The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-15
A GAMBLERS PISTOL PLAY.
ENDING OF \ POKER GAME IN
ELOOD 1--WE Nv ARKANSAG OLIr.

Howie Knlio - n Case That Called for
Quick Work by the Coroner.
II notice that tho stories of lawlessness and
rambunctious violence printed in the paperi
from t.mo TO time arc told, rs . rule, of places
far West or out OF the usual run OF travel, =" said
the gray-headed young. looking maj who sat in
the card room OF an uptown club the other
night after the game had broken up. ~ don't
mean by that" he continued, to question the
truth OF any OF these stories. II only occurs to
mo that the writers take unnecessary pains In
going so far away for their material. | have
seen. right along the banks of the Mississippi
River-and We call that pretty we'll East now
some things as exciting az any OF tho mining
cnmp yarns. And everything was wide open in
some of the towns too. | haven't been out there
since 49,. but that's not so long ago. and then 1t
was not uncommon to find n gambling saloon on
the main floor of the principal hotel in q -four
ishinR town. You could walk in as freely as
you could into the barruom ana play faro, keno,
or poker AT any hour Of the day or nj hi.
THE great flood of 49, rather accumulated the
devil-may-care condition of things; partly, l
suppose. because there was not 81 much ira vel
ling on the river as usual and none at all by
rnil. Strangers were scarce In the river towns.
and the inhabitants were reduced to the neces-
sity of gambling among themselves. No. there
wasn't what you might cali very much shooting.
but every man carried n pistol. and occasionally
there would lie some. There was enough, at all
events, to make the citizens of Memphis enforce
pretty strictly a city ordinance against them"
That's right" said a drummer who was of
the party. ~ was in Memphis then. and | re-
member the Mayor of n Kentucky city being
sent to jail for. ten days for carrying II pistol.
We had plenty Of money and plenty of inhu.
ence. too. but neither could save him from jail"
We'll. Memphis was the only city | struck on
The river said the frat snpnker srlnrr a,,ph
q law was observed. l got caught in Arkansas
City. ! remember. when | was trying to get to
Little Rock. | arrived there just after the train
had gone, so ! had to stay over for forty eight
hours. It's only about n hundred miles, but
there was only one train. and that took all day
going up and all next day coming down. 1t wa.
an accommodation train. and | saw 1t stop flf-
teen minutes for q darkey who signslled from a
distance. with n basket OF eggs OH his arm
which he wanted to ship as freight. The con-
ductor told me, when l asked about it, that
that was quite usual. and a little while after
ward he stopped the train to let a passenger get
of and get n quail that he shot from the car.
But the stop in Arkansas City was lively
enough. If 1t was only two days. A darkey was
drowned trying to get across the street. the first
day / was there. for the town was so far under
water that the railroad track on top Of the
levee had been washed away. Only the houses
ou uiEhest Srouhu were haoItao!e. ana thero
wasn't such a thing as a sidewalk visible. A
rim bsrs wers y, ,Io,- h.r. .,d ~.
and people jumped from one to another OF these
when they went from house 10 house. unless
they were going far enough 10 take a sklf. This
poor fellow jumped and missed his footing, and
drowned in sight Of a dozen people. | asked
che man who told me about it whether any effort
had been made to save him. and he said no, that
there was no boat hardy. And when I expressed
). Wv 'H
Why. twas only a niger. You could Mt
expect a white man to take chances 10 save
<ir,.r. usr. nj, or varr.h,, ,h.r
NV 81 '"'u""'e linen @s
Idon't know that the color line WAS 40
r,r;c,,v dawn ,bonrh +, i,,.-r,r. a. ,.oa,rm
again. Il saw II roGstahout fall into the
river one night at New Madrid, and he wasa
49,. ~. ~ : 80 p. y vas " ''sN'e
Inc mate stepped 20 the SIDE OF the boat
and looked over. but lie did no more. and not
,ns Of the other rou.t.r. .ton,ca ,vork sy., Inv
q moment They were unloaIinr freight in a
great hurry. ant! | think they were afraid Of
tb. ,no,s trosIr.. -
! oe SURE VIC 'he cur
rent was SWIFT enough 70 carry of the strongest
winner but still was surprised 20 s,e no
e,ror, ,,ada ;, saw. IN. rooroa,iI pa, -
.osvItn l,"n u surprise II was TO" iate 10 DO
-, ''"" seem u u wise osay
1000 pn.icJ: sometimes, not TO-. resumed
~, , u ( - . ~ ooHimn' gray ,,'e.''ei man. ! earned
- 49, -. .o't, gnu. " ! q ctIu tauie "a infe
-, w thrt - WY a! nHu u" part ~
~ - ~ u " ma "tSurrt.t we r- n'"! Nay
nv a" ~ n"n ~. J. uon / th!uh mere
! ! 40 60 "a" u u .LIH.sef II low WIEN
= - - ''".. '''LLe turre tIle nay iC:"Tr me.
-, Il ran. M wa, Mh!IlhR lor n uoht up me
Z up an acI"u.itaice VITA hlti'
~ Inv ~ On me ~ VIZ on ht9 "hy H"th.' AFTER ~
. - ~ .rv ~ i r"'iEa.tuia ,e' mn, a'u we TOOK
-. ~ = :. |n' u, ny nue.
.Me Heiu W. ttc'' "atIhe. anu there was
:, TO- ~ w u ~ P!hoe' - we D"tl
~ ;. = ~ '"c .""li J"sL uHcH OF me nar.
IL. 80. w." ~ r. upeH' hiIi We "a" Carl
sn3 49, n .nni = p''l LIE l"Ntr.
nv S'a W ~" ~ a re" nn"ine'ls ionkiilS on.
~ o. "aa.n5.n" va, 4" nu!.,,''t = ''oH.he "lH lSt-
-om Cur a slpe,allnut 60 thihh4er. lie
ma a "t T. ~, ~, yearS o1u. ana us hahns
mind 80 ., u ! oo'4aI my ti'Ne Hpmf
inn ~ :" h., - u" ~ "a NJ rt ~ hh' 't', INK
- - - " ~ -. H. d "s0uhine utc. eI;Luu' IN
ia = ,,b.m ''rha ~ e. ,,,e '"ItiuI,J ~ ~
80 a. ,a.,ei SecLhe' ilhel} enpneh,
~ ~ nuap 10 10, inn,hsu thruH, 70 ! pi'hi'l
,yIaUar w. ,nn E"tr * n.e oi tne oIIeT
f,n!e' ,nt - 'd Pr y" ietor VI inc mace. as ! learned
o..t.I ~ W '" t,,I"n1't aihLt anu stE-
- -, in !" VI '''e'''' anu l "ou4u Ike
'o.Ju,n .ro,d ,oe.,ua H.
Va ISM an ne '"I'ru nm uluh I even