The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-03
SHE WAS 4 QUEEN OF GAMBLERS.
4 Girl Who Bent Card Players of the
Southwest at Their own Games.
From the Buffalo Express.


Southwest at Their own Games.
From the Buffalo Express.
1t is a long time ago that Lonna Pa
quita ruled a Paso del NOrte, Mex, over
the cowboys and outlaws and greasers.
1t viii be a much longer time until her
successor appears. Gambling as a fine
and all-consum!ng art with woman is
not so marked as in the cid days, when
laws were fewer and crimes were com
moner. Women play at games of chance,
perhaps, just as devotedly as Of yore,
but the days have passed when it was
not an extraordinary happening for a
woman, fair and gentle, to Outplay cow
boys, outlaws and gamblers, and not
only win all their money, but also drain
the bank. Lonna Paquito often did this.
And who among the old timers Of
Texas, New Mexico and Arizona does
not remember Lonna Paquita? She Of
the black hair and laughing eyes; whose
cheeks were bright as morning, whose
smile muddled the brain and confused the
fingers of the deftest cealer. Close your
eyes again and see the slim, petite hgure
at the gaming table and hear once more
the soft voice naming the card which
seemingly could not resist the charms
OF the player. Listen as Of old TO the
sorrow and sympathy laVlshed on the
losers as the queen Of gamblers gain
cred up her winnings when there was
nothing left with the others TO lose. true,
that the Paquita has been dead these
fifteen years, but the oldest gambler viii
stop his play to tell you of her, ana MS
hard cold face will relax ana his voice
will soften as he tells you OF the one wo-
NAH ne acknowledged as his mistress in
Lonna Paquita, or as she was known,
the Pauuita, was born in Chihuahua
about 1850 No one knows who or what
her parents were. When a child about
~ years old, a gambler named Qua'etor
found her homeless and friendless IN the
CITY i'm which she was born. She was
then remarkably pretty. Qualetor taught
her all his tricks with the CARDS: he
spent hours instructing her IN the lntrl-
eacies of Mexican monte. She learned
rapidly, soon equaling Qualetor IN skill
an None of he old-timers have forgotten
her tiTst appearance at Paso del Norte.
She was 16 years old and small for her
age. She came with Qualetor VINO salu
he was her uncle When Qualetor was
there to gamble he practically hVeu az
Lark Garrettson's. Garrettson ran the
biggest gambling house on the border. HIS
game was practically without limit. The
Pauuita appeared, clinging close to her
alleged uncle. The bank expected Quale-
tor who was a heavy player, ana mad
made proper preparations for his play AS
Qualetor played, the Paquita stood beside
him silent and observant. Luck was
against the Mexican and he lost heavily.
FINALLY. when his pile of gold had dimln-
iEhpd 10 a rev COlllS lt lul AACh " NllC = a
ouita and, showing the money before her,
said gruffly: Here, child, win with them.
The dealer and players smiled sympa-
thetically thinking Qualetor had quit
hucking his luck for the night, and desired
to let the child amuse herself a moment
before he went away. The Paquita seated
herself, leaning both elbows on the tame,
with her hands supporting her chin. The
play went on. The child Won AS she
pIaved. the dealer eyed her in wonder. 1t
was not strange that a child understood
h hafOTp
child played with such skill and judgment
The bank lost rapidly. The Paquita won
bet after bet. The heaps OF colo
were changed, but without avail. The
bank continued to lose. A new dealer was
tried, but with no better success than
the first The Paquitas luck was amaz-
ing The other players dropped out one
by one. The dealer and the child faced
each other The bank lost. Then Gar
rettson himself took the cards; He was
famed as the shrewdest gambler on the
border. But he could not beat the child.
Finally he said:
matches your winnings. Win or lose, the
The Paquita nodded. A king lay on the
II Il play a king in the door" she said in
Spanish.
folly. There was still half the deck against
her Even Garrettson smiled. He dealt.
The king stood in the door. The Paquita
had won. Garrettsons bank had been
broken, and broken by child. The Pa
quita turned to Qualetor.
II am tired she said.
The gambler gathered up her winnings,
handed them to Garrettson, asking him TO
put them in the safe for the night. Then
he and the Paquta went OUT The fact
that a child had beaten the Garrettson
bank spread along the entire border.
Oualetor and the Paquita Travelled from
town to town, playing in all of them, and
usually winning. They quarreled eventu-
allv however; in 1870 the Paquita, then a
beautiful girl of 20, came back to PasO del
Norte alone. She again appeared at Gar
rettson's. Her old-time luck seemed to
have deserted her, for she lost heavily
and a week later went away.
She was next heard of in New Mexico.
She had allied herself with a gang of the
worst characters in the southwest and in
a short time became their leader Under
her the outlaws traVersed New Mexico
stealing and plundering. When the climate
got too hot for them they slipped across
the line into Mexico. The Paquita forsook
this life after year of exciting adventure
and turned up in Ell Paso with Sam Brins-
ley, the handsomest and most depraved
gambler of his time. Brinsley crossed the
Rio Grande river and opened up Garrett
sons place the latter having been killed
by young Mungay, his dealer Brinsley
nrospered. The Paquita lent the attraction
of her presence to his place, sometimes as
dealer but usually as player.
She played any game Her popularity
was apparent from the outset. The game
she played, whatever it might be- was
always the popular game Of the house,
The table at which she played was ALWAYS
crowded. The players, in games where ii
was possible, duplicated her bets. placing
their money on her favorite cards. IN
such cases the Paquita usually lost the
house otherwise Brinsley, winning heav-
lily. In poker and kindred games where
each player looked out solely for himself
and his cards, the house got a percent
age The Paquita seldom lost then. She