New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-20
THE DEAD HAND WINS.

Heavy snow had ptnneh us IN the mouse for
three days. and during those three days ho,
game of draw poker had been running In the
Montana saloon. jim Murdock "profesh-
lint the whitest man that ever drew cards the
Englishrnan Harris. whom everybody called the
little Cockney Cackler,' me. Joe Williams and
old Dick Hawser. Of Missou1a that vas our
crowd. and every man, having done good sun.
,ner,s work had money 10 lose and was willing
| 10 chance losing 1t.
wurdock and had carried big luck from the
first and stood heaps ahead Of Tho game Little
cockrev had been sitting In hard luck from the
start and was some hundreds out
! w. had lust picked up our cards after Joe
uuIians's deal when Tom Simpson dropped In
~ ask il any one could loan him gun. as he'd
an, % work his way down 10 Missoua TIA,
night.
Williams looked up from his cards long enough
to say:
"you'I find gun in my overcoat POCKET
overcoa,'s hanging yond"r, agin tho wall"
Simpson said "Thank-ee," crossed tn roon
took out the pistol and, as joke, started to
fire a shot through the roof.
But the id fool had a bad habit a cowboy
trick-of first singing his gun over his shoulder
and then pulling the trigger rs ne hroush; her
bock again He must have S"t Hurried some
how. for he pulled the trigger To" s"yh ru"cd
:, ,YbiIe the gun was over ms back ana pointing
straight at our party.
"Ring,"-God, can hear 1t no" Mnr ana
the gun spat fire; and Their" was poor l1uc
Cocknov living on the noor. blood ho"'hc ron
| , cruel hole in his forehead -ho"He last "ha
na,ntng red the five cards gripp"d II his hand.
tI..d been sitting next to M for three days
had Cockney; | his best friend 90
nardner. second after he'd dropped WAS
LnesIing at his side, begging him H. speak. bu'
he wouldn't
Then DR. Frank who'd been standing at The
bar when the gun went off, he got ms hah'
over Cockncy's heart.
HES gone" says Dock; never khe" "ha'
hit him"
Nobody spoke or moved for moment. Ther
Jim Murdoch said: .
Little Cockney never did dirty u'k III III
life When he lost he paid up Ike man pa''
No smiling like a true sport FOR 'h'' ""'
he's sat without kicking, IN rotten 'u'h' "'
hicks changed, what he holds no." F'"'
kings and an ace; as we don't play s""s""
that's a sure winner. There's only on. "'"'
for us 10 do. boys. and that one thlhs - P'''
this hand out--play it as if Little C''h"'> VIZ
sitting in that chair and US not a-Kh""ns
held the winning hand. That's squar'' AN ~
Square" said every man at the tah'e'
81 bet the limit" said Dick Hawser. puSmh
five blue chips into the centre OF the taDe.
Il sec that bet and lift it hundred dollars
said l. putting up the 5000 needfuI
lin Murdoch glanced down at the dead boz
then. with a catch of his breath, said:
Little Cockney sees both rises. and Tits I'll
pot the limit.
Speaking lower most whispering h. con
tinued:
"Cockney. boy. you're short $500, but III loa
YOU the chips; and he did.
Then. raising his voice higher. says Murlocs
"Its my bet now. I'm seeing those three rise'
and I'm lifting the pot another hundred
Joe Williams the dealer. had a mighty ittl
hand but he'd a ID hig hear thttS WI
Joe slid out Sio0. enough to call
Everybody evencd up chips ana called; the
We all showed cards.
Cockney had won the biggest pot u tho game
Murdoch raked in tho chips counted an
stacked thom up in front Of tn 'np;} char.
Mcbbc it was accident. don't know. ;hous
I've my own opinion, but Murl"cN din'i IA"
back the 500 he'd loaned poor dead C1tknty Z
make his first bet with.
Two thousand ANA scvouty-dy, Lars N IN
3 pot" said Murdoch. after he'd counted me emp
n second time; then. speaking SLOW. said ne.
"Cockney while he lived alus s'n' money NOM
to England To keep his old mother No" "''
won whatll keep her easy thu balance u ~
J years. You'n send it to h,r Otiastut
: Yes | said; and did
That's how Cockncy Cackicr went away ITO"
us. Poor little chap,-tFrancIs H. Hardy
T. The Sketch