The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-08-08
THE FARO PLAYERS JOKE.
Harmless Enough in Its Intent, hut
Terrible In It's Eject.

Did YOU ever see a man suddenly
stricken blind?'' remarked the man who
was studying the dope" book. MOI Well
neither did /, but I saw a man once who
thought he'd lost his sight. and. let me-
tell you. II was one Of the worst exper-
fences OF my life. 1t was In a Texas gam
bling house, and there were about a dozen
well-to-dO cattlemen who used to come IN
and play faro on Saturday nights. They
never darkened the doors on other nights
attending strictly TO business all the
week. but on Saturdays they'd cut loose
and do more gambling in a few hours than
most men could cram into the rest OF the
week
Il was the best faro dealer in Texas at
the time. and as these cattlemen were
the most desirable patrons the house had.
l was assigned to deal for them on Sat
urday nights. My alternate was an old
hand at the business, and we'd take turns
in the lookout chair. We got to know
the cattlemen very well and our game
over in the corner got to be quite "A friend
ly affair. 1t used to run on until 4 and
O'Clock in the morning sometimes. al
though O'Clock was the closing hour IN
the house. In order not TO autagOnize the
ordinary patrons of the house we used 10
close up the corner table with tht. others
then after we'd turned eVeryb body else
out we'd open up again for the cattlemen.
Black sheets over the windows and doors
prevented the slightest bit OF our light
from telling those outside that we were
stu open. and so we went on undisturbed
Now. the hero, IL you would so de-
scribe him. of this story was my lookout
man. He was a man over 60 years OF
age, and had dealt bank ever since he
was old enough to handle cards. Wed
change places from the dealers to the
lookout chair every hour, but toward
the closing hours ] made practice OF
doing the dealing, because he was likely
to get tired and sleepy.
He did this with great frequency. and
II was common sight to see Smith-
that wasn't his name, but IL WIN do
peacefully throwing chips around under
his nose and me calling out the cards
as they turned up. / was competent 10
deal for twelve or twenty men, and so 1
didn't mind Smiths maps during his look
out trick.
We'll. on the night that I'm going to
tell you about Smith fell asleep at about
4 O'Clock, and he was still slunberinr
an hour later. The game was about TO
break up when one of the cattlemen re-
marked:
Let's have some fun with smith
others.
Gentlemen said. Smiths too old
70 70 stand much. Go easy on him If you
with that one Of the party made a
suggestion which seemed harmless
IN tell you what Wen do he said.
put out all the lights and go right on
with the game as though nothing had
happened at all. Some one can wake him
up and he'll think he's struck blind.
The others fell in with the joke, and
the lights were eUtinguished Not a glim-
mer was left anywhere, and the room
was so dark, what with even the cracks
m the windows and doors covered with
black cloth, that you couldn't see your
hand In front OF your face
AT the signal began hauling cards
out OF the beX and calling them off with
out the slightest idea of what they were
After each call I'd rattle some chips, and
some of the players would swear. while
others would exult Then each one would
throw some chips out on the table, and
the game would go on In regular fashion
IL was faro game in everything save that
NOT soul in 1t had the slightest idea
Oh what he was doing. 1t was wonderful
acting though, and when / think of Il
now don't wonder at what happened.
AT the proper moment one of the mer
Ielt Tor Smiths leg and gave it a shake
winch. woke him up. 1T was a slow pro,
cess, his waking up. ana as he did III tc
the music or cards, chips and my dull
monotone as l called off; he woke with
the Impression that the game was still
but we instinctively knew that he was
bewildered. Suddenly he said in a voice
shall never forget:
Jack, where are YOU?
Seven wins; queen loses. high card
sir, said, rafting lot Of chips. 'Righi
here Smith in my natural voice, wake w
and take turn, like a good fellow
Good win, Norton,' exclaimed one OF
the players, and one or two others made
remarks such as are Invariably heard
across faro table. Then they rattlel
more chips and there was dead silence
while l clicked the box little. Sudden.
ly out of the darkness in that same voice
came:
My God, Jack, are YOU playing
Where are you, Jack, where are you?
Are you dreaming, Smith," exclaim-
ed one of the players.
Dreamingi dreamingr shrieked poor
Smhh; GOD in heaven, no! jack boys,
I'm blind! I'm blindr
There was aheavy fall, and we knew
that Smith had dropped from his chair
l leaped from my seat meaning To Uoh,
up the place, when suddenly there was .
sharp report and a binding flash. When
/ got the gas lighted there. was Smith. nm.
conscious, on the floor, a bullet hole IN his
breast, his hand clasping his revolver.
Did he die? No, not then. We got a
doctor who pulled him through ali right
but when Smith got out of bed and came
around again he was a wreck of his for
mer self. His cheeks were hollow and he
AeNA q AASpAtAS COu6us Il ne doctor. told
me Il was lung trouble and that he
couldn't live long
Smith died without telling anvbodv
how he happened to shoot himself Re
never mentioned the joke that was PLAYED
on him to anybody save me, and then
he simply said: IT was rough one To
play on an old man.
"A wife and three children were LEFT
destitute when Smith passed AWAY. a
week later. however, I was summoned
to Norton's ranch, and when / got there
l found my twelve Saturday night olav-
ers assembled In the dining room.
Jack, said Norton, handing me a
bundle, there is $4,000 in that package
A thousand comes from each man here.
1t isn't necessary to explain anything 10
you. We want you to take II to Snith.s
widow, tell her 1t is from friends men
ton no names, and say it is given on the
one condition that she leaves Texas i'm
mediately and never returns
That's all there was to it. The Smiths
got out the next day, and I've never seen
them since. The Saturday night gam.
was still running when left, but there
were no more jokes played in that house
AS far as 1 am concerned I'll never have
a hand in another"
THE aUINQUENNIAL PERQUsITE.