The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-02-23
POKER ON The MISSISSIPPI.
AN OLD-TIME CAME THAT ENDED
WITH THREE MEN DEAD.
River Gamblers Who Dragged q They
Didn't Cheat One Another-A Game
That Cast Doubt on the Proposition
Tho Survivor Took the Pot

WV Nab u hODNh thhaAA RESAN $500 49,
travel tho river In the old days. befo' TIN
wah.' said Caleb Mix. the veteran bar
tender on the Mississippi packet Natchez
IAN some of 'em was monstrous nifty
'Thcrc was one thing they always usetel
brag about that might ha' been true an
might not. 'Twa'n't very often they'd sci
in by themselves an try 10 chaw each
other up. Just naturally they'd Away:
get a sucker in the game IL they could
but once In a while, when there VAN no.
body around that would play, they'd get
up a game amongst themselves, an when
they did they'd always agree before be-
ginning to play a perfectly straight, square
game. An the brag was that when a
gambler give his word to play square he
always done II.
.Inever took no stock In that. o. course
they was always mighty careful, for 1t
were a case o. shoot quick IL one Of 'em
got catched cheatin'. but I don't reckon
there was one on 'em hat wouldn't ha'
taken any advantage he could IN the game,
no matter what he might ha' said before he
sat In.
ANYWAY, one o. the worst mix-ups
ever see at a poker table, an I've seen a
good many was when four Of ZEN was playin'
| tOReliCT OH lit Oid Si''F' b''N' gt'' ~
fore we got 70 New Orleans on the home
| trip one night in the fall o SO or so.
1T hadn't been a good trip for any OF
'em. Somehow, there hadn't been much
doin' on tho way up, an comm back it
/ was worse.
1T lust happened that there want
no passengers either way that cared 20
play. on'y a few tina was either too careful
: - .-.,.k -. Jilrs, haya yn,,cb with 'apn
to lose. I don't reckon any one Of 'em
had taken in a hundred dollars in the whole
time. an the way they spent money that
want travellin' expenses.
Just naturally they was sore, an when
they see there was no chance o doin' nothin
with the outside public they made It up
to have a game their own selves the last
night. an see which of 'em d have TO suffer
to help the others out.
There was Al Davis. an Gus Holloway.
an George Billings an Pierre Beauregard.
They was all thoroughbreds an was known
IN an down the river for Merry man. as a
man had to be to hold his own among the
sports them days, but Beaurcgard was a
little the ~nifticst one o the whole bunch.
They said he come from good people
an had ought to be a gentleman, but he
were a black sheep an they wouldn't have
nothin' TO do with him, but so FAR as manners
an education goes he were equal 70 any o
the aristocrats in New Orleans lie were
a dandy. too, even among the gamblers,
an they was all dandies them days.
-Thev said he never wore anything but
wha, was bought in Paris. an his clothes
cost him more n his horses did. An he
wore jewelfy like a woman,
He were a womanish lookin chap, too,
an as soft an elegant in his talk as a
preacher. bur when there was any call Tor
Il he'd fight like a tiger, He'd fought half
a-dozen duels, for they fought dueis tnein
DAYS, an he had a record o. KILN four
men with a knife in rough-an'-tumble
fights different times.
Billings an Davis had pretty good repu-
tations, too, for fighting. but Holloway
was a man I'm up river somewheres; NAT
hadn't been known long in New Orleans
an nobody knowed whether he were a
fighter or not.
He were monstrous slick with the cards,
though, like all the others was. an they oil
knowed he were a first-class poker player
Dayiq an Billing was pals an always
worked the river together. but HaiioWay
an Beauregard useter travel alone mostly
an they bein' on the same boat this time
was likely an accident.
have one sittin' AT poker before ge'tln,
into New Orleans on the home trip an
the play begun about o O'Clock. We was
due at the levee before daybreak. an they
] mad some SIX or tlpHN lbuIN W INhN INV
is If they lasted that time, which We're
doubtful, for il were a moral certainty
that the play would be high II the cards
High play, don't always make a short
rame. though. They played along ftl
midnight without any startling good hands
nor no big tussles between two poor ones
They was oil playin' pretty cautious an
LAWN for a chance.
The first one to get II was Holloway.
! TIL. ,Hua an faaEfAf fhnf was ENEGRf nfNh0
up ill there was near 500 in IL, an ne cauChi
four sevens In the deal.
.He were sittin' in the golden seat, too,
for he dealt. an things was certainly
smooth for him that trip. BILLINGS opened
tho pot for a hundred right under the guns
an Beauregard h'isied him hundred, Dave
sat next, an whciher he did d. 10 protect
Billings or not. ! don't know, but he came
in with two hundred more, maxim " in't
! hundred for Holloway TO draw cards. Just
naturally. he laid back TO see if thore'd j."
any more rairin' before the draw, an ne
lust come in.
Billings didn't have no hand TO raise
on. bat he made. good, an B"ahrrEaru, /
| reckon must ha' suspiCioncd a CtoSScul'
for no didn't raise no more, to al iaNlH
had 10 do was 10 set back an wat. mere
was. 81, 700 in the pot. an the draw to come.
billings o two cards, an benItg
gard stood pat. Davis studied for n WINE
an then lowed he'd take two. lheh lhe
| dealer. O. course, No draw"d one IL was
n nre,ty situation an about a. mig a sure
thing for Holloway as ] ever see
Killings throwed in Il whit" Ciip,, PEN
q, an waited 10 see what the others'd DO
To didn't have to wait long, for beaure-
rord uut up his white chip an sl'oo
"aDayis throwed down his CARDS. Nhetner
be Ind thures, or whether he'd been bluiiln,
ircvcr knew. but even threes Wahta good
hand 20 put up sl.ooo on, un'Gr thenl cur
c,nstoucss. Mhatpvcr he hid' ne dldht
u,ka no mistake layin' Il down.
"aTbat give HALFWAY his chance, and he
! djdn'f do n thing with u, ouy 10 put up
40 np more. billings took 10 me woods an
!, yyns nm TO BeauT"g1rd, goud an hard.
a.G,st naturally he hsdhi no way O
;udg;n' what Holloway was doing il on,
gyeein' he draved one card. but Il looked
iita he'd filled a full or a high flush, an %
nou,ao he might have Tours. Anyway,
!, ynoda Beauregard study for some times,
hu, he had a Ring full an o course he
! ouldn' Law down. -
Il reckon most players would ha' h'isted
q. orcc r,o-a il they'd had the money. an
Roourcoard always had money, but he
iooLad az Holloway monstrous keen till
Lc satisfed hissclt that there wasn't no
hhi,S amt IL, an then lee called.
That give Holloway over 1900 winnings
-, ,bc Lsnd. Il WaH q way CUT q sight
The hon West play - the night, an the others
,.as 80 bui thera want q word said.
' 'tA' a- wH.MHt