The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-01
TRAGIC SEQUEL OF PoKER GAME.
4 story Of the Old Days of Poker
Playing On the Mississippi.

From the Cincinnati Tribune.
Talking about this fascinating game Of
/ poker. for instance" remarked a gentle
man with whom a Tribune man was con
versing in the rotunda Of the Grand no
tel the other night. 1.-THE first game Of
poker I ever witnessed had a sequel 81
tragic that 81 is invariably recalled to ms
every time / see card.
The affair occurred shortly before the
war. Ny father, who was very heavy
producer OF the feecy staple cotton. and
whose interests were almost destroyed by
"a certain proclamation that proved disas-
trOus 10 owners of southern plantations
took me with him on "A trip which he
made from New Orleans to st. Louis. OuI
steamer, the Belle Of Memphis. was crowd
ed with passengers, nearly all of whom
were males. We left New Orleans about
o'clock in the afternoon. and fifteen min
utes later there We're four OF five poker
games IN operation. Nearly every body
gambled on board in those days PROBES
sional gamblers lived on the boats and
made the trips very profitable by the large
amounts which they won from the pas
sengers. The cotton planters who come
north to spend their money, often reached
their destination dead broke and were
compelled to return on the same boat.
Among the passengers on the trip were
two business men from the Crescent city
who were bitter enemies. but whom per-
verse chance had seated at the same table.
"One OF them had with him a tall ath-
letic, fine-looking negro. who acted as a
body servant, and who was never very
far from his masters side. The boy re-
manned in the cabin and watched the play,
which grew more exciting as the time
Toward evening some of the players.
after losing all their funds, had begun
stalking the cotton and other produce they
had on board for the ST. Louis markets
Up on deck the rOustabOuts were shoot
ing craps by the smoky glare Of pine
knots that cast weird shadows on the
surging stream. Morning came and found
the two merchants still playing. The big
negro had made one or two attempts to
of the game and had been ordered out
Of the cabin. As he came out on deck
my father addressed him,
You seem to be greatly interested in
the game, boy said he.
I is. massa, was the reply; TIE de
stakes on dat han, an eff de kunnel doan
nightly interested in dat ar game for
suah, massa.'
Mr. Brooks won and I saw the colonel
throw down his cards and turn the negro
He went on deck and people watched
him to see II he would shoot himself or
jump into the river, but he showed no
After awhile Brooks came out with a
companion and began to walk and down
the deck, laughing and joking As they
passed by where Col Wallace was sitting
he stood up and. addressing Brooks, said
violently:
on re "a HtOunNlei ana EnGafF
Brooks seized a chair and was about
to strike at the speaker, but his friend
clutched his arm and prevented any Vio-
lence for the time being. but as the Belle
was now nearing Natchez 1t was quickly
arranged that the time the boat remain
ed at the wharf should be utilized in
squaring accounts between the parties
The thing was quite common and many
a party of four or five left the boats for
an hour We're one or two short when they
returned.
full and shed clear light over the scene
"Natchez was all a-rush when we
reached the wharf II was one of the
busiest of the river towns at that time
but its dismantled hotels and tumble
down houses make It look now like a mere
ghost of its former prosperity.
when we left the steamer and moved
up the wharf several citizens followed us,
as they knew that duel was about to be
fought.
Brooks new property, the negro, ac-
companied the party, and the winner lost
no opportunity of making the unfortunate
boy understand that he had changed
masters
takes its name of Natchez-Under-the Hill.
the party halted. fifteen PAGES were count
ed OFT, the colonel and Brooks faced each
other pistols in hand.
Ready! One-two-threev
The last word was lost in the report of
Brooks weapon, He had fired without
THE colonels pi. OF, still loaded, fell
from his hand. He staggered, pressed his
hand to his side, and fell backward.
"The negro ran to his side, raised his
head, and rested II on his arm.
1.-The colonel was unconscious, gave no
sign of recognition, and never spoke. After
a moment or two the negro said:
He's daid.'
Drop him and come along with me,
Brooks cried brutality, and he started to
return to the boat.
THE negro LAID his dead masters head
softly down, rose to his feet, and after
picking up the colonels undischarged piss
tol, hurried after his new master Almost
instantly came the report of a pistol and
the party hurried forward and found
Brooks lying upon the ground and the ne
gro nowhere to be seen. Brooks was dying
when they reached him, having been shot
through the back of the head, and he
could not tell who ii was that had done
the deed, but some of those in the crowd
were heard to remark that the colonel
boy was a mighty valuable niggah, sab,
that's what he was
''The bodies of the colonel and his OPP
ponent We're left at Natchez, and in fifteen
minutes after the Belle of Memphis had
left the wharf, half a dozen games of
poker were In full blast. 1t is a game l
have never learned to play"