Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-01-25
PLAYING FOR LIBERTY.
A Big Game Of Poker Played for
q Negroes Freedom.

Frigh'ful Stake Put UP by n Black Giant
Of Arkansas-Money, House and
Clothes Gone, He Puts Himself
in the Pot and Loses.
The presence in Fort Smith, Ark, the
other day of an enormous negro named
Jim Zeigler recalled to the st. Louis RePub-
ticdR correspondent as interesting game
Of poker as was ever played in this country.
Jim is perhaps the biggest man in the In
dian Territory, being six feet eight inches
tall and weighing 2S4 pounds, well proper
toned, perfectly erect and strong as an
OK. This dusky Hercules has for the past
ten years commanded both respect and ad-
miration from half the Choctaw Nation.
Over near Kully Chaba, where he lives
in a poverty-stricken dug-out, his half-breed
Indian and desperate neighbors call him
Hauta Kalausa (the Black Giant), and he is
treated with Difference consequent upon
so meritorious title. Nobody knows where
he came from. Nobody knows any thing of
his past life; but of one thing all are GER
tain, he is q man to avoid at all times. Cos
sip has it that at one time he killed with his
fist three deputy United States marshals
who had attempted to arrest him for illegal
liquor selling, while at another time he is
said to have run 240 miles across in the
Arrapahoe country to escape an armed
posse of United States officials. Be this as
it may, Jim is to-day untrammeled with
governmental fetters and struts the Indian
country with as much freedom as the chief
of the council.
Jim's poker-playing prowess is commen-
surate with his size. He used to sit for
whole days beside the rough Indian ''saw-
log" without change of countenance, with
0NNf
disappointment or approval, without a
thought as to food time or results He
played with an earnest determination and
grim recklessness that usually won and
always excited a suspicion among the In
dians that the Black Giant was bewitched
SO deeply had this suspicion taken root that
no Indian would play with him alone. The
presence OF white men seemed to remove
their fear, and when the Ethiopian lost
under such circumstances il was due alone
TO the presence of Caucasian rival
HIS persistent winning has won for him,
besides long string eight deep scars.
One of these, a bright red mark that stands
out with grotesque ugliness against his
black skin, extends from his right temple to
the corner of his mouth. This was present
ed to him by an unsuccessful Cherokee In
dian about three years ago. Another cash
received at the hands of an infuriated white
man in Tahlequah sliced off half his ear, this
combination OF scars giving him demoni-
acal appearance which, added to his tremen-
dous stature, causes the average Indian
small boy to hide behind his mothers apron
or scamper off in the widest terror. 1t will
be readily seen that Mr. Zeigler is neither
the beauty nor the pet of his community,
One evening about fourteen months ago
four Indians, one white man named Bud
Tucker, and Jim himself, met around
the ''saw-lOg" at Jim's camp to ''go their
luck" The game, as usual, was ''hulla ko
busko" poker. After the oklahoma
(whisby) jug had been passed around the
conventional number of times, loungers
dropped in to witness the game Candles
were stuck opposite each man, and the game
started. Honors were evenly di-
vided toward the first hour, the Indians
having slight advantage. Then by de-
grees luck turned JIm's way. Toward mid
night his success continued to the evident
chagrin of the Indians, who began tomutter
disappointedly as their strings vanished.
Bud Tucker, however, played more earnest
ly than ever. Be never lost hope, but now
and then eyed his brawny competitor with
hatred so keen that the giant drew his
next hand with undisguised nervousness,
scowling now and then so savagely that the
AhNAAoho OCNallC AnOIC anu luOTt nervous.
and finally dropped out about three o'clock,
leaving the giant and Bud facing each other
to play to finish. AS the first streaks of
daylight pushed their way between the
cracks Of the dug-out, the scene inside be-
came one of terrible earnest malignity
Tucker refused cards and stood pat
Big Jim drew two cards. Betting began
| After every chip had been laid on the log,
the excitement of the half-breed spectators
found vent in uncomfortable cries of wonder
mixed with terror. Many of them instinct
lively moved toward the door as though fear
ing lost hand on the giants part would re-
suit in general demolition of every thing
inside the hut. Under the mask of sup
pressed excitement, worn by the two play
ers. there ragged a tremendous struggle be-
tween passions of scorn, determination and
deadly hatred. Huge knots stood out upon
the darkey's head, perspiration streamed
from every pore of his barred neck, his
breath came hurriedly and desperately, and
his hands trembled like leaves. The white
man jerkcd his mustache with increased Wig
or and nerved himself into a half-crouched
posture, as though ready to spring at his
black antagonists throat. The giant squan-
dered his clothes, bis pistols, his winches-
ter, his horse, and finally his house and out
lying claim, yet the gray-beard again smiled
and raised him. Without a moments
pause Zeigler hissed the startling PROPOSE
ton that his life should back his next
hand, and that if he lost he would
serve his vanquisher faithfully In any ca
pacity he should name. At the announce
mcnt OF this unprecedented stake perfect
howl OF surprise went up from the on
] lockers, and before it had died away the
( Black Giant was a slave in the hands of
his puny rival Zeigler held four queens.
the white man four aces. With one glance
at his opponents hand, Tucker fell in a
dead faint, while Zegler. with a terrible
curse, shuddered from head to foot and
stalked out of the hut
From that day TO this he has served Bud
Tucker faithfully, and a quasi friendship has
sprung up between master and slave Jim
attends to fuckers farm, herds his cattle
and acts as whole armed posse in terror
tzipg the horse-thieves of the surrounding
country, while in compensation he is allowed
to visit the village occasionally and enjoy
few days Of freedom. He Is now serving
the third month Of his second year, and, in
conversation with the correspondent during
mis- visit 70 town the other day, he said that
from the memorable day on which he lost
1 his life, down 70 the present time, he had
aeitheF touched q card nor witnessed po-
seF game.