The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-28
JAMES BOWIE'S OUELS.


on the Mississippi river were just as in
tested with organized gangs Of gamblers
as are some of the steamers now that ply
between this country and Europe. and the
scenes thereon occurring were frequently
of violent character. for people are rob-
bed nowadays with much more equanimi-
ty in all ways than they were in the good
old times
During the fan of 1892, the steamer Or
leans, Capt Davis commander, running
between Nashville and the Crescent city.
became the theater of a rather typical
encounter. young man of Natchez, GO
ing north in the summer on his wedding
trip. had been requested by number of
merchants and planters in his neghbor-
hood to collect sundry accounts due them
in New York and some other PAGES which
he proposed to visit.
A gambling syndicate, in some mystic
rious way, had gotten news of this and
had been informed that. If properly hand
died, the young man might be an easy
mark. They watched him carefully, and
shortly after his arrival in New York
some of their members made his ac-
quaintance and learned that he would re-
turn south by way of Pittsburg. where he
proposed to board a steamer for Louis
vile, and, after visiting a few day in that
city, to take a packet for New Orleans
that stopped at Natchez and other points
on the river
One of the men who had made his. ac-
quaintance In New York joined him on the
boat at Pittsburg, and. greeting him hear
tily as an old friena, introduced him to
two alleged Louisiana planters, who made
themselves quite agreeable. Cards were
introduced in the gentemen's cabin dur
ing the evening, and the young man was
allowed to win small sums, so that by the
time the boat reached Louisville he fondly
imagined he was a complete master OF
the game and the equal OF his opponents.
The game played in those days was
twenty-card poker. that is, with no cards
in the deck below the ten-an excellent
game to hold high and inspiring hands
and in which the three pluck-one" or
favorite cross-lifting trick of the gam
bling fraternity can be brilliantly employ
| ed.
The packet Orleans was differently built
from steamers nowadays. the mems cab
| in being on the main deck, directly UNI
der the women's, and, instead of the round
wheel houses of the present, those of the
Orleans were square, With fiat top which
rose within two feet of the hurricane deck,
with a distance between these houses OF
about thirty-sx feet.
The gamblers had won all their vic
TINS money but a few thousand before
| the vessel reached Nicksburg, but intended
to complete their work before 1t arrived
| at Natchez.
But few miles above Vicksburg a tall
man with a smooth-shaven face, who look
a 81
on board and he, with others, stood look
ing at the game in the mems cabin. The
dupe was half drunk and wholly desper-
ate, the infatuation Of hoping TO win back
holding him as in wise and making him
deaf to the entreaties and tears of his
young wife, who several times had pushed
through the throng of men. begging him
to leave the game and come to their state,
room.
At o'clock in he morning the last dol
lar Of the victim had been swallowed up
by the human river sharks and rising
from the table, he rushed wildly to the
sides of the vessel. doubtless with the in
tention of anticipating disgrace by sui
eide He was seized by the tall stranger
who had followed him, and by his wife,
who was watching him, and was per-
suaded TO go to his cabin and seek sleep
instead of death.
Keep awake and watch him closely till
return" said the stranger to the dis
tracted wife.
Going back to the cabin, where the gam
blers and others were clustering at the
bar, the stranger drew from his pocket a
big wallet and handing hundred dollar
bill to the bartender, quietly asked for
change. The other being unable 10 make
it, referred him to the chief gambler.
with pleasure" said the man. and
noting the fat wallet added courteously,
won't you have a drink?"
The tall man assented and casually re-
marked that, as ne was going to stop off
at Natchez. he supposed 1t was hardly
worth while TO go to bed, whereupon one
of the other gamblers, getting a wink
from his chief, chimed in: II don't care 10
go to bed either. Let's play another
game" Whereupon the stranger was in
vited to join them, and after some de-
muir he consented.
They allowed him to win some stable
bets but Just as day was beginning to
break the dealer gave him a hand that
would induce him to bet still more largely.
The ante was s. and the blind was $40.
the next man put in $50, the stranger $40
which was followed by $3.50. They went on
raising each other in the usual fashion,
except that the hundreds jumped rapidly
into thousands, while the breathess crowd
around them instinctively drew closer
with a sense that something was coming.
At last 100000 was stacked up on the
table and the dealer and one Of his con-
federates had dropped out. The man who
made the blind and the stranger remain
ed, looking into each others faces. the
former with a flush on his forehead the
latter pale and cool, as IL mapping at
church. But his eyes were very vigilan.
and he was only waiting for the crucial
moment when the dealer would slip a
card 10 his opponent.
Suddenly rising he drew a long, hideous
looking knife, with a curious, curved
point from his bosom and throwing his
own hand on the table, said serenely:
-Four kings and ten take this pot"
Then he seized the gambler by the wrist
and added: show your hand as IL Is. II
1t contains six cards. 1 shall kill you"
The strangers voice was almost as
quiet as II he were speaking In a lady's
parlor. Put there was a depth a purpose
in IL which the whole crowd felt from
head to foot.
As the cards from the gamblers sud
denly twisted wrist fell on the table they
were seen 10 be four aces, a queen and a
knave.
There was a moment OF deathlike 81
lence Then a roar like the breath OF a