Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-01
A DEAD MANS DEAL.
Being an Account OF the Remarkable
Death of Gambler.
Fronl "a Dennlr Ne.

From, the Dencey NeJcs.
81 was Just reading" said a Denver
sport, "about a man winking his eye after
his head was cut or Now, | know that
l have seen something just as strange.
Twenty years ago this month there was u
lot us took a "trip to old Mexico to see
what we could scoop In-and, by the way,
we got scooped-and went to bucking
heavy on every game we could strike.
One of the gang, Bill Brewster, was
rafting dealer, good hand at short
cards. and always mad a pocketful of
money till he got struck on Mexican
monte.
Talk about your greaser's infatuation
for the game. l never saw one of them
that could hold marker to Bill. He'd
get broke. Then he'd get pack OF cards
and deal himself. He'd turn the
cards for anybody or for anything when
he was busted. Sometimes he'd make "a
raise and quit and 90 to playing faro,
where he was, as "A rule, lucky. But no
sooner did he get q big stake than he
would tackle monte, and would invariably
get downed. Us boys tried to persuade
him to stick to white mans game,
but no, he wouldn't have it, and was
almost all the time in a state of inn
pecuniosity.
Zone day Bill had established himself
in a pulque shop with his cards, and was
turning them for anybOdy who wanted
To wager a cent. There was a party of
Mexican Floods in the room, and finally
they sauntered over to BilPs table, and
one OF them asked il he would turn for
500. Bin said he would, though he didn't
have but $40 in the bank. The fellow
slaps down his money and Bill wins.
/.
slaps down another. Bill wins again.
The third time and Bill scooped the pile.
THE Mexican asked Bill if he would
turn Tor him for $1,000. and Bill told him
it didn't make any difference if he made
it a million, as the bank was abie to pay
ten times that amount. The Mexican bet
and lost. Then be accused BIN of cheat
ing. Bill called him liar.
Il was standing right TO one side of
Bill. He had the cards in his lift hand,
and had hold of the bottom card with his
right hand. The MeXican's hand was on
his gun.
Hold on" said Bill; don't draw till I
make this turn. Ill betyOu 81, 600 to $l00
that it's the seven of spades.'
"'Dune,' says the Mexican, who threw
$10O on the table.
''Biil commenced pulling out the card
slowly. Toe Mexican was watching.
4 utIt were lWO bidtk bI)uNS showed up
and Bil's hand stopped. Quick as a flash
the Mexican drew his gun aud fired. Bill
never moved IN his chair, but his right
hand kept its slow motion until the card
was drawn from the pack and held up TO
view. 1t was the seven Of spades. The
hand moved slowly back again and the
card was laid on the table. Bill then
leaned back in his chair and shut his
eyes.
W. were ali so excited when the shot
was fired that we didn't know what to do.
and, as Bill continued to turn the card,
we supposed he hadn't been hit, but we
found out differently when we examined
him. He was shot directly through the
heart.
"Now, l reason that thing out this way ::
Bill was determined TO convince That
Mexican that he didn5t know as much as
he thought he did. That thought was in
his mind when he was shot, and, though
killed instantly, his wishes were carried
out after death. Bill was game, too, and
l believe that if he hadn't realized that he
was dead man when shot, and hadn't
wanted to win the Mexican's money, he
would have grabbed his gun and done
some execution with it.
THAT'S why ] say man can do a thing
after he's dead"