The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-09-28
THREE-CARD MONTE KING
DEATH OF LOU HOUK RECALLS AN
ADVENTUROUS CAREER.
a ConnersviIIe Man Who ..Skinned,
the Prince of Wales in n
Poker Game.

ingS carried him over all the world. lie
was charged with murder, relentlessly fol-
lowed by detectives, taken across the con-
tinent for trial, an attempt Of friends 20
rescue him was foiled, he served In the PEN
itentiary. was paroled, p~ardoned, was a
member of some of the ultra fashionable
clubs OF this and other countries, gambled
with the Prince Of Wales and finally died
far away from his family and friends. Houk
was a native of Connersville. this State,
and he was born and raised in a Christian
family. His correct name was Luther E.
Houk. but he was better known as Newt
Houk or Lou Houk. 1t was under the lat
ter name that he served his term in the
penitentiary. Particularly in the West he
was we'll known as DOC Davis" and some
times as DOC Green"
Houk's family surrounded his early life
with every influence which would have
tended TO develop the better qualities of his
nature, but he early developed a rowing dis
position and soon became an expert with
cards. He piled his trade and rapidly be-
came the most feared and most expert man
in three-card monte in the country. He
never got into trouble until he was going
from Toledo to Columbus. o., on a Hook
ing Valley train. He aud a confederate
had inveigled a travelling man, Paul Lob
man, into a game of cards and as the train
neared Delaware, o., Lohman saw he was
being feeced and made a grab for his
money. In the struggle which followed Loh-
man was shot. He died within an hour or
two after the shooting. Houk ran from the
car and leaped from the moving train at
the first street crossing. An attempt was
made to stop the train, but just off from
the street crossing there was a long and
high trestle at the other end of which was
the station. The confederate also rushed
to the car door, but by the time he reached
the platform the train was on this trestie
and it was too high TO risk a leap. He vas
seized by the train crew and as the train
pulled into the station he was turned ever
to a policeman. The confederate commended
that Houk had fired the shot and he was
convicted of q minor offense only and
served less than two years in the ~reniten-
tiary. Before Houk was recaQtured his cen
federate died.
ESCAPED TO FOREIGN SHORES.
After leaping from the train at the street
crossing, Houk made his way across the
city to the station of the Big Four and there
boarded a north-bound train which had just
pulled in. On it he escaped 10 Cleveland and
from there to Canada. A large reward for
his capture was offered by the commission
ers OF Delaware county and many detec-
tives took up the scent, but it was John T.
Norris who persisted in the trail and finally
captured him two years later. From Cana
da Houk went to Antwerp and remained in
Belgium and Holland for some time. No
extradition treaty was in effect between
these countries and the United States at
that time, and Houk remained in those
countries. He next went TO the countries
of North Africa and remained for some
months in Tunis. Algiers and Morocco.
From Africa he went to South America and
gradually worked his way up the isthmus,
through Mexico and Lower California until
he grew bold and, though always remaining
near the line, frequently crossed over into
the United States. Norris never lost sight
of him and he went to southern California.
determined TO capture him. He learned of
the town Houk was accustomed to visit and
went there 10 meet him. Houk was sur
manner and his friends were
Norris was standing by the. window
in a telegraph office when one of Houk's
gram. When the message was clicked of,
Norris read II, as he understands teleg-
The message which was sent over
and was sent to Doc Davis X
read. Look out: Ohio is here" The mes
had scarcely been sent when Norris
up TO the window and said:
Where did / send that message?"
The operator told him and Norris quickly
said: Il have made a mistake in the adj
another town. The message was recalled
and sent to the town Norris named, while
he went post haste to the town in which
Houk was and arrested him. Houk was too
to make resistance and he ac-
companied the officer peaceably.
On the way East a party Of Houk' friends
him. This came to the ears of the officers
in charge of him and they left the train on
which. they were travelling and took a
hour before the regular train passed the
selected point the special dashed past and
was not interfered with. The regular train
was stopped and a thorough search made
for Houk. but he was miles beyond.
HIS TRIAL A NOTED ONE.
Houk's trial was one of the greatest GRIM
ina battles of central Ohio. The trial occu-
pied several weeks and Houk had the benefit
Of the best criminal talent money could Sc
cure. He seemed to have an unlimited
amount of money, and among his many at
torneys were Major Blackburn, of Cincin-
natl, and T. Z. Powell, one of the Demo-
cratic candidates for Governor of Ohio, who
was defeated by Governor, now senator,
Foraker. His wife stood by him and was
with him every day in the courtroom. He
was convicted of manslaughter and in 1883
was sentenced to sixteen years in the Ohio
p~eaitentiary. His wife at once took up her
residence in Columbus and went to work to
secure his release. Although she had the
opposition OF the judge who presided at the
trial, of the prosecuting attorney, of the
jurors and all connected with the trial, she
succeeded I'm bringing enough influence TO
bear to secure a parole for him after he
had served seven years in prison. Houk's
first act after his release was TO go to Della
ware and call on the judge who had SEN
fenced him and for whom he had great ad-
miration. He lived in Ohio for a year and
was prevented, under the terms of his
parole, from leaving the State. Then, I'M
der the plea of having an opportunity TO en-
gage in the lumber business in this State.
he secured a full pardon on the promise of
good behavior. He anne 10 this State for a
time. but the old inclination to rove over
came him and he again started out.
SPOKE FIVE LANGUAGES.
He was an accomplished linguist and
spoke five languages iuently. He could
carry ON a conversation in Hebrew, and II
was a favorite trick OF his TO assume the
character of a Jew. He abandoned three
card monte and gave his attention to poker.
His good address gained him membership