The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-11
LAUGHING EDS QUICK SHOT,.
a Fare Incident Thaf Closed the Career OF
LonE-ITnirod brown.

a Fare Incident Thaf Closed the Career OF
BonE-ITnirod brown.
"There are very few forty -nincrs.' said the re-
turned Californian, "who do not remember the
Whipple boys. and I reckon thcre arc n number
OF men living besides myself who were present at
the time when It was q question ofllfo and death
between the youngest OF the throo brothers and
'Long.Haired Brown rs he was called.
"Stevo Whipple was one OF the frst who went
TO the Pacific coast from Boston whom gold was
discovered. but no didn't go out with any idea Of
digging gold out OF the ground. He had been q
gambler at home, and believed with reason that
he could win the golddust faster at his own
faro table than he could wash 1t out with q pan.
30 he opened ono of the many gambling holls
that nourished in those days. His flourished
amazingly, and, as he was q prudent sort OF per-
son, he accumulated property rapidly. He soon
owned q stock farm at San Mateo and sundry
houses in Frisco, and everything he touched
seemed to turn to money.
His brother Albert followed him after q
little and took to stock speculation. and he was
lucky. So 1t was not unnatural that Ed. the
youngest. should Join them a little later. Ed
was n bright, dashing young fellow. with less
stability than the others. but with plenty of
sclf-possession. and. as the event proved, plenty
OF courage. Steve looked after him, and Ed was
soon known as one of the best faro dealers In the
State. Naturally, he handled the box for Steve.
He had q slight and very curious twist on ono
side OF his mouth, which could not be called a
deformity, but which gave him the appearance
OF smiling perpetually, SO that he was soon nick
named Laughing Ed
Brown was a bad. bad man. There was no
doubt about It. for he had an actual record of
four or five men whom he had wantonly mur-
dered before no stacked up against Laughing
Ed. Don't ask me why he wasn't punished. 1t
Is too well known now that those things were
not punished excepting BY individual avengers
for a good while after the rush began.
"He wore his hair unusually long when long
hair was affected by q good many otherwise SEN
sible men, and got his nickname from that. Of
course. He was tall, slim, and dark visaged.
with coal-black eyes, and dressed conspicuously
even among men who studied unconvention-
| ality. He was an all-round criminal and an In
veterate gambler. He was generally lucky, too.
but he had u peculiar way of trying to force tho
luck when 1t ran against him that made him I'M
popular. He would go up to a faro table and
throw q gold piece on some card. 1t would gen.
orally DO a $50 piece. II the card lost he would
lost again he would throw down another with
the remark addressed to the dealer. IN that
lose, ,b.. h III TX sii doyyo YOU 1i,s The rnns strange ,Pp part OF i t, Mss
four and l think five men under exactly those
circumstances The gamblers had come to know
WILL, uO"cNCl diu VI bhhh obo VI n
winning from him.
going in any town when there was anything
else going on to attract a crowd. and on this
8 sSe1s %as BE som had soe a 81 a fair At IN M plosr.ss! Il TR was
next door to tho theatre, and was from the time
1t was opened tho favorite game in town. Laugh:
the table as usual when Long-Haired Brown
came in. stcyo was standing around watching
things generally. and saw Brown. come in. He
was not a fieh,inR man himself, but he made up
his mind to take q hand In any disturbance that
might R occur; 90 ne to o5svi Gars ;. to stand ne fl9 ,Srs by
without a word. On, i've had already been
| The Ave lost. He then threw another twenty on
the Ave, and that lost. Then he pulled out a
on the ave. which was now a case card.
IN that loses. you sTtling son OF a gum no
Probably there wasn't a man In the room
who did not know what he had already done.
but it was a matter between him and the dealer.
little tt Steve SseS drew a little nearer. Di' AWAY .
Laughing Eds smile did not fade away in
looked up, pleasantly, and with a lightninRlike
motion Of his right hnnd he juggled the money
ing h1sT Possibly sHS! q a It'll more ' Slowly 1s than nePf be 70 eeA''
THE five of spades was still IN the box. So
was the four Of spades, and tho crowd looked
anxiously for the five to appear. As Laughing
Ed slid one card after another from the box.
each one revealing tho next in turn, all ey9s
| WcTe lOOklnk u IL lWu uldCk plpS JuhJ "Uulu
show first. Presently they appeared. and I think
every man in the room held his breath while the
card was slowly uncovered. for 1t was the losing
card, but there was q general rustic whom 10
proved TO be the four.
Brown never moved or spoke. His eyes were
as intent as every one ,else,s. but he looked as
cool as Laughing Ed did. Slowly and still moro
slowly the cards came out till on the next to tho
last turn the five showed up. the loser.
Laughing Ed had uncovered 1t so slowly that
his eyes were tho first to catch the black edges
Of the two pips on the side Of the card. but tho
instant he saw them he slid the top card off like
lightning. and before It had left the box he had
bad man fell Laughing Ed exclaimed, You lose,
Brown and actually raked in Browns bet be-
fore Brown was dead, and he died almost in
stantly.
IA no foil Steve whipple fell beside him. but
when with some surprise they picked him up
they found that no had only tainted, The
time he had impanelled a jury and heard their
verdict, which was not simply. an exoneration.
but q hearty communication of Laughing Eds
quick shot"