Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1885-07-10
POKER PLAYING.
The Experience Of Henry Alexan-
der in Texas.
How He Met Cattle Dealer who Had
just Sold n Herd and Was Well Heel
ed-How He Was Cleaned Out
-Satisfaction at Last.
IPittsburgh DIspa tch.l


! was in that great mining camp. In less
than an hour after my arrival met Henry
Alexander, an old friend, whom first saw
In Kansas during the flush Of the Texas
cattle drive. Alexander was q cattle
grower; but he was also a professional
poker player, whose business called him to
the towns that spring into active life along
the lines of new railroads. / lived with
Alexander for three days. Every night
after the games closed we drew our chairs
before the fire and talked Of the old times
when we drove cattle together and hunted
together on the plains. One night our talk
drifted to the Texas cattle men and the
gambling at the cattle towns Of Kansas,
when thebusiness of driving long g-horned
s.eers to the Northern market was highly
profitable. Alexander's eyes blazed with
fury when he spoke of the Texans. He
raised his clinched hand high above his
head and struck the table that stood by his
side savagely, as he exclaimed with
fierce oath: "How hate themw Then,
turning to me, he said:
when 1 left you on the Cimmaron
River, the day after the buffalo hunt, I
went to Baxter Springs. There 1 met
three Texans, who Goa xed me to 20 to
Ellsworth to play poker with the cattle-
men, who had sold herds and were n ush.
1 agreed to go, and they on their part
agreed to stand in with me, and also to
protect me In the game. You sec, the
Texas gentleman you are playing with Is
apt to have q partner. This man, IL the
game is going heavily against his friend,
is liable to step in behind you and blow
the top OF your head OFF. In the vernacu-
lar of the courageous Texans, this is
called getting the drop on you.' So I
stood In with Bill Good, his brother Asham
and Tom Clavering. All had kill ed their
men.
"Well, these three were to see that no
one got the drop on me- They were to
play in the game IL necessary. We were
to divide the winnings. So I went to
Ellsworth. Ihad fair luck, but had not
been able to get at the men who had made
big sales. One evening, while I was at
supper, received a note from Bill Good.
He told me to come to a certain saloon as
soon as possible, as Hutchinson, a cattle-
man, who had just sold a erd was there and
wanted to play poker. went at once and was
soon playing with Hutchinson. The cards
ran against me, and speedily lost a few
hundred dollars. Then the luck changed,
and made mp my losses and a couple of
hundred dollars in addition. Hutchinson
was apparently growing angry. He dealt.
L picked up four aces. I'VE had no straight
fiushes in those days. l pressed the bet
ting. There were 81, 600 in the pot before
the draw. / took one card. He stood pat.
1t was Hutchinson's bet, but before he bet
so much as a chip he wrote a note and
called a bootblack to him, and told him to
go to another saloon and give it to his
brother.
INSTANTLY knew he had determined to
fight for the pot, and had sent for his
brother to come to him, and to come heeIed.
was not worried. Ireled on nv part
ner to Irevent my assassination. So 1
slammed a fear that was far from feel
ing. made my hands trembIe, made nv
legs shake, and tried to turn pale; but
that was not success. Hutch
inson's hrother-a cool, determined'
man-came In and stood behind
him. Then, with an oath and
sneer on his face, Hutchinson leaned over
the table and said, 4 bet $780, and
dropped the money in the pot. 1 saw it
and raised him 500. i now had s., 800 of
my money in the pot, about al the cash ]
had with me. Hutchinson drew note
book out of his pock.t and took three cer-
tificates Of depost of 5000 each cut of it.
These he indorsed. Then, raising himself
from his chair, he sat on the edge Of the
table and shook the three certificates over
the pot, saying the while: Il bet SIS, ,oOO.'
He almost dropped them into the pile,
then withdrew them, and sat gazing in
tently at me. trernbl ed away the best
could, and watched him as q hawk
watches a chicken. The click Of a cooking
revolver broke sharply ON my ear. It was
behind me. Then / counted two more
clicks, both behind me.
81 said to myself: There Is going to be
trouble here Still watched Hutchinson,
and trembled away quite cheerfully. He
leaned toward me, shook the certificates
In my face, and said: The pot Is mine
I felt the cold muzzle of q six-shooter
thrust against the back Of my neck and
another one against my right ear. stop
ped feigniug fear, and began to tremble in
earnest. Hutchinson took the pot and de- |
divided the money had In IL
into four piles. He took one. My pals each
took one. Tn y made me stand up land
me. They gave me no chance
They ordered me to leave town within
aft en- minutes. l left In three, but re-
turned in . couple of weeks and squared
accounts with the thieving cowmen. 1 |
got my money back, and 1 got satisfaction
also."
Ny friend ceased talking. His yellow
Ish-gray eyes blazed with the light Of bat
lie as the scene Of day arose before him.
''Curse the Texans! how hate them." he
repeated, and relapsed into silence.