The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-03-25
KILLING OF DAVE KING.


In 1887 Helena, Mon, Was oyerTun by a shoal
Of sure thing gamblers. Prior 10 that time gam
bling had been licensed and there had been fair
play Not only were sure thing games running
in many gambling houses, but along the side
walks Of Main street for several blocks games
Of all kinds were in full blast The streets were
crowded nightly and every game from the old time
shell to the Photograph sale were reaping a rich
harvest In one gambling house a short faro
game had been started and attracted a great Ceal
Of attention.
1t WAS run by a couple Of Frenchmen. In
playing short faro the dealer uses 4 dealing box
omcwha similar 10 tho regulation faro box,
the difference being that the sides and crds and
top are put away until there remains only the
frame If boz exposing tie cards from every
direction wirhIust enough Of a frame to hold them
IA place compauly. In short faro the cards are
placed in n h1N backs upward instead Of face
upward as in regular fare, There are no cards
| TASTED on the able upon which Ia place bets.
In the middle Of the table is a g]litcIing heap
q gold and silver money with greelhacks Of all
denominations lying carelrssly around.
The dealer having carefully shufled the cards
places them in the box backs upward lie then
slowly and with many 'ourishcS deals out six
cards, placing Them face downward in a semi
| circle on the table He then invites bets, 4
player can bet on any one Of the six cards lying
face down upon the talln And as many rs care
| To do 81 can play When all bets have been made
the dealer pulls from the box the seventh card
and turns II face upward. Then he turns up
each Of the six cards upon which he had invited
bets. II the dealers card is higher than the bet
tors card the bank wins. II the h"ltor1, cad
i. high,r than the one turned by tie & aIcr 'hc
better wins If,'howerrr, there is a lie, i 2, the
degicr turns the same card that the hc,ttor Lad
had llacci his money on. the brnk wins i}ut
in sucn a cas-" the player has tn" option o ilosing
lis money or he can have another chance the
most LAND around II h" will double lis bet
! THIS process can lA continued ~ long - tire
| l',l.r i. wiling To- double hE, stakes i lie wins
h. Cots rad IN tuil, l. he loses the bank rc'S al.
! In to regular -Gr1c ~ faro when III dcr'nr tur"s
/ out tIor cards NJ o." same den, mlnapon it is called
u ,ht AM III" hanh takes on" hal! Of the amount
OF tie bot.
Uisr'i. cp.ion # doubling = hot to save a loss
! thu fI.CIGait p.Hynr5 81 rLurt faro. OF cuuJ',
un.'a. lruil gtmiiars I'D not play short fare,
, l..,U~ II "nS known o. y crooked ggmr To
d..jrr w Placing The first / ctr' NJ IA Nh" tai.e,
dee. II oIlI f"nAE i,u'. les am ia '0Ch u Way as
g. ,.,Nr % payer To- 'ee ,uSt What r.CG Cgrl o.
'.l.r' n lie. '',e down mp - the 'Hl!". Il 'I'
rar"Vas' hn plrynIor ~" -luar'tho odds would
~ AGAINST the ua,E . To- l. t"t It Is played
with fixed Cari' uul The Gcalor / a'l" ~ Hold in
tho ho, a'l On M" top of thr DECK al 81 the high
ct7dgso'.rt he can a'auy i'm" h'atuf tie q player
who Gem, 10 have nancy. tHpp'r, AZ" always
used ul. wien u 'tr.nEnr upp'arS they pay
ana win l'rre ums, which they Turn in %aitorworI.
" hen 70 man is PLAYING high, doubling hi hot
edcn Time, itiH p''~lb'c i"r - man rnh!nE snail
brts or ulhor cards g. win with ea-r. The hi-l
pNyer r'hE I" on. 2 comparatively low era
and III" dealer, in order To- tie him and make lin
dpuh'" tla -laHrs, viii have L. Turn the 'cme cusi.
So that III the small player he, Ia d. i 10 "oit!
f. IN rec ~ y ling. pace his bet upon II, Gui
PICK up his norcy each tim" TIE cards are turrel
Il wa While paying at Ms game dat Dave
Y no .tSI : - 20. ia y nov lhhI KING hRl INHn
living IL ir Tlul0. 'hmpS u NhrN-NIll" HrH
NirE,- tur q couple Of veal tie vG- one Il tle
lot EGrllr-, Ia tie Wet lie l,J.ci however,
Ike " tEfl'uI mirror rs, wearing q. ot crHy Al,
huo 'alr.. shirt. trousers tUri II 90 hi, boot
h"st'9'"i IN where M shoTttnr' fam, vas oy.nE
hgan 10 rlay Tor ligh stgLrs Nftrr w|q,rlir,
the -am" trr = fcw minutes King began lo U,nv,
Ilaring one dollar bills roI'"d into q ball On 'ae
player at the UypuSite end u tne table Rad begun
o. double hi, ,lair-, ard TIC dealer We. Swing
his attention to tie lIyii betl ling ui4h
BET, alwa~s with q ouc-lollar hin rolled into o vad
Ih," dealer in paving "uui! iIcH W a 9H"d1iiar
going on for PERHAPS ua!f m luur Nuen llr dc1.hT
again tossed "A s'ilod o.C-dollaT bill g. King in
payment, n The dealAr thnugat ui!a one dollar BIT
Gone again said Sing 10 the dealer. Look
at that bet.
The doai,r, = slight-built, blackeNad, nervous
TruchUan, leaned over and uErl.pd Kings
bet rs he did SO he saw that he had been tnc;ed
y crisp, yellow, thousand dollar note rolled ont #
II" dirty one dollar bill. King had won Sl,OOl.
The dealer was " hite with rage. There was no
limit to the game. and King had won fairly. The
dealer. instead Of p wing the bet, leaned haca IN
his Chai: reached his hand Under the lGlie ana
sprang forward ami over the table. In Ids right
hand CLEANED a long stiletto. In an instant he
had buried II In Kings neck. pulled IL out and
buried II again.
The place was in an uproar In an instant. Thu
visitors broke for the door, and the cappers and
bpuncers pulled their guns and jumped upua
King, lie was harmless, however, for the French
mans aim had been true. lie had killed King
with tho first stab.
There was Il great to-do about this crime. Tho
Frenchmau managed TO get out Of town, and was
never caught, and IL was given out by the owners
Of the gomblin K house that King had been billed
I'm a row Of his own making. But the short faro
game was closed and never reopensd. Shortly
aiterward an anu-gambling law was passed in
Montana, and all sure thing games were closed.
much 10 the satisfaction Of the square gamblers.