The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-12-17
TRAGEDY OF CAT ISLAND.
Chapter From Early Missouri Ri,
Steamboating History.

A Chapter From Early Missouri Rivel
steamboating History.
'Tbere used to be q place in the
river north of here that was called Cat
island" said Billy Afford to . st.
Joseph, Mo- News man the other
day. He is an old time engineer, and
many years ago was familiar with
every mile of the Missouri river. He
was assured that an island bearing
the same name is still in existence.
'Tt may be the same place, and it may
moi" said Afford. '"The river is
SO treacherous that it may have
washed that island away and formed
another one in its place since I knew
anything about it. There was a big
tree on the island as I remembered it,
and we used it once to hang the rank
est gambler on the river. We
tolerated that man three seasons, be-
cause the river men did not want to
resort to violence. At first he seemed
to be square, but we began to hear
whispers about him. It was in 1858
that he fleeced young fellow out of
$5000-just plain case of robbery.
He had let the young fellow win just
to get him interested, and then aimed
to rake in the whole thing. Some
how the young fellow got hold of the
wrong cards when there was $4,000 in
the pot.
The youth reached for all the money
on the board, but the gambler made
grab for it, and took as much as his
hand would hold. : Stufing it into his
pocket as he ran, he jumped overheard
and made for the shore. By the time
we realized what was going on he was
far astern; but the captain sent
boat after him, loaded with armed
men. They he'd to shoot him and
break mis- arm before he would stop.
That was near the place known as Cat
island, and we headed the Henrietta
that was the name of the boat for
the shore. The mate and dozen men
did the job, and the inexperienced
young man from the east got his
money back. The young fellow left the
boat at Omaha and came back down the
river ahead of us. When we returned
the body of the gambler was still
hanging to the tree. The other young
man, who had been feeced, had come
to st. Joseph and committed suicide
on account of remorse. His body and
money was sent back to his father,
and l heard afterward that the old
man said that the boy was worth more
dead than he was alive. He said the
youth left home with $40 and new
suit of clothes.
'It seems that he knew the cards
himself, and that he had got the best
of the man we hanged in a former
game at Cincinnati. We used to feel
mighty queer after that when. we
passed Cat island in the night. I.
never knew why it was called Cat is
land, but imagined it was given the
name because it was inhabited only
by cats. / know I could hear their
cries every time we passed the place
after that hanging, and it made the
cold shivers run down my back. There
is close connection between cats and
murders and ghosts, anyway. I have
wondered thousand times who the
man was we hanged on the island that
night with such little ceremony. He
was not young man, but he was q
handsome fellow, and might have had
a family somewhere. I have wondered
if some woman and little children did
not wait years and years for him to
come back, and wonder what had be-
come of him. They might have be-
lieved him to be an honest man, en-
gagged in q legitimate business, and
might have loved him just as well. I
don't believe the booy was ever taken
off the island, but I don't really
know what became of it. never
heard anything more about it.