The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-08
"THREE-CARD MONTE KING"
CAREER or LUTHER ERICSSON HOUK
VINO DIED RECENTLY.


He Once Killed Man and Was Hunted In
Various Countries for Two Ycars-His
Term in Jail Boosted That He SwindIcd
the Prince of Wales in Poker Game.
CoNNBRsvILLE. Ind, Oct. g. Dispatches
from Durango, Mexico, telling Of the death Of
Luther Ericsson Houk last Monday, recall an i'm
terestng career Houk was known in many
quarters Of the globe as THE Three card Monte
King" He was born in this city and his iemiiy
surrounded him with every good influence, but
he was not satisfied and wandered over earth,
gambling for his living. He was charged with
murder and was relcntlessy followed by dcteo-
tves He was taken across the continent to no
tried. and on the way his friends made an
unsuccessful attempt N rescue him He went 10
tho penitentiary and was pardoned after sew
eral years He again took up his profession
and worked in many fashionable clubs The
Prince Of Wales lost to Houk at the poker table.
Houk was known through the West as Lew
Houk" doc Davis" and doc Green"
Houks skill with the cards did not get him into
trouble until he was going from Toledo TO Column
bus. Ohio, Hooking Valley train. lie and .
confederate had invcigled a travelling man, Paul
Lehman, into a game Of cards, and as the train
entered the town of Delaware, Lehman saw
he was being nceccd and made grab for his
money. In the struggle which followed Lohman
from the car and leapcd from the train at the first
street crossing. Just off from the street cross
ing was long, high trestle, at the other end Of
which the station. and when Houks
pal reached the platform the train was on tho
trestle and ii would have been death to
jump. He seized and when the train
pulled into the station he was turned over TO .
policeman. He said IIouk had fired the shot
and the authorities were only successful in send
lid h,fN
Houk captured.
After jumping from the train. Houk made his
way the city to the station of the big Four
railroad. He took a train to Cleveland and from
there went to Canada. evading the detectives on
his trail The commissioners Of Delaware county
offered so large reward for Houk that many
detectives thought IL worth while to go after him.
Most of the seuths tired of the search, however,
and John r Norris won the reward after trailing
Iiouk for more than two years. From Canada
Houk went TO Antwerp, and remained in Belgium
and Holland for time. The United States
had no eXtradition treaties with those countries
Later he went to Algiers and Morocco He then
went to South America and worked his way up
the Isthmus and through Mexico and over Cali.
forna. He grew bold and oft en- crossed the line
into the United States. but he always remained
near it, Norris knew what Houk was doing.
and he went TO Southern California with the Diet r
minaton to capture him.
Houk was surrounded by many loyal friends
who constantly watched out for his welfare Nor
ris was standing by window in telegraph Office
one day when one of Houk's friends entered and
wrote telegram. When the message was clicked
off. Norris, who understands tclcgraphy. read it.
1t was addressed to Doc Davis" and said Look
out Ohio is here The message had just been
finished when Norris stepped up and said:
Where did send that message"
The operator named a town a few miles awny:
hAV We naIp n 81 al a nj rio hntlh
Recalled the message and sent il as Norris directed
| not suspecting that ne had been trickcd.
| Norris hurried to the town in which Houk was
stopping and arrested him. Houk was so sur.
some Of iouk IS friends determined to try to rescue
him. The plan came TO the ears Of the officers in
and took special one Of an engine and one coach.
Half an hour before the regular train passed the
ihc special dashed past without ,intcricrence
The regular la. trail train was stopped and thoroughly
| IIouk S trial was on' Of the greatest legal bat
ties in the history Of Ohio He had the dement's
of the skill OF the best criminal lawyers money.
burn Of Cincinnati and r Il. Powell, one Of the
by Senator Foraker. iouk's wife was with
him every day He was convicted of manslaugh-
| Ohio penitentiary. This was in 1883 His wife
took residence in Columbus and set to work to
had the opposition Of the Judge. the prosecut.
ing attorney and the jurors, She brought SUI.
| icient influence to bear to have her husband
paroled after he had served seven years. Iic
lived in Ohio for year after his parole granted
and then received full pardon on the plea that he
| had the offer Of Job in the lumber business in
, Indiana He was in this State for time. and
| then started to tour the world more
| Houk was an accomplished linguist and could
| speak five languages hucnty. He could carry
| on a conversation in Hebrew jnrgon and il was
| a favorite trick with him TO assume the character
Of a Jew, He abandoned three card monte and
! turned his attention to poker. His good address
| gained him membership in a Fifth avenue club.
| New York where he proved an expensive quisi-
| ton to his new friends. lie drifted West and
then landed in the City Of Mexico. There hs
| was elected TO membership in the Jockey Club,
which he made very profitable Johannesburg,
| South Africa was his next station. He secured
| membership in the Wanderers Club, and after
he had tired OF taking money there he sailed
| for London. He landed as Mr.. l.. Ericsson Houk
and was accepted into membership in the Gros-
| venor Club. Aftcrward il was Ilouk's delight
| 10 tell how he met the Prince Of Wales and
skinned" him at poker.
| Houk boosted that he never played with man
who could not afford to lose money. and that
no wife or child ever suffered from his work.
| Houk's wife is still living at Columbus and three
| sisters live at Richmond, Ind.