Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-04-25
HOT SPRINGS GAMBLING WAR.
Battle Between the Flynn and Doran
Factions With Honors Even.

d Every visitor OF sporting prociivI
+ ties at Hot Springs has pointed on
& to him grizzied man slightly below
the medium height, with piercing bI,n
}. eyes, who spends most OF his time ir
r a popular cigar store. He walks witt
l his right foot turned almost at right
: angles to his left, owing to load oi
: buckshot which distributed itself about
: the joint. His left arm hangs. use
less at his side. The bone was shat
, tered by a rife bullet. His body is
scanned with scars representing hot
lead and cold steel. Just how many
OF them there are the bearer of them
Will not tell. for he cannot be induced
: to talk Of his past. When he laid
aside the cards and faro box. the
winchester and six-shooter he also
tried to forget the events connected
with them. AT present he is a mud
and peaceable citizen, living up the
fruits OF his labor in the days when
he dared not put his head out of doors
without having several scouts in ad-
vance to see that no enemy iurked in
ambush.
l
At one time he was absolute monarch
or the gamblers in the town where
gambling Is at greater pressure and
more openly than any other place in
America. Seated at his table in
what Is now the well known Airing
ton Hall saloon. he sent out agenrs
and collected tribute from every own.
er of game in the city. Soon after
fiynns assumption or the gambling
throne one man refused to pay his
toll. The next day he was buried
and Flynn for some time after con
Quoted his business After that no
one denied allegiance to the king. He
maintained his supremacy until the
spring of 1884, when there was fought
the battle for the gambling privileges
of Hot Springs, Ark. campaign of
outlawry for which displays of abso
lutte disregard of constituted authori.
ty. personal bravery, and dogged de-
termination, is without parallel
AT that time there were ten gam
bling houses in Hot Springs. all un
der the control of Frank Flynn. who
had his brother Billy as partner.
Flynn had been exacting from all who
desired to run game so large pei
centage OF the winnings that. with
more games running, there would
have been no profit for any but him
self. jim Lane. than whom. at that
time, no man in sporting circles was
better known, was a dependent OF
tlynn's and became tired of giving
| a tI.. Inr nr L.;
therefore. he determined, II possible
to end that state of affairs and wresl
forever from Flynn the monopoly OF
gambling in the best known health re
sort OF America. He wrote to Thorn
as Doran. who was then running
house at New Orleans. to visit the
Springs and look the ground over with
view to opening an Independent
house. promising him all the aid pos
sible. For this purpose he quietly
organized band of gamblers, who
were tired OF Flynns tyrannical rule.
All OF them were game men and fight
ing for what they called their right
to do business without Interference
from any man. Doran came ut once
in response to the letter, looked the
town over and SAID
Yes, | Will open a game, and say
nothing to Mr.. Flynn about it."
Where the Parlor drug store now
stands there was then located the Owl
saloon. This liquid disturbance pal
ace was housed In a twostory frame
stru"tuie. The upper foLr had at
one time been used for a gambling
hor Sc. Under the regime establish
ed by h'lyhn IT had been closed up
This room Doran secured for his new
independent enterprise.
flynn and Doran did not meet un-
I'll the latter had been In business al
most two weeks. One day they met
on the main street. Flynn did not
see his rival until:
why, hello Frank said Doran. at
the sanfst time drawing neavy revol-
yer fro his belt and opening fire.
Flynn wore a steel breast plate,
which s0bpped six bullets from Do
rams smoke-Wagen In the next six sec
olds. The iusilade, together with
the jar OF the bullets striking the
shield, so dazed the trihute-demanding
gambler that he did not draw a weap-
on, but stood still to be shot at. See
ing that he wasn't making a satisfac-
tory impression. Doran replaced his
now empty weapon In its holster and
drew another. the third bullet from
which knocked Flynn down. Think
ing that he had at last solved the
problem OF gambling to his satisfac-
ton Doran colly reloaded his weapon
and strolled away.
But Doran had shot too straight.
The protection worn by Flynn for
Just such emergencies had saved him.
He was taken to his home, where he
remained a month or six weeks. II
was given out at the time that he was
resting. but 1t became known that
the jar of the bullets had affected his
. lungs, and that he was suffering from
hemorrhages. When he was able to
, be out again Hot Springs was armed
for war The little main thorough.