The morning call., 1890-11-29
DIED WITH HIS BOOTS ON
A Game of DraW-P0ker Ended in
the Death of Gambler.

Helena, in 1888, was rough mining town.
The Northern Pacific Railroad had just been
built into the place, and civilization had not
yet had time to drive the rowdy element
into the savage haunts of isolated mining
districts.
remember walking along business thor
oughfare in the evening, with the sounds of
boislerous voices, clinking glasses and re-
pulsiye oaths on every hand l entered a
gambling den, its broad doors were wide
open, and the great electric arc-llght invited
ME to study OF the crowded room.
l watched a game of draw-poker Till
the day of my death l will never forget it.
The players were three in number. AT the
right hand side sat man whose stout en-
semble bespoke the villain. He wore a
black slOuched hat, which was drawn low
down over his eyes, with the brim bent so
as to shade trem from the gaze Of the other
two. Not movement not the turn OF a
card escaped him. AT every stage of the
game he had figured out his exact chances; ;
time. He played for gain. He was con-
| stantly on the lookout for treachery: He
was silent He had the devil in his heart
He was gambler by profession.
| AT his right was young man with face
flushed with liquor. His countenance re-
lected his feelings. His eyes were mirrors,
and in them the gambler at his left saw
every hand he played. The outh talked
much, boosted occasionally and sneered
often. Nevertheless, he lost and lost
heavily.
The remaining player was middle-aged
| man, swarthy OF feature ana rough of dress.
| He wore flannel shirt, and held bis cards
| with two great, rough hands that knew toll
with pick and shovel. He played reck-
| lessly, and, like all reckless players, his
luck was wonderful. He watched only his
own hand he smiled good-naturedly az the
voiuble and liquor-headed youth, for he
was winning, and winner generally smiles.
| The gambler and the youth lost steadily TO
| the miner, the first because his cards were
| poor, the latter because his face was an
| index of his cards. good or bad, an index
which the miner, though attending strictly
to his own play, could not help noticing.
at last there was Jackpot" The youth
| dealt and every one passed. The miner
dealt like result; but when the gambler
dealt he opened" To do this lie was
| obliged to have a pair of jacks or better
| The miner had watched him deal much as a
| cat watches mouse. l saw in the miners
| eyes CLEAN so determined, SO reckless,
| that l invoIuntarily started. He played
| calmly. Cards were drawn and bets made.
| The miner wagered his last chip. The
youth, With a howl Of wrath. threw down
| his cards, and the gambler drew out of his
| pocket some shining gold pieces. He placed
them on the pile of chips. The miner took
large, ugly looking six-shooter from his
POCKET anu put III on Tue IaDic, lHen ne .lalu
down an equal amount of gold and de-
manded to see bis opponents hand.
Three kings and two aces.
"a full house." said the gambler, calmly.
| He reached out his hand to take the money
mo yen don't" cried the miner. '.See
| this hand?"
He laid his FIVE cards face upward before
the players. He had not even pair. The
gambler smiled cOntemptuously and made
another movement to take the money.
Wait! You've seen that hand, now look
at this one"
His revolver was pointed full at the gam
bler's breast, and his eye cleaned along the
barrel. The gambler never WINGED. He
waited in apparent CONSERVATION for a
second.
"Boys," said the miner, appealing to the
bystanders, ''he took them kings from the
bottom of the. pack, an he slipped the cut
before dealin'-"
Sping! Sping!
Quick MS a fash the gambler had drawn
weapon and shot his opponent. killing him
on the spot.
Twas daZed and can remember nothing
more, but as left the hall amid the CON
fusion that followed | recall these words,
spoken by some one beside me:
= Joe Henderson. Good huff Teller.
but allus lowed he'd die with his boots on.
Can't stick to gamblin' an live nohow!"