Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-02-26
AN EXCITING ESCAPE.


les interesting. had one In Cincinnati
IN tho winter OF 1873, which was somewhat
out Of the usual order, aud which will bear
telling. had gone there from Michigan
with commendatory letters, which intro
duccd mo to prominent Steamboat owneri.
who wcrr operating floating property on
The Ohio. Mississippi and Tennessee rlscrs.
with one Of thesc men | entered Into a
contract, by which ! vna 70 have ilnAn.
einl Interest In steamboat then building
and take The responsible position aboard o.
her ~ chief clerk.
These southern afeAmhoais-bc u said to
tho-c who hrc familiar with stcamboaiing
ON the great lake. carry thrcc AMI some
times four clerks. and tho position o. chief
clerk l. that Of cashier IN this position
he haa TO handle large sums of money. ~
the boats In some trades advance cunsld'
cradle amounts Of cash In the shape Of
"ehargcs' on conslgnmcnts OF southern
produce cotton, peanuts. tobacco. etc. ]
nention these things 10 show that the poi
alton was TO assume was one IN which a
dishonest man could mlsRppropriate or
smbe1slc largc sums 81 money, anil that !,
bring n stranger, was bciug taken largely
upon trust
/ boarded Al ono ~ the downtown hotels
then, and while wai.ng for the boat to 10
finished md 81 Into commission hal very
little to do, especially In tho evening Ono
evening ! WA saunterlng along Filth
street In company with tho landlord Of the
hotel and two Front street commission
merchants When near the corner II Race
street some ono proposed going up flight
OF stairs and trying our luck nj keno
explaining thai nicn quiet ten cent gam.
was going on there. Keno was certainly
harmless, 80 up We went. Part way NJ
tho stairs We found a closed door ohstruct.
Ing ous passage; but word from our com
ductor, whispered through the wicket
which opened at his rap. secured our cn-
trance.
We entered large room filled with IA
BILE, nj which sat perh.tn $50 people. all
intent on the cards In frap, of them. placing
The bits of glass thereon A. the Ter twirls.l
tho goose and announced tho numbers
drawn. did not know then, but learned
sftrrwari. that this was ono Of the largest
gambling houses In Cincinnati, and that
on tho iioor above ronred and olawrd tho
unohslnod tiger, and other animals equally
vouclons. familiar 10 thosa who WOO Bama
FORTUNE for high fayor hut the placing
Of bita Of glass on green aud white sluag =
Of pasteboard for an investment of ten
cants. with a chhnce 10 win els or 80,
seemed pcrfectly Innocent and harmless.
10, though twas my first experience. / had
NO hesitation In sitting down with my com.
panions at an unoccup'cd table and taking
hand In tho game.
We had only played two or three cards
during which tlmc, by tho way, none Of
our party "kenocdn-when there was n
great racket on the stairway, and picket
came rushing into the room with the warn
ing cry OF
"Poiioei wo're going to be pulledi'
Well, N there ever was scattering, n
grand transformation scene. Il was then
and there. II was sanve qui pouti Every.
body won't heltcr skcltsr, leaving cards.
money and everything else on TIM tables,
aud. Ia TACT, climbing over tables, over
turning them and making u headlong
push for the upper stairway.
The man who had becn twitlng the
"gooso" diSmounted II, aud hustled Il into
large trunk handy by. Tho man who
was manipulating the tally board did like
wise. Then these two worthie, Joined the
procession upper .tAirward. Meantime tho
battcring ut tho stout door In the lower
throng going upward, thinking. Of course.
that ~ the proprlctoH OF the gambling
honAa wero sonslble people. aud a. these
raids must bo common thugs. the proprlr.
tors Aforesaid had suitable exits provided
for thelr 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 distinguished very soon after the alarm
the crowd camo 10 a ktandstlll Those
behind urged those In advance 10 go on
But they replied that they couldn't; they
hal como TO the end. l squeezed along
Into the crowd until was among those In
advance. Some one struck match 10 Ne.
where we were II was oul dc .Ac. u blind
passnge 1t was indeed the end. We had
konc up 20 the roof story. Thcre might
have been back entrance from the lower
or second stories Of which va could have
availed ourselves had we known enough
about the locality. hut those stories were
now In the Possession Of tho police aud
they would soon b. here, when w would
b. captured like rats Ia a trap.
Then, Tor the first time. dawned upon me
the extremely awkward not 10 say deeper.
ate position In which | was placed.
knew that this wis absolutely, my fiat
visit TO gambling house; that had been
engaged IN comparatively harmless
httle game OF Keno NJ ten cents card, at
which couldn't lose more than 81 80 n
played all the evening, which did not In.
tend TO do. Then thought Of being taken
10 the police station; Of perhaps having 90
stay there all night. OF having my new
friends and business associates for whom
was Aoon To occupy position OF ~ much
financial trust and confidence OF having
them icad my name in the morning En'
qnirrr IN the list OF those arrested IN no.
torions gambling house raided by the 30.
lice last night.
though OF their surprise, aud lmag.
med Their rrmarks to the effect that they
.onldnt put young man who was owl
senily confirmed gambler Ia charge Of
such Important interests ~ they proposed.
u waA n good thing they had found me OUT
bfow tbs thing had gone too Tar, aud
han iieeced them out of Thousands OF dol.
lars.
llorriblcl ! must get out some way.
There was window near where stood
openrd the lower sash aud found that Il
looked out op square courtyard, ~ the
hghr from windows IN the lower siorlea
could see on the iloor or ground Of the
oourt broken tronkcry and other things ex.
temely pninyliing TO fall upon. No, Il
~as out OF the question 10 try a drop oi
iour stories, even u Il had hesn on soft
Bottom. twas sure death to try Il. Bat
10 be capiurcdl Disgrace and riilni Ter.
rible aliernntlyel Was there no other
chance OF escapci