The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-04-24
Chicago Inter Ocean

Charleston. S. Cit sometimes hap
pens that gamblers are drawn to serve on
juries, said a man with story, who was
telling it here the other night, "and the
public seldom knows just what occurs
while jury of this kind is celebrating
on the life or death of prisoner. L have
not lived here always, and this story, the
facts of which are just as 1 give them,
did not have its Foundation in South Car
DINA. l will not mention the place.
have heard of a prisoners fate being de-
termined by deck of cards, but in this
instance L was a member of jury which
allowed a guilty prisoner to go free be-
cause of the lucky falling of the jack of
clubs. 1t was a trial which had attracted
attention in three states, and the strong
est of efforts was made to convict the
prisoner in question, while equally strong
influences We're brought to bear to clear
him.
T Il was an insurance man in those days.
went on the Story-teller, land / was sent
to western city to manage an agency
for my company. 1t looked as if would
be fixed there permanently, and L pre-
pared to make myself comfortable. Two
years later L was a full-hedged citizen,
and, like every good citizen of the town,
was naturally excited when the news
papers printed the details of q most horri
BILE murder. Briefly, the facts were that
Henry Seymour, Il wealthy oil man, was
shot and killed by Thomas Walker At
leastrthe coronerS jury said Walker did
the killing. He was engaged to the same
woman whom Seymour had been court
ing, and while there was no direct evil
dence to show that he was guilty, public
opinion condemned him, and a number
of things pointed to. his having commit
ted the crime. In time the case went to
trial, and was unfortunate enough to be
drawn on the jury. l did not want to
been in progress for six days before the
case went to the jury. 1t was given to us
at p m. on Saturday, and we knew that
it meant a weeks stay in the jury room.
As soon as we got together a ballot was
taken. Eight men stood for n conviction
and four demanded an acquittal. For
no agreement could be reached, so each
side sat down to freeze the other into sub
mission.
Gambling In Jury Room.
Along about 10 o'clock that night. Bosy
Thames, the foreman, who gambled for
the stuff when he was not working, and
he was never known to hold any regular
job, suggested that a game of seven-up
be started. There was a long table in the
room, and presently a constable brought
IN several decks OF new cards Some OF
the jurors did not want to play, and for
time the Seven-up game dragged along
without any particular interest being
shown in the run of the cards. Thames
finally proposed poker. Six men agreed
to play, and the others got in the grand
stand and looked on with as much inter-
est as If they had big money on the re-
suits, though they were half asleep over
heavy gambler. but two of the other
chaps at the table We're also old hands at
the business. 1t was the queerest game L
ever saw. There were all kinds of draws,
and more lucky hands fell than in any
other single game | have ever seen.
Matches were used for checks, aud a.
square game, in which the stakes got
high during the course of the night, and
the players kept their eyes open for any
thing that might not be exactly proper.
Finally the playing got down to
Thames and another star gambler named
Wall. Wall owned furniture factory up
the road and was said to be wealthy. He
was plunger when he got the fever, and
the fact that the jury was watching his
nerve made him anxious to show it ut
any cost. There was no limit, and the
of showing over little matches. About
daylight the crisis came. There was a
big jackpot. and Thames opened it. Wall
raised him high before the draw. When
cards were taken Thames called for two
and Wall wanted only one. Then the
betting got warm again. 1t finally came
to the pinch where Wall offered to bet his
factory which was valued at $4,000
Thames had paper to cover it and called
the bet. In drawing Wall took one card
to fill a straight flush from the middle.
He had the four, six, seven and eight of
clubs, and caught the five spot. Thames
fourth. The game ruined him financially.
That stopped the playing for money
but tin-horn gambler suggested that the
prisoners fate be decided with one jack
pot. There was opposition at first, but
the gambling nerve was up. Wall had
been voting all along for an acquittal
while Thames wanted a conviction. After
an hours elaboration it was decided to
let the cards settle the case. A new deck
was ordered. Thames was to hold the
hand for the bloodthirsty crowd and Wall
was to play for the gang that wanted the
man to so free. 1t had been agreed to
have just one pot. The proceeding was
strange but it went.
THE jurors lined themselves out by the
table. Cards Were cut and Wall got the
deal. There was GREATNESS excitement
while the cards were being distributed
When Thames looked at his hand he did
not have openers. Neither did Wall. Then
dealt. After the cards had been
scanned they were turned faces up. There
was a wall when it was seen that Thames
held three jacks to go on. Wall did not