The Anaconda standard., 1899-09-05
GAMBLING IN ANACONDA
"reminiscences of the Time When
the Tiger Was Rampant Here.
THE DEATH OF 81 MURPHY
All tho Games Were Stopped and All
the Boys Went Up Stairs to See
Him Die-Carrying Out
the Corpse.

If there is one place in the state
where the anti-gambling law passed by
the legislature of 1897 is rigidly OBJ
served it is Anaconda. Reports keep
coming that games are running in
Butte, in Helena, in Great Falls and
other places in the state. but in Ana
conda not card has been turned in
many, many moons. Most of the pro-
fessional gamblers who made this city
their headquarters, long ago left town
for new pastures. All told perhaps
there are dozen left-men who in
one way or another have interests
here and claim Anaconda as their
home. Occasionally they go to Butte
to indulge in a little whirl with the
tiger. Sometimes they get together
here of an evening and play poker.
But as for faro, there is absolutely
none of it in Anaconda. Some people
think it would be a great deal better
for the town if faro were permitted.
They say it would keep lot of money
in the city that now goes to Butte.
Anaconda has never been sporty"
town in the popular acceptation of the
word-even in it's palmiest gambling
days most Anaconda men who wanted
to play big money" went to Butte.
Yet there have been plenty of gam
blers and gambling here. Anaconda
saw it's best faro days during the races
in 1888 and 1889. During the 1888 meet
ing all chips were worth S25 apiece.
You couldn't get into game-at least
it wasn't worth your while to get into
game-unless you had several hun
dred dollars in cash. There We're gam
bling giants in those days. One night
Jack Dearing came over from Philips
burg He spent two nights and two
days at faro table, and when he quit
he was $4,000 loser.
There were several celebrated gam
blers in Anaconda about that time.
Occasionally one would die and the
boys would always make it a matter of
pride and duty to see that he got
first class funeral There was one of
prominence known generally by the
name of Red" who, when he
died one day in 1891, was
found to be without any Wis
ible estate. The hat was passed
around for the funeral expenses, and
all hands Clipped in freely. Jimmie
Johnson, who was passing the hat,
happened to meet Colonel Estes on the
street and asked him if he would like
to contribute. The colonel it seems,
had dropped $500 at faro the night
before.
Estes to Mr.. johnson, "and get all
you need. And the Lord knows l
would put up the cash to pay for the
funeral of every gambler in town."
One bitter cold night in February.
1893, "Si'' Murphy died in his room
up over Barney McGinley's place. He
was one of the best known and most
hi n
was always on the square: man OF
generous Impulses and many fine traits
of character. He caught cold and died
of pneumonia. When it was known
that he was dying, all the games down
stairs were stopped, and all the dealers
and lookouts went up to bid Murphy
goodbye and see him die. Then all
hands went back and got drunk.
Barney Mckinley and one or two
others went back after awhile, and de-
liberated how to remove the corpse into
front room. 1t was a difficult task,
| for the room in which the body lay
was reached by means of a, short, mar
row bend In the hall 1t was impossi-
BILE to carry the body horizontally-it
would have to be either doubled up or
carried in a perpendicular position.
The latter plan was agreed upon as
the boys were anxious to offer no m
dignities to poor 81 Murphy's body
corpse out in a perpendicular position,
how could they do it without its fall
ing all over them? The boys were
pretty full and they were not sure of
their ability to carry 81 out properly
in any position.
Lets open the window and freeze
him stiff and carry him out in the
morning." said one.
This plan was unanimously adopted
1t was 30 degrees below zero and still
growing colder. The window was ac-
cordingly opened. At II o'clock next
morning the boys went to the room and
found the corpse as stiff as a board.
They lifted it out of bed and stood it
against the wall. One man begged to
be excused from his share of carrying
it, as he said he had a horror of touch
ing corpses. At this the others insist
ed, and during the alteration that en-
sued it is regrettable to state that the
corpse fell over and In falling knocked
one man down with 1t. But the body
at last was safely carried to the front
room and properly cared for. ST
Murphy's funeral was the largest that
a gambler in Anaconda ever received
All the gamblers and all their friends
engaged hacks and accompanied the
hearse to the cemetery.
Speaking of "hoodoo" faro fiends,
| there was Carr Carr was telegraph
editor of the Standard from 1891 to
| 1894. Carr was a good telegraph edt-
tor and a good fellow, but the poorest
| faro bank player that ever bet chip.
But he was hoodoo to himself and
the house-not to other players, for
they coppered his plays with regular
| ity and success. His appearance in
| gambling house created CONSERVATION
among proprietors and dealers, but joy
and jubilation among others. Carr
would go up to a table an6piay, say
the king to win. Instantly there would
be a dozen plays on the king to loose.
The king would be buried under mass
of chips as big as a dinner bucket. or
course Carr would win sometimes, and
when he did he would get back at his
copperers with irony and eloquent pro-
family, for he was as fluent and vigor-
| nuS a SWearer as ever condemned a