Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1901-05-10
HANGED ON CAT ISLAND.
Fate of a Crooked Gambler in the
Early Days on the Missouri.

Fate of a Crooked Gambler in the
Early Days on the Missouri.
'"rhere used to be place on the river
north of here that was called Cat ISL
and" said Billy Afford to st. Joseph
News man the other day. He was an
old-time engineer, and many years ago
was familiar with every NILE of the
Missouri River. He was assured that
an island bearing the same name was
still IN existence "It may he the same
place and it may not" said Afford.
The river Is so treacherous that 1t
may have washed that island away and
formed another one in its place since
knew anything about 1t. There was
big tree ON the island as / remember
it, and we used it once to hang the
rankest gambler on the river. We toll
Grated that man three seasons, because
the river men did not want to resort to
violence At first he seemed to be
square, but we began to hear whispers
about him. 1t was in '5S that he feeced
young fellow out of $5OO0-just
plain case of robbery. He had let the
young fellow win just to get him inter-
ested, and then aimed to rake In the
whole thing Somehow the young fel-
low got hold of the wrong cards when
there was $4,000 in the pot. The youth
reached for all the money on the board,
but the gambler made grab for 1t and
took all his hand would hold. Stuthng
it in his pocket as he ran, he jumped
overheard; and made for the shore. BY
the time we realized what was going on
he was far astern, but the captain sent
boat after him, loaded with armed
men. They had to shoot him and break
his arm before he would stop. That
was near the place known as Cat ISL
and, and we headed the Henrietta
! that was the name of the boat-for the
shore. The mate and a dozen men did
the job, and the inexperienced young
man from the East got his money back.
The young man left the boat at Omaha
and came back down the river ahead Of
us. When we returned the body Of the
gambler was still hanging to the tree.
The other young man who had been
feeced came to st. Joseph and COM
mitted suicide on account of remorse.
His body and money were sent back to
his father, and | heard afterward that
the old man said the boy was worth
more dead than he was alive. He said
the youth had left home with $40 and a
new suit of clothes. 1t seemed that he
knew the cards himself and that he had
got the best of the man we hanged In
former game at Cincinnati. We used
to feel mighty queer after that when
we passed Cat Island in the night. |
never knew why it was called Cat Isl
and. but imagined it was given the
name because 1t was inhabited only by
cats. | know | could hear their cries
every time we passed the place after
that hanging and it made the cold shiv-
ers run down my back. There Is close
connection between cats and murders
and ghosts, anyway. l have wondered
a thousand times who the man was we
hanged on the island that night with so
little ceremony. He was not young
man, but he was handsome fellow
and might have had n family some.
where. have wondered If some won.
an and little children did not wait years
and years for him to come back, and
wonder what had become Of him. They
might have believed him to be an hon
est man, engaged in a legitimate busl-
ness, and even If they knew he was a
gambler they might have loved him
Just as well. don't believe the body
was ever taken off the island, but
don't really know what became of It
never heard anything more about IT.
st. Joseph News.