The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-01-26

] anu latA again. mus HlhAt " imam "
Hurt, gambler, 60 san Francisco Exam
liner reporter. Continuing, hc said, "ller'
goes the straight story of my life;
My father was "A Methodist minister
and all my folks are church people W,
crossed the plains from Kentucky with an
OK team, and after living i'm Oregon foi
awhile, where studied for the ministry. W,
came 70 California. After farming in
Wheatland we settled In Davisville, wher,
! worked on the farm and also ran a sta
tionary engine for Dreshach, Bana a Co.
/ Every saturday night / gave my salary To
I my mother. and when ! wanted money,
I even "a much as . cents, ia go 20 her for
it. This / did even long after | became "a
man. The men who employed me as an en-
gineer finally gave the job 20 "a nephew Of
one of them, and that made me SO sore that
] told my father ia never work for another
man.
"Idid go to work for the Southern Pa
ciic company as telegraph operator, how
ever, and while in that position / made an
electric dice battery, which afterward, in
company with Budd Galord. Davisville
gambler, made money on at the Sacra-
mentO fair. The scheme was a battery con-
cealed under the table and connected 10y
wires with the top. All had to do was TO
press a button with my knee under the
table and magnetic IT, Ny dice / would
bore out on the ace spots and nm the cavi-
ties with steel filings. over which would
paste black putty. and the dice looked as
natural as any. When / wanted 20 win, I'd
press the button, throw the dice ON the mag
netized table, and of course my throw would
be five skies. Then Ia take my knee away
from the button, aud theother fellow would
get whatever he was lucky enough to
throw, but I'd get his money.
"Galford advised me not to gamble. but
when be found / was bent upon 10 he
showed me lots Of tricks that l have since
worked with gratifying success.
Il came TO san Francisco about IS years
ago and skinned every body ia town, even
the old time gamblers. IL got SO finally
that the gamblers would ring in marked
cards, 'holdouts and all sort Of sure thing
machinery, but generally got the money.
! had plenty Of money, rolled in it in fact,
and lived on the best in the land
-Four years ago l went east and was
taken from Chicago to Duluth in his pri-
vate car by a vice president of the Chicago,
and st. Paul railroad lie had
been unlucSy at poker with two bankers at
Duluth, and he took me along to introduce
the Kind of a chap he was, ana ia like TO
know who was the bigger rascal. he or /.
found "a good deal Of that in my time.
Men who hold their heads the highest in
he land have run me in ON their best
friends and divided the spoiis with me.
"Ine bankers happened TO be out of town,
and not wishing TO make "a pro6tlcss trip
nay vice president told me that here werea
couple of gamblers In Duluth that / could
20 up against If ! wanted TO- The game
amc oil ia the Hotel ST. Louis. There was
little dinner, and the gamblers invited me F.
o play poker. They had fixed the house .
With two decks Of marked cards, with which f
hey proposed TO swindle me. The vice
resident was giving them the double
ross and told me about the two decks Of
MARKED cards
"'IIow win you get around thatp he
sked
Leave that TO me- ! replied.
After q few deals with the first deck
ny Laud-accideutally, of course-was
iruShed OF the table into the cuspidor
hat settled chat deck. and they called for
lac other. We played few more hands.
md then pretending 20 DE impatient with .
ny luck, for was losing 7 torcup hand
held and threw 10 ola The floor Those
1mbler looked pretty sick. but thinking
hey hnd good thing with me we contin-
ied the game with square cards In q few
minutes ! had them hustling around i'm sa-
oous borrowing money. The railroad man
md ] divided $500 a little later [ re-
urucd % California and bought real estate.
which ! still own
Going east again, / stopped of nj New
'fIeans long enough 20 win % fow thousand