The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1885-10-20
Selfrt Stnrn
THE GAMBLERS DOOM.
on a Mississippi Steam
bOat--Scenes and Characters.
OF Real Lite.
By CHARLES E. HURD.

l0 the autumn o. 1909 business COm.
pelied me to make trip down the river
from Cincinnati to New Orleans 1t was
not ms first experience. had had pre-
vious opportunities of studying life on
MississiI pi steamboat. come 0f the pla-
Icss OF which we're so unlike those OF to.
ldsy that 40 unvarnished description ot
them would seem 10 the traveller OF the |
present generation the widest kind OF
fiction. At certain seasons Of the year
The boats we're thronged with motley |
crowd Of tourists, emigrants. pork and
cotton spectators, negro traders, land
swindlers, gamblers, laborers, invaIids,
either on the way to OF returning from
the South. and adventufers Of all sorts
sud kinds. With a bar doing active bu.
siness twenty hours ont of the twenty
four. and the cabin tables occupied with
gambling parties day and night. one can
imagine there was 90 lack of incident or
excitement during the journey.
The Mississippi gamblers OF those
days were q singu'a class and difficult to
clsssify accortling to any kno wn stand.
ard. Some ofthem had the instinct snd
manners Of gentlemen, while others we're
Imurderous ruffisns, who would think no
more OF cutting throat than OF dealing
o hand at cards. One Of this latter sort.
Joe Belcher, was particularly prominent
at the time an describing. Innumera
BILE stories we're told OF bis fefocity and
brutality. He de6ed all law and openly
boss,ed Of having Killed bis de- . o men.
His face was familiar in every river town
from Cairo to New Orleans. and when.
ever he made his appearance In any one
OF them the local ruff1ans who infested
the saloons and wbarves kept carefully
out OF SIGHT. He was man whose out
ward appearance would hardly inspire .
stranger With desire for his acqnaina.
ance. Rather above the ordinary we.
be was Of immensely muscular build, with
neck and shoulders like an OK His hair
was long and straight and OF rusty red
color, while bis SCARED and blosted face
had peculiarly repulsive expression;
bis dress vas curious adm;xture OF that
of the two extreme classes of that sec.
tom He wore red shirt, with blsck
broadcloth coat and pantaloons, the latter
tucked into pair Of roustabout's boost
An expressive protuberance under his
coat on his right hip suggested the
! whereabouts of bis revolver while the
handle OF q huge knife obtrusively dis
played itself in bis right boot leg. Hel
knew his reputation and gloried in 1t.
No one dared to refuse his invitat on to
play and few dared object 20 bis methods
OF winning 1t vas hard to say which
be most delighted in, gambling or fight.
ing. II there was no opportunity for the
former be would make one for the latter
It is not to be supposed, however. that
he went through all these little unpleas.
sntnesses unscathed. He carried on bis
body many marks of bullet and kpite.
but the wounds OF neither had gone deepI
enough for the public good.
Another OF the fraternity, but Of al
wholly different type. was man named
Macgregor, who was popnlsrly known ss
Preacher Jim from the fact that he had
been educated for the pulpit, and for the
still further reason that although be had
participated in many . desperate and
bloody fight be had never been known to
otter profane word or to touch glass
Of liquor Slender and 1.-The as panther,
with an eye like hawk and hand with
q grip like iron, be wac looked upon BY
those who knew him as q man to be
either left alone or treated with peculiar
respect.
We reached EvaDsville on. the trip OF
which l am speaking without particular
incidents. Here party came on board
! which n once attracted my attention and
lintsret. 1t consisted Of . young man
and bis invalid sister, who, learned
we're on their way 10 New Orleans. The
young girl had been for some months in
decline, ard 10 hope that tue milder sir
of,he Gulf States might give her strength
to overcome The disease that had fasten !.
ed upon her thev had started on their
present journey. They had made frequent
stops, the brother informed me, hut she
had grown weaker every day and there
was danger that any little excitement or
sudden shock might break the slender
thresd vi ich held her TO life. The wealth
er was s,ifing and she lay all day upon
the deck, nnder the shade OF an awning.
talking bnt little and listening to the con
versation going on around her.
k. At Cairo what was my ns'erna'ion,
to see among the passengers who came
on board the burly form Of Joe Belcber
1t was evident that he was fresh from
some broil end in dangerous bumor.
For the first two hours after the boat
bad left the landing he confined himself
to the vicinity OF The bar. Then. as ]
had dreaded, be began the tour OF the
boa'. The little group about the couch
OF the invalid attracted bis attention and
he drew near. evidently supposing scme
game was in progress. When he cav ME
mistake be uttered curse. and seating
himself few steps awav began series
OF remarks addressed to those seated
around him. inlerspersed with the foulest
profanitv; they we're intended for the ear
OF the little party, and mole than once
the young man vainly attempted to dis J
engage his hand from his sisters clasp
to call the ruffian to account.
All st once Belcher arose from his
seat, walked deliberately over to the
couch OF the sick girl and survey ed her
with brutal stare. -
She shnddered and closed her eyes.
The gambler burst into loud laugh.
1t was the drop too much. Half crsz.
ed with grief and indignation the young
men sprane to his feet and with the ra.
pidiiy oflightning dealt the ruffian blow
10 the face that sent him staggering back |
sgaiust the railing. With howl OF rage
Belcher drew his knife and sprang at his
antagonist with the ferocity of tiger,
AS the blow fell the young man evaded
1t by quick movement, caught the gam
bier BY the throat and threw him heavily
to the deck.
A loud shout OF admiration hurst in
voluntarily from the crowd At this mo |
ment q man pushed his way through the
excited spectators and thrust knife into