The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-12
AN EXCITING ESCAPE.

less interesting. Il had one in Cincinnati
in the winter of 1873, which was somewhat
out of the usual order, and which will bear
telling. had gone there from Michigan
with commendatory letters, which intro
| duced me TO prominent steamboat owners,
/ who were operating floating property on
the Ohio, Mississippi and Tennessee rivers.
| With one of these men l entered into a
contract, by which l was to have a finan-
cial interest in a steamboat then building,
and take the responsible position aboard of
her as chief clerk.
These southern steamboats-be il said to
those who are familiar with steamboating
on the great lakes-carry three and some
| times four clerks, and the position of chief
clerk is that of cashier. In this position
he has to handle large sums of money as
the boats in some trades advance consid-
cradle amounts of cash in the shape of
charges" on consignments of southern
produce-cotton, peanuts, tobacco, etc. l
mention these things to show that the po-
sition was to assume was one in which a
dishonest man could misappropriate or
embeZzle large sums of money, and that l,
being stranger, was being taken largely
upon trust.
boarded at one Of the downtown hotels
then, and while waiting for the boat to be
finished and go into commission had very
little to do, especially in the evening. One
evening / was sauntering along Fifth
street in company with the landlord of the
hotel and two Front street commission
merchants. When near the corner of Race
street some one proposed going up flight
of stairs and trying our luck at keno"
explaining that nice quiet ten cent game
was going on there. Keno" was certainly
harmless, 80 up we went Part way up
the stairs we found closed door obstruct-
ing our passage; but a word from our con-
ductor, whispered through the wicket
which opened at his rap, secured our en-
trance.
We entered large room filled with Ia
bles, at which sat perhaps $50 people, all
intent on the cards in front of them, placing
the bits of glass thereon as the caller twirled
the goose and announced the numbers
drawn. did not know then, but learned
afterward, that this was one of the largest
gambling houses in Cincinnati, and that
on the floor above roared and clawed the
unclaimed tiger, and other animals equally
voracious. familiar TO those who WOO Dame
Fortune for high favors. But the placing
of bits of glass on green and white squares
of paSteboard for an investment of ten
cents, with a chance to win SIS or so,
seemed perfectly innocent and harmless.
So though it was my first experience, / had
no hesitation in sitting down with my COM
panions at an unoccupied table and taking
a hand in the game.
We had only played two or three cards
during which time, by the way, none of
our party "kenoed"-when there was a
great racket on the stairway, and picket
came rushing into the room with the warn
ing cry of
"Policel We're going to be pulled"
Well, if there ever was scattering, a
grand transformation scene, it was then
and there. 1t was sauve qui peut! Every
body went heller SHELTER, leaving cards,
money and everything else on the tables,
and, in fact, climbing over tables, over
turning them and making a headlong
push for the upper stairway.
The man who had been twirling the
goose" dismounted it, and hustled it into
a large trunk handy by. The man who
was manipulating the tally board did like
wise. Then these two worthless joined the
procession upper stairward. Meantime the
battering at the stout door in the lower
stairway continued I had Joined the
throng going upward, thinking of course,
that as the proprietors of the gambling
house were sensible people, and as these
raids must be common things, the proprie-
tors aforesaid had suitable exits provided
for their patrons, and that we were even
now on our way toward one of them.
Finally, after going up two flights of
stairs in the darkness-for the lights had
been extinguished very soon after the alarm
the crowd came to a standstill. Those
behind urged those in advance to 90 on
But they replied that they couldn't; they
had come to the end. l squeezed along
into the crowd until | was among those in
advance. Some one struck a match to see
where we were. 1t was a cul de sac, blind
passage. 1t was indeed the end. We had
gone up TO the roof story. There might
have been a back entrance from the lower
or second stories of which we could have
availed ourselves had we known enough |
about the locality But those stories were
now in the possession of the police and
they would soon be here, when we would
be captured like rats in trap.
Then, for the first time, dawned upon me I
the extremely awkward not to say desper- |
ate position in which | was placed. | 4
knew that this was absolutely my first 4
visit 10 a gambling house; that had been |
engaged in a comparatively harmless !
little game of keno at ten cents card, at 4
which | couldn't lose more than 81 30 if 4
played all the evening, which / did not in .
tend to do. Then / thought Of being taken /
to the police station; of perhaps having TO 4
stay there all night. OF having my new 4
friends and business asSociates-for whom /
was soon to occupy position Of so much 4
financial trust and confidence-of having .
them read my name in the morning En- /
quirer n the list of those arrested in a no 4
torious gambling house raided by the po-
lice last night.
l thought of their surprise, and mag
med their remarks 70 the effect that they
couldn't put a young man who was evil /,
IDENTIFY a confirmed gambler in charge OF
such important interests as they proposed.
It was good thing they had found me out
before the thing had gone too far, and I .
had feeced them out OF thousands of dol
ars.
HORRIBLE I must get out SONS way.
There was a window near where stood |
opened the lower sash and found that Il
looked out on square courtyard By the
Eight from windows ID the lower stories I
,oald see on the floor or ground OF the
court broken crockery and other things ex-
-remely uninviting to fail upon. No. il
vas out Of the question 70 try drop Of
iour stories, even If il had been on a soft
bottom. IL was sure death 70 try it. But
70 be captured Disgrace and ruin! Ter
1b.e alternative, Was there no other
,hance Of eScape'
Looking upward saw that the part Of
he building IN which we were was sort
lt connectLnc link--hc-,-h n Id M 49, |