The morning times., 1897-03-09
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Here Was a POker|=
for a Life
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Observation-Disclosures
The true gambler has no longer home
IL the United States. Nowhere, except
In few mining communities in the West,
are square gambling games permitted.
The real gamblers left in the cities are
forced TO content themselves with quiet
games Of poker. The others, Of the class
contemptuously known as ''shocstrings,"
..tin horns,'' crap Shooters etc, lead
precarious existence in the Fleeing of hoys
anc .,dmner-pail'' workmen. Stakes Of a
nick el are stopped to by these Petty
swindlcrs. The old-time gambler, who
psaved because his blood was riotous with
chance and who often staked on the turn
Of a card as much money as the steal
ings OF one of the modern '-shoeStrings"
amounts to il year, has left for other
Countries The true gambler is as scarce
as the crap shooters are plentiful.
number OF wears ago fourteen boy con
stituted class in scl-cCl in Joplin, Mo.
Three of them We're born in Baxter Springs,
Kan. in tie days when that town was the
front Of the Fort Scott road- 1t was
a ''kor town. in which a dozen city mar
shals were SHOT to death ia a year, where
gamblers were ali imI oItant part Of the
to1ulati ion, and where money was plentiful.
These three toys had the gambling instinct
as truly as the colt of q tulf sire has the
faculty 10 trct. And out of tic class Of
fourteen, ten boys grew INTO gamblers.
They Were accomplished in all the niceties
OF theiT trade before they were out of school
There were plenty of opportunities 10 learn
in Joplin in those days and the boys studied
Their looks by days and their cards by
night.
OF the ten, three became leaders. Sam
Parks was perhaps the most deperate and
successful. Jeff Davis was educated for
a priest. Eob Cummings was lawyer as
well as gambler. An thee are the heroes
of adventures that would make boOkful Of
stirring stories.
This il Ine story OF how Jeff Davis as
sisted in the stirring events in the Central
American country II Guatemala, that re-
suited in the death of President Barrios
in 1885. Barrios and his son were on
visit TO New York. Davis, then a slight,
reticent. dark-eyed youth, had gone there
TO practice his calling. He met young
Barrios in little game IN one Of the small
hotels. and was introduced to the Central
American president. In Spanish-Amen-
can states gambling is looked upon much
more lenicntly than in the United States.
Barrios was at the time great friend Of
Americans. and fostered their Immigration
10 his country. To Davis he said:
Events may % shape themselves that
may give you gambling privileges in my
country that will be exceedingly valuable.
Al all events, l shall be glad to have you
come 10 San Jose de Guatemala"
Davis saw the advanta ges he would have
In the favor and protection Of the Presi-
dent. Shortly afterward he sailed for
Guatemala with a friend named McCune.
Barrios was as good as his word, and Davis
soon had two games running, one at Cham
perico, on the coast, in charge OF McCune,
and the other at San Jose de Guatemala,
the capital, with himself in the look
out
For several months all went well, and
Davis made money like a mint. The eX-
clUsiveness Of his privilege drove all the
chance money to his tables, and he was
soon on the road 10 opulence. Then Bar
rios issued his famous proclamationof Of the
union of the Central American states, and
Davis was promised the gambling privileges
Of the union
As a consequence he turned the stream
ot his wealth toward the Golfers of Barrios,
and his dollars helped 10 equip the army.
War was declared. and on March 80 of
that year. Gen. Barrios marched on the
frontier of Salvador with l6, ,0o0 troops
To punish his treacIerous friend Zaldivar,
who had promised TO come into the union,
and at the last moment declared his
enmity. On April 2 the Guatemalaus at
tackled san Lorenzo and the next day, when
the attack was TO be repeated, Barrios
left his tent TO assume command OF his
army and was killed by a sharpshoorer
from a tree. Meanwhile the battle had
begun. and in a short time both sides with
drew from the field, but not until sue
cessful effort had been made by the
Guatemalans, with a loss of twenty-five
lives. to recover the body of Barrios. Gen.
Venancio BarriOs, son OF the president,
was also killed on the same field, together
with 900 of his comrades.
Thus was the attempt 20 unite Central
America brought TO nothing. Davis was
without friends. He was known to have