The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1898-10-12
A WOMAN THE STAKE.
she WAS PLAYED AGAINST $4,000 IN
A GAME OF ECARTE.

]
House In San Francisco.
In 1867 there stood an old fashioned
shanty east Of the locality now occupied
! by the Presentation convent, in front OF
the graveyard and the people in the
neighborhood used to tell strange storiei
about this grewsome looking dwelling
For several years its occupancy was af-
parently confined to dccrepit CID man,
who used to crawl in and out about once
day, his arms filed with packages
from the market.
He was known in the neighborhood as
the old dago, though in reality be was
native Of Alsace For several years he
lived hermit's life, and the nci9hborS
! got so accustomed to his comings amd
goings that even the small boys forgot
| to molest him. But one morning all the
gossips found food for conversation by
the appearance Of remarkably lovely
young woman who went out to and re
turned from the tTtchcr's S stall ard the
grocer's She spoke English imporfectlv
and with very pronounced French
accent This little cabin was destined:
to be the scene of a very dramatic Incl
dent in the history of California gam
bling.
1t was natural that q girl as p-etty;:s
! Irene should not be long without ad-
mirers, so it came to pass that rhe wiz
dows of the old house were lighted ap
every evening, and the Frcnchman de-
veloped the natural hospitality of his
race and gave little dinners and suppocs
to his exiled countrymen. But among
those, as was only natural, there were
some who existed not by honest indus
try, but by the gaming table. Among
them was young man of striking ap-
pearance who had served in France as
sous officer In a hussar regiment, had
gone the pace, ruined himself, and final
| " drifted out to San Francisco, where
he became the hanger on Of the gambling
table.
Louis Le Marronais was strikinGly
handsome specimen of the Partisan Of
his class It did not take him very long
to gain the confidence of the old French
man, and to him he confded the story
Of his life, It was not very eventfpl
one. He was member Of an old French
family and could use if he pleased q
title which dated back to Charles the
Bold He had been ruined by the ex-
travagance of his younger brother and
was then living on the income Of lit
tie property in Brittany, which he had
saved from the wreck. Irene was his
only child, and he idolized her. For her
sake alone he wanted to be rich. He
wanted to take her back to France and
reinstate her in the position to whics
her rank entitled her.
The ex-hussar won the old man into
the belief that his only chance Of getting
rich was through gambling. So night
after night old Lescant was found at
the El Dorado or some other gaming
hell losing his money under the direc.
tion of the arch mentor. One night Irene
followed him there to bring him back,
and her first visit was fateful one.
Tom Monroe, Kantzchian, one of tho
widest and most reckless characters Of
that period, saw her, admired her and
swore that she should become mis- prop
erty.
1t is not necessary to recite the Incl
dents that led up to the scene, which
were related to me by an eyewitness. 1t
is sG&cient to say that LIE MarronaiS
had convinced the old Trenchman that
Monroe would stake $50, 600 against
the hand of Irene If he won, she was
to become his wife, but it he lost the
money was to become the Frenchman's
property and Irene was free to beStow
her affections wherever she pleased.
Irene was informed of this proposition,
and she looked resigned and rather
amused at the transaction.
The eventful night arrived. Monroe,
the old man, Louis, Irene and friend
and countrynan of the host were the
only inmates of the little room. The
game was ecarte, and the cards, which
Louis had marked, lay upon the table.
The old man got the deal Monroe's GER
titled check for $50, 900 was placed in
the custody of the hussar. Tie old man
marked the king in the first deal, and
when the pack changed hands he had
the best of the game. The play went on,
and in the last hand Monroe scored every
point.
Irene is mine!' shouted the Ken
tuckian, reaching for his check.
At this moment the lights were dashed
out, and Monroe fell to the floor from
the stroke Of some heavy instrument.
The only disinterested spectator Of tie
scene fed from the room. The next
morning there was no sign Of life IN the
old house, and in the evening when the
milkman knocked he heard groanlng
from the inside He forced his way into
the house and discovered the wretchcd
Kentuckian bound hand and foot. Mon
roe, arowing murder, rushed the next
morning to the banking house. The
check had been cashed by an individual
who answered the description Of the
hussar. The other actors in this star
tling scene were never heard Of Nothing
In tho house was disturbed, not even
the girls wearing apparel, and the incl
dent became portion of this strange
history Of old time gambling in San
Francisco. San Francisco News Letter.
Tootgear and Gloves.