San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-08-16
DEVoL's GAMBLING DEN.
The Story of How Fellow BACKED
Up to Beat the Bank.
New York Advertiser.

Devol to an interested party of lis
teners in the lobby of the st. James
hotel yesterday, "Jim Ashby was
the most notorious gambler in
New Orleans"
"Ashby was proprietor of faro
bank in those days, and such run
of luck YOU never saw. He broke
every gambler for a hundred miles
around.
"But one evening fellow came
in there and turned things about
for a time. He played with good
run of luck, and in one night sue
ceeded in making that bank shell
out $500. Ashby then in turn sue
ceeded in breaking the stranger.
The contest grew warmer as itprO-
crossed. How TO get even was all
that occupied the strangers mind
for several days.
"I'll beat you if it takes the rest
of my life," said the fellow, and it
was only few days before he had
plan to get even with Ashby.
"He went to niger trader who
played the bank every now and
then, and told him of his plan to
beat Ashby in the end.
"'I'll black up he said to the
trader, and put on some old clothes.
I'll want you to take me up tonight
and sell me to Ashby, and take
your pay in checks
"As he was low in cash, the
trader quite readily agreed to take
part in the scheme. They went
over to the bank at an early hour,
so that they could catch Jim be-
fore anybody else arrived.
"The black boy stood back by
the door.
"'Well,' said the trader to Ashby,
'I'm dead broke and want to make
a little play this evening. I've got
no money--nothing but niggers-
how much will you give me on
this boy"
"Now, Ashby wanted a boy to
stay there at the bank, so he turned
to the niger and said:
"'Come up here, niger, and let
me have look at you
"The boy came up, and Jim felt
of him, and asked him how old he
was. The niger replied:
$50 de Lawd, l dunno, boss
"'How would you like to live
here and wait on the gentlemen"
Jim asked.
"'Pd like it fust rate
DWELL, the upshot of the whole
matter was that the trader got
$500 in a check for his niger. At
the game that followed, however,
luck ran against him a second time,
and he lost the entire amount that
he had gotten for his niger.
"'Treat the boy WE'LL were his
parting words with Ashby, as the
trader left the place. Jim was
rather impressed with his late ac-
QUESTION, but the nigger's clothes
were not to Ashby's liking.
"Say, boy, haven't you got any
better clothes than those you've
got on?" he asked rather sharply.
"'Dey's all l got boss the niger
replied. But l kin git mighty
fine coat eff | had SlO.'
Jim pulled out $40 bill from
the depths of his pocket and hand
ed it to the boy with instructions
to make his purchase and to hurry
back, as the game would soon start
up.
"Well, that niger went out, put
on his good harness, and when he
got back to the faro table the first
thing he did was to change the $40
bill and began playing. or course
no one suspected that the good look
ing stranger sitting before them
was the black boy that but few
minutes before had been sold for
$500.
"Well, sir, that man played, and
in short time his pile amounted
to $3.50.
"'Curse that boy said Jim, when
his newly acquired niger had not
returned q told him not to be
gone long
"The stranger could stand the
suspense no longer. He burst out
laughing.
"Well, Ashby,' he said; you told
the truth when you said you'd own
me; but you see, I've won myself
back with the $40 you gave me for
that suit of Clothes
THAT" said Col. Devol, sis true
story"
FALL AND WINTER OPENING.
Having secured the services of