The evening times., 1899-10-02
A FAMOUS CARD SHARP DEAD.
The Passing of Lou Hoack. "ho
SufndIed the Prince OF wales.

SNindIed the Prince OF WINES
COLUMBUS. Ohio, Oct. 2.-When Lou
Houck. the noted card sharp, dropped DEAD
IN Durango. n. n, few days ago, there
nassed from the earth one Of the smooth
est crooks in the country. He originated
three-card monte and the shell game ana
WAS known as the man who had swlndleo
the Prince OF Wales at cards.
While wears have passed since Houck
was in this city, his wife has been hVlng
quietly in one Of the most fashlonaDie
parts of Columbus, and on Friday received
a Telegram that gave the news oil hef nus
hands death. she started at once 10 Ne"
Mexico to claim the body and accompany
ft 10 ConnersYii!e, Ind, where IL VIII De
buried.
houck's life story reads like novel.
He was born in the little Ohio city OF san
dusky nearly fifty years ago ana spent
most of his boyhood days there. Al an
early age he learned the fascinating art OF
gambling, and found that he had the ann
ity 10 manipulate the pasteboards 10 SUIT
himself. He became professional gam
bier, and was well known all over lhe
country not only as a man OF exceplohal
ability in his profession, but also as man
who so thoroughly understood the art OF
aeception that he was able TO neece Inc
same victim several times over
His only term OF Imprisonment was IN
1882 when he was caught in Texas by De-
tectiye John T. Norris. Houek had heeced
a travelling man named Paul Lohman on d
Hooking Valley train near DeiaaIe IN lhe
quarrel which followed Houck drew a re-
yolyer. The gun was discharged and Loh-
man Was killed Houck fed the country
nut was located Ia Los Angeles, Cal. Nor
ris. who was a detective for the hockIhg
Valley Company. was placed OF his tran
and he had followed Houck as far West as
Deming. where some OF houek cCAisa-
crates were laying for the detective
Norris is an expert telegraph opsTalol
While in the telegraph Cfice at Demlng
he learned ;bat one OF these confederates
had sent a telegram 10 Houck. IheTe was
no doubt il was a message OF warning
Norris used his knowledge of telegraDhy
To good advantage He aslonished the op
orator by placing q silver dollar between
his teeth and telegraphing. This pEi them
on good terms at once. MOTIFS saw lhe
message hanging on the wall but could
not read it, He gained permission TO en-
ter the office to talk to brother opera
tor. There was a mirror on the wa4I. SO
that he could watch every movement oi
the operator When he was not looking
Norris secured the message which read;
DOC llHNlS, SllAS was I1OAth 0AA@A.
Los Angeles. Look out for OHIO.
Norris changed the address 10 Las <
gas and in consequence Houck never got
the message. Norris, having through thls
telegram definitely located Houck. al once
telegraphed the police 10 arrest him. This
was done, and then began the celebrated
chase across the continent. AT Oakland,
Cal, quite a crowd gaJnered around the
car in which Norris was bringing Houck
as a prisoner back TO Ohio. Norris made
them an address and told them that IL they
made an attempt TO rescue Houck he would
kill the prisoner instantly, as he would
hardly dare to return TO Ohio without him
The gang weakened and Norris got away
all right. At Ogden, Utah, Houck's friends
in force boarded the train, presumably to
rescue Houck. Norris gave out the word
that he was going down to Salt Lake City
for a day. The car Was started in the
right direction, but as soon as II was out
side the city limits IL was uncoupled and
taken on East, while the gang, unconscious
OF the trick that had been played, rode
on TO Salt Lake City.
Al Cheyenne. Houck's friends waike1 in
on the sheriff and had everything fixed
court and all, 10 get legal possession OF
Eouck. Two men were 10 swear that the
prisoner was not Houck and he was to be
vance and several miles outside of Chey-
enne a special engine met him, and took
his car at cannonball speed through Chey-
enne ahead OF the regular train. Houck
was finally landed in the Ohio peEiten
tiary 10 serve sixteen years.
He was pardoned from the peniten-
tiary after serving seven years. After his
release he disappeared from the country,
and was not heard from for several years.
when he returned and announced TO his
friends that he had been viewing the
sights abroad. He showed credentials
from three aristocratic clubs in three
leading European cities, emitting him 10
all the privileges of member.
During HIS residence abroad he had
beaten the Prince OF Wales al bacearat
ne had skinned royal dukes one of their
pocket money in ways peculiarly his own;
he had relieved more members OF the Eng
lish aristocgacy of wealth than any high
vas robber since the days of Turpin. And
at all times be moved in the best of So
cietv. he produced papers to show that
while he was in Lcndon he was feted and
dinod by some of the besI people OF Eng
land.
4 lev weeks ago he left for Mexico.
where he was to remain during the win
ter, ostensibly as an agent for an Ameri-
can manufacturer. He got as far as Du-