The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-17

A Faro Incident That Closed the Ca
reeF of LOnE-Haired Brown.
New York Sun.


New York Sun.
the returned Californian, who do not re-
member the Whipple boys. and | reckon
there are number of men living besides
myself who were present at the time when
1t was question of life and death between
the youngest of the three brothers and
Long haired Brown as he was called.
Steve Whipple was one of the first who
went to the Pacific coast from Boston when
gold was discovered, but he didn't go with
any idea of digging gold out OF the ground.
lie mad been a gambler at home, and be-
HeVed with reason that he could win the
gold dust faster at his faro table than he
could wash ii out with a pan, so he opened
one of the many gambling hells that flour
isl ed In those days. His hourished amaz-
lngly. and, as he was a prudent sort of
person, he accumulated property rapidly.
de soon owned stock farm at san Mateo
and sundry houses in Frisco, and every
thing he touched seemed to turn to money.
His brother Albert followed him after
little and took to stock speculation, and he
was lucky. SO it was not unnatural that
Ed, the Youngest should Join them a little
later Ed was bright, dashing young fell
lew, with less stability than the others, but
with plenty Of self-posSession, and, as the
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 a slight and very curious twist on
one side of his mouth, which could not be
called deformity, but which gave him the
appearance of smiling perpetually, 80 that
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 murdered before he 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 good many
otherwise sensible men, and got his nick
name from that, of course. He was Aall,
slim, and dark Visaged, with coal-black
eyes and dressed conspicuously even
among men who studied unconventionality.
He was an all-round criminal and an in
veterate gambler. He was generally lucky,
too but he had a peculiar way of trying
to force the luck when it ran against him
that made him unpopular. He would go up
to a faro table and throw a gold piece on
some card. II would generally be a $40
piece. If the card lost he would thrown
down another on the same card and II 1T
lost again he would throw down another
with the remark addressed to the dealer,
If that loses I'll kill YOU The strange
part of it was that he had done this re-
peatedly and had killed four and l think
five men under exactly those circumstances.
The gamblers had come TO know him. how
ever, and more than one of them had de-
termined to shoot first if it came to
third winning from him.
"Steve Whipple used always to have a
bank going in any town when there was
anything else going on to attract a crowd,
and on this occasion he had a game at
a fair in progress. 1t was next door to the
theater, and was from the time it was
opened the favorite game in town Laugh
ing Ed generally dealt One night he was
behind the table usual when Long-haired
Brown came in. Steve was standing around
watching things generally. and saw Brown
come in He was not a fighting man him
self, but he made up his mind TO take
hand In any disturbance that might occur
so he took care to stand close by when
Brown began playing as usual He threw
twenty-dollar piece on the I'VE ard stood
watching 1t without word. One five had
already been played. so there We're three
others In the box. The five lost. He then
threw another twenty on the five, and that
lost Then he pulled out a slug, as the
ffty-dolar piece was called, and threw that
on the five, which was now q. case card.
" If that loses, you smiling son of
gum he exclaimed IN Kill you.
room who did not know what he had al
ready done but it was a matter between
him and the dealer and the others, except
ing Steve, drew away a little. Steve drew
a little nearer.
Laughing Eds smile did not fade away
in any degree, perhaps because 1t couldnt
but he looked up pleasantly, and with
lightning like motion of his right hand he
juggled the money drawer just trifie, and
then he kept on dealing, possibly little
more slowly than before.
THE five of spades was still in the box.
So was the four of spades and the crowd
looked anxiousy for the five to appear.
AS Laughing Ed Slid one card after an
other from the box, each one revealing the
two black ppS that would show first.
Presently they appeared, and 1 think every
man in the room held his breath while the
card was slowly uncovered, for it was the
losing card but there was a general rustic
when it 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 more slowly, the cards came out,
till on the next to the last turn the five
showed up, the loser.
Laughing Ed had uncovered it so slowly
that his eyes were the first to catch the
black edges of the two pips on the side of
the card, but the instant he saw them he
slid the top card off like lightning, and be-
fore 1t had left the box he had shot Brown
directly between the eyes. AS the bad man
fell Laughing Ed exclaimed, You lose,
Brown! and actually raked in Browns bet
before Brown was dead, and he died al
most instantly.
LAS he fell Steve Whipple fell beside him,
but when, with some surprise. they picked
him up, they found that he had only
tainted The coroner was in the room, and
in five minutes time he had impaneled
jury and heard the verdict, which was not
simply an exoneratiou. but a hearty COM
mendation of Laughing Ed s quick shot"