Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1896-07-31
POKER DAVIS is DEAD
PRosPECToR WHO KEPT HIS OWN
COUNSEL.
Lost His Name Years AgO-Poverty
and sickness Probably Led
to Suicide.

In squalid little room in the rear
of SO Jackson street, Helena, Mont,
Poker Davis killed himself the other af-
ternoon. He was determined about 1t,
too, for>it was the second attempt with
in a few hours that finally resulted
fatally. Both times he took rough on
rats. an arsenical preparation, and died
in great agony, says the Independent.
For some time Davis, whose given
name is not even known to his old as
sociates, had been Respondent and dis
sipated. He was once miner and IL
years ago was employed at good wages
on the famous Whitlatch Union, at
Unionville. He left the place to pros
pect for himself and wandered over the
country in search of the fortune he did
not find. 1t was the fate of many a
man similarly situated in the west. Dis
sapointed and embittered he became
drunkard. He worked sometimes, the
last time being in the kitchen of Hell
ena hotel, where he was sort of yard
man. Two weeks ago he quit and went
on another spree. He lost some money
in one of the downtown gambling houses,
and while going out of the place in a
rage he slipped and fell on the pave
ment That time he injured his head,
but how much it was responsible for the
suicide Is not known.
For a man who had been around Mon
| tana as many years as the dead man
has, very little was known about him.
| No one knew what his given name was,
| and the books in his possession did not
| tell There was one memorandum con-
! tanning list of provisions and the sim
| pie name Davis" on the cover. The
| proprietor of the Cosmopolitan hotel,
| where he was last employed, did not
know anything more than that. He was
between 65 and 20 years old, it is shoukht.
| Sheriff ]. Henry Jurgens knew the
man well in early days. That was when
Mr.. Jurgens had store in Marysville
and had as customers nearly all the peo.
| pie in that section of the country
| II never knew much about him." said
| the sheriff last evening, land / didn't
know just how he came into his name
of Poker" Davis. He worked in the
| mines around Marysville for some time
several years ago. There was one thinf
about him, he always paid his debts
and his credit was good at my store TO,
anything he wanted. Several times h,
used his credit, and his first though
when he did get money was for the PEG
pie who had trusted him."
The members of the gambling fater
nifty remembered the old man we'll. Re
Gently he had not played in the house
up town except to a very small extern
and the friends he met OWNED that b
was BROKE" But some of them sal
that there had been a day when he play
ed for good stakes. That was a da
when he played poker nearly altogether
and he is said to have been a goo
player, too. 1t was then that he re
ceived the nickname that never left him
He had been is Montana at least
years. man who had known him /
1867 said last evening that he knew a
little about his name and antecedent
as anyone else. Davis never told an
one about his affairs.
Poverty and sickness probably led
the respondent frame of mind that re
suited in his death. He had not wante
for food, for the bellboy in the hotel ha
been given orders to take him food ever
day. Twenty cents were found in hi
pocket after he died.