided for that purpose in
the officers catin, situated on the
hurricane deck, bat the sporting
gentlemen were by no means care
full to observe this rule, and the
gaming was mostly carried on al
the dining table, 10 the annoyance
of two thirds of those on board.
| Many professional gambler;
used to make these boats theil
home, travelling back and forth Oh
them, feecing all who were foollsl
and verdant enough to fall into
their hands. So we'll, indeed, wa;
the system managed, that the vail
Gus members seem ed to have theil
different steamers marked out fel
them by common consent, SO tha
no one would trespass on the do
main of the other.
| Of course these men were warn
friends of the officers of the boat
who were either too sincere in thei
friendship to put a stop to the prac
tice, or too much afraid of the gam
lblers to care provoke a quarre
with them for, in those days,
was common affair for such mel
} to resent a fancied iDsult with
lpistol shot.
One of the most remarkable me-
, of this class was Daniel Sturdivant
Frechman,. the son of a broken
down scion of nobility, who ha
settled in New Orleans before th
transfer of Louisiana 10 the Unite
States. Stnrdivant had been 1als
ed gentleman by his aristo craft
father, but on coming OF age, all
J finding his fortunes very bad, ha
i taken to cards as a means to bette
I them. His success in the field we
so great that he was induced t
continue if, until at the time {
J.. which l write be was one OF til
most notorious gamblers to
found between st. Louis and Ne
Orleans.
He was a man of line persons
appearance, and of great physic
courage; and as a gambler he WI
: most expert and successful. The
were dark stories of deeds he b.
committed while under the inf1r
IS ence of play and liquor; and it W
said by some that he had kill.
half dozen men in his life. \
= one dared to speak Of these stori
openly, for no one cared to brll
Y upon himself the anger of such
le man. There were few who kne
:e him that really cared to pl
e. against him, but they learned til
refusal to do SO might invol
g hem in quarrel with hirE
hey rarely declined an invitation
~ About twenty years ago, at
a. time of which write, he had g
es tached himself to one of the sple
~ did steamers plying between n
Orleans and Vicksburg, and b