The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-05-17
Chance Shot in Poker.
OLD Time Bout which sitter suffered.

hundred and the landlord chue<led.
Il reckoned I'd get more play out o
this il / didn't raise the first time II
come TO me-" he said with great Slee-
NOW I'll go you uns another hundred
And he raised, accordingly.
Cannon opened his mouth is II 20
speak and his manner indicated elhat
his first intention was TO raise again,
but thinking better of it he simply
made good. and Brannigan did the
same. 4 reckon you've got me hooked,
he said, go0s- naturedIy, but this here
pot is too big 10 stay out of now. 1
reckon I'll take a chance"
On the draw the landlord stood pat
and Cannon took one card. Brannigan
hesitated, but at length said. This
full house is too blamed small TO be
real good. I'll take chance O gettin
tours" and he showed his discard,
which was actually a pair of mines,
proving that he spoke the truth
They watched him keenly as he
picked up his draw, but he was too
well schOOled to give them any lndlca-
ton. and the landlord threw in a white
chip. Cannon laughed and said, You II
have to get your fourth, stranger, If
you want to get this pot" And he
showed his pile forward.
Brannigan's eyes cleaned That 5
all you've got?" he asked
Yes said Cannon, still laughingly-
Neither Of them was paying any atten-
ton to the landlord.
We'll. 1 reckon III top you,' SAID
Brannigan.
And I'll raise you for what you've
got" said the landlord eagerly This
proved to be about $50, making $12o on
the side
Three sets Of fours appeared on the
showdown, and the landlords was the
largest, being queens against Gannon's
sevens, and Brannigan's fiveS-
The gambler had been a winner up
to that time, and his winnings We're
gone with his investment of $500, but he
smiled as pleasantly as If he had won
the Dot and called for $500 more in
chips. Had the others known him
better they would have known that ne
had reached the danger line
The play went on, harder than ever
for a dozen rounds, and once more
Brannigan was ahead Of the game.
They noticed that he was holding phe-
nOmenaUy good cards and they
watched him closer than ever, to see,
if possible. whether he was holding out,
but if he was, he was doing it cleverly.
and not for half an hour could any OF
them see anything wrong
At length, however. there came a
struggle on his deal, Cannon had three
kings and opened a jackpot IaLef
stayed. and Brannigan raised me
judge stayed and the landlord dropped
out. Cannon and Cater made good.
On the draw the judge called for one
card. Cannon took two, Cater two, ana
the dealer one. Before he could Int II
from the table, however, Cannon VINO
had been the most suspicious OF all d
them, shouted with an oath:
That card came from the bottom OF
the deck, and it's a red ace" And he
reached over and turned 1t up It was
the ace of hearts
i've caught you" he started to say,
but before he could finish his sentence
] NJ.
I Ieyeled at him.
Take that back, or I'll blOW your
head off" he exclaimed, black Win
| rage. mo man can call me a cheat and
/ live. Take it back"
/ reaching for his own gun. 1t woSld
have been of no use to him had he
| drawn il, however, for before he cOulu
I get il out of his pocket the other man
pulled his trigger At the same ms IAN
one of the bystanders struck his hand
/ from behind and the shot missed Can
non.
BY this time the room was III an up
roar, and Brannigan was struggling III
/ the group of three or four men, STRIVING
/ as best he could to shoot again. Ihey
/ overcame him in a few moments ana
! took the weapon from him, but not
/ until then did they notice that the
! Judge had fallen forward in his cnalr
! stone dead. The stray bullet mao
4 struck him between the eyes
/ The St Francis valley IS not coiu-
! monty the scene of great violence Back
/ in the mountains 1t is much more re
] oUentIv the case that blOOdShed VIII
/ occur without recourse TO the law
! Rut even in the St. Francis there IS
| feeling that some crimes are zoe mem
ious to permit of the laws delays III
/ Furnishing them, And they were stern
/ faces that John Brannigan looked into
/ when it was seen that the old Judge
I was really dead.
The iron grip of four mems hands
! held him helpless, and one, VINO ndu
1 been a lifelong crOny OF the JuusS
/ made as if he would grip the gambler :
/ throat. but Cannon spoke again
! ''HOld on" he said, Il think we'll al
take a hand in this. IF we had Jusl
{ caught this man cheating, we'd nave
3 dueked him in the river, or rode nun
/ on a rail. maybe. But he has ktlled oul
I old friend. What shall We DO
Hang him." said the landlord Anu
4 the others said, Hang him.
Rrannigan looked from one to anoIhei
eagerly. If there was d wild nope ~
his mind that some one of them Woulo
! sneak Tor him, he saw nothing TO Ieeo
the hope. and, sulienly dropping DE
{ head he began such a struggle as nc
I man there had. ever seen before. Wlcs
he was almost free, but as ne threw
off his furious caDtOrs for the pnlro
time some one struck INN with hso1F ,
chain and he fell.
Inst then Cater entered the roolr
with two coils Of rope IN his hand- ~
had run 10 his store for them the mo-
ment the sentence of hanging was pro.
nOunced, and one of them was Suilc-eil
TO tie the gambler hand and foot
And the next morning limp llfeiess
form dangled from the limb Of tai
cottonwood tree not a half a mile from
/ Bakers.