The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-02-11
THEIR LIVES FORFEITED.
A Couple of Tragic Events Around the
Card Table.

A Couple of Tragic Events Around the
Card-Table.
Washington Cor. Chicago Herald.
One of the Western members of Congress,
who has seen a great deal of life on the
plains and in the mining camps, tells an IN
tereSting story of game of poker and sub
sequent tragedy of which he was an inYol-
untary witness. 1t was in one Of those live
mining towns in New Mexico. Everything
was on the boom and gambling houses were
in full blast, as they are in all frontier
towns.
II dropped in one day." he said, ''just to
see how the boys were getting along. A game
of poker was in progress at one Of the
tables, and it attracted me, as there were
two men in it whom l knew personally.
They were both pretty rough characters,
and one of them was desperate who was
feared from Texas to Montana. he was
one Of those quiet fellows OF nervous tenn
permanent, who said little at all times, bGt
acted quickly aud desperately in crisis.
There was gOOd-sized jackpot on the table,
and it was his opponents deal. The
cards came out one at time, and
l noticed that our quiet friend, whose
face under most extraordinary cireua-
stances never changed, appeared to get
pale as he picked up his last two cards one
after the other. | saw that there was some
thing unusual in his manner, but did not
understand why he should manifest such
agitation when nobody was creating the
least diversion Of any sort. 1t was all clear
to me aiteTward. his opponent, who was
dealing, watched him narrowly As the
quiet man picked up his last card he reached
quickly toward his belt as If To phil reYul-
YER His motion was anticipated by his
opponent who in flash drew from his own
belt n revolver and commenced firing across
~ A . hn cb "a 10 10 ~ rt.
fell forward across the table, his llfe-b!ood
ebbing from a bullet wound lie was edS-
ried out and the hand which he had heic
was exposed to view. He had drawn jack
full on red sevens. That was what had
caused his face to change and that was what
had inspired him to pull gun. There IS
superstition among gamblers in the West
that he who sits IN game and draws IN
pat hand jack-full on red SevenS VIII
never leave the game alive. The nervous
desperate had drawn this fatal hand an1
had Immediately reached for his revolver
feeling that crisis had come. HIS opponent
had been too quick for him ana shot MIA
"That reminds me-" said Chicago man,
who bad listened TO these stories, that
knew of game in which hand OF this
kind resulted fatally. One night last Suui-
mer in the city of Chicago the ollce raided
one of the numerous gambling deus on tn
West Side. When the officers entered they
found the place crowded with men and BOYS
gathered around the gaming tables. The
greatest excitement anu confusion erSued,
and many Of those present made de'perHt,.
attempts to escape. A general rush wa
made for the doors and windows. OF al
those around the tables only one man re-
NAMED seated. He did not move even after
the officers had marshaled those under al
rest in readiness to take them 10 the station.
An officer touched the man still sitting al
the table, but he did not move. a close in
speetion revealed the fact that he was dead.
He died OF heart disease as the result OF tn
fright In his hand he held five card
which he had drawn. They were the jack
of clubs. jack of hearts, jack Of spades ana
the seven of hearts aud seven of diamonds
He had held the dreaded fatal hand"