Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1892-07-14
A 7 POKER HAND.
The Player Who Drogs a Jack-Full on Red
sevens Is a Doomed Man.

Washington Letter to Chicago Herald.l
One of our western members of con
gress, who has seen "A good deal Of life
onthe plains and in the mining camps,
tells an interesting story of "a game at
poker and "A subsequent tragedy OF
which he was an involuntary witness
"A lew years ago. IL vas in one of those
live mining towns in New Mexico.
Everything was on the boom, and
gambling houses were in full blast, as
they r IN all frontier towns.
II dropped in one day" lac said,
.'just to see how the boys We're getting
along. \ game OF poker was in pro-
gress at one oil the tables, and ract-
ed me, AZ there were two men IN
1t whom ] knew personally. They
were both pretty rough characters.
and one them was a desperate VINO
was feared from Texas to Montana.
lie was one of those quiet fellows.
ri ervo temperament, who said
little at MI times, but acted quickly
and desperately in IL crisis. There
was "A good-sized Jack pot on the table
1890 49, ' 'II'''NN - $500 ~
cards came out one at "A time and !
noticed that our quiet friend, whose
lace under most extraordinary circum-
stances never changed, appeared to
get pale a. he picked up his last two
cards one after another. | saw hat
there was something unusual in his
but ! did not understand
why he should manifest such agitation
when nobody MAS creating the least
dispersion Of any sort. IT. was all
clear To me ajterwHrd. His opponent,
who was dealing, watched him mar
rOwiy. rs the quiet man picked up
hislast card hr reached quickly toward
his belt ~ ii to pull revolver. His
motion was anticipated by his oppo-
nent, who in Il flash drew from his
own belt n revolver and common ell
firing across the table. At the second
shot thede spcrado fell forward across
the table, his likelihood ebbing from Il
bullet wound. Hewas carried out and
the hand which he had held wils eN-
posed To view. He had drawn IL lack
full on rel scvens. That WAS what
had caused his face To change and
that was what had inspired him to
pull II gun. There Is IL superstition
among gamblers in the west that he
who sits ia II game and draws III {; pat
hand a lack lull on red sevcnS will
never leave the game alive. The nerv-
Gus deperado had drawn this fatal
hand and had Immediately reached
for his revolver, feeling that Il crisis
had come. HIS opponent had been
too quick for him and shot him dead. .
That reminds me" said a Chicago
man, who had listened to these $ stories
THAT | knew of n game in which Il
hand al this kind resulted fatally.
One night last summer in the city %
Chicago the police raided one OF the
numerous gambling dens ON the West
side. When the officers entered they
found the place crowded with men and
boys gathered around the gamini
tables. The greatest excitement ano
confusion at once ensuedSand many
OF those present made desperate at.
Iempts TO escape. y general rush was
made for the doors and windows. o.
allthose around the tables one man re
manned seated. He did not move even
after the officers had marshaled those
under arrest in readiness to take them
to the station. An officer touched tn,
man still sitting at the table, but h,
did not move. \ close inspection r.
Vealed the fact that he was dead. III,
died OF heart disease as "a result OF th'
fright. In his hand he held five card
which he had drawn. They were thu
Jack of clubs, luck OF hearts, Jack %
spades, and the seven OF hearts ana
seven of diamonds. He had held til,
dreaded fatal hand