The river press., 1883-07-18
A FAMOUS GAME.
twenty Thousand Dollars and Night-Key
at Stake-The End of the Play
A Double Murder


war; the speaker continued, twas a
great gambling house. The splendid
steamers plying between New Orleans
and the North were loaded with men
whose interest was deep in games Of
chance. The1 planters were the most
reckless gamesters. They seldom had
any ready money, but would lose their
live stock and niggers with equanimity.
| went down on the Belle Key in 1850
from Memphis to New Orleans. At
Natchez great planter got aboard with
fifty slaves. He clipped into game
with a Northern judge, a New York
merchant and an army officer. The
stakes mounted up to fine proportions
something like $4,000 in one pot-when
] saw the judge win. He held the best
hands, and before we reached the Cres-
cent city owned forty of the planters
niggers, valued at from 81 900 to $1,000
each.
"But by all odds the most interesting
game [ ever saw was played on the Belle
Lamar in 1857. There were circum-
stances connected with it which made it
an all-absorbing event to the people who
understood what it really meant. The
players were two only. They are both
dead, and probably all their descendants
have followed them to the grave, SO /
mention their names and tell you about
the train Of events which led to that
game and its attendant tragedy. In 1855
there lived in small town in Kentucky
a beautiful girl named Alice Crayton.
She had. number Of suffers, but only
two seemed to meet with passing favor
in her eyes. One was a rich young
planter named Horace Ellison, and the
other young lawyer. recently from the
north, named Converse. Ellison had
the advantage of his rival in looks and
accomplishments. He had travelled ex
tensively, was well read, published and
bore the reputation of being daredevil
in affairs of gallantry, aud was said to
be not over uprightand honorable in his
affairs with women. He was the sort of
man to attract most girls, but Miss.
Crayton preferred Converse, a plain
young man, and married him. Ellison
after swearing revenge went abroad In
the course of a year Converse and his
wife went to New Orlears to live. Two
years after the marriage Converse, re-
turned home on the Belle Lamar, after
business trip north, discovered his old
rival, Ellison, among the passengers. All
feeling of resentment had died out in
his heart, and he greeted Ellison heart
ily, the latter returning his handshake
with we'll simulated warmth. For day
the two men chatted together agreeably,
to all appearances good friends. The
next evening Ellison proposed a little
draw to while away the monotony of
the voyage. Converse readily assented
and they started the game in a large
stateroom. Four Or five others were
present, but they didn't join it. AT first
the ante was trifing. AS Converse
steadily lost, he insisted on raising it at
each deal, and began drinking, a rare
thing for him to do. His ill-fortune
continued, and after a seance of two
houls he began to borrow money from
his friends in the room, having lost all
his own to Ellison. The latter was cool
and firm as rock. He seldom spoke,
and then in cutting accents, which adj
ded to the fast growing enmity his oppo-
mont fnIt toward him
perhaps if Mr.. Converse would fin
ger lhe glass less and the cards more his
game would be more interesting and less
easy to beat" Ellison remarked,
'sMr Converse can take care of him
self under all circumstances Converse
retroted.
s'Yes, he demonstrated his facility for
looking after his own interests two years
ago, when he won great stake, but not
by fair play"
II saw Conyerse's face flush. He un-
derstood the alIusion to the old rivalry
between. him and Ellison and it's covert
insinuation. He started as though to say
something, butstopped. The game went
on, and soon after Converse had lost
every penny and his watch and diamond
pin.
Ellison laughed sneeringly. "Mr.
Converse should apply his methods of
love making to card playing" he said.
"What do you mean, sir?n
CSy4