The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-03-06

| bank was being hard hit or the play was
very big. Johnnie dealt straight But he
must have made that little shift of the
| cards thousands of times when the least
| false move meant instant death.
| Where Johnnie came from no one
| knew or cared, it not being etiquette in
| those days to inquire into mans past
! He drifted into our camp in the boom
| times and began dealing for Len Tow
| nsend. | don't know whether Len knew
| he was crooked, but it wasn't long before
| Johnnie was drawing the highest wages
| of any dealer in the camp. After a little
| he started up bank of his own. 1t was
! a success from the first, and Johnnie was
making big money when the entangle-
ment with the Mexican girl that led 10
his death came.
The girl was one of the sort common
in camps of that day. Occasionally she
used TO take a turn al dealing bank in
one of the halls for the purpose of draw
| ing trade, as she had all kinds of good
looks. Finally she tried dealing on her
own account, having saved up quite
! little money. But She had a run of bad
luck and it was APPARENT her bank roll
was almost gone when Johnnie came to
the rescue.
First he dealt a few times for her,
and every time the house won. Then he
made the mistake of his career. He
showed her his trick of dealing brace,
| and put in all the time he could spare
from his own game in teaching her how
to make the shift. And that was simply
signing his own death warrant. He had
delivered himself over to an unusually
treacherous specimen of u treacherous
class.
of course, after little while some oc-
casion for dispute arose between them,
| and the girl having the temper of a beau
tiful fiend. began to hate Johnnie more
than she liked aim at first. In the camp
was a miner named Judson, who had had
two or three little disagreements with
Johnnie, and, in addition had gone
| broke trying to beat JOhnnie's bank
The Mexican girl sent word for Judson
to come TO her place. Then she explain
ed to him JOhnnies method of dealing
and showed him a box similar TO the one
Johnnie used himself-a box he had made
for her. Judson tipped off two or three
other men who had lost heavily at the
game. and they laid their trap to catch
Johnnie and put a permanent end TO his
career as a brace dealer.
1T was arranged that two OF the men
should play and play high. while Judson
was to stand at one side behind the
lookout as if he was just watching the
game. Judson was to give a signal Then
knew Johnnie keefer. and were certain
that when the time for action came there
would be no talking. After the first
word about brace dealing was uttered
things would begin tohapen mighty sud
den. 1t was before the days OF self cock
ing revolvers but n trained shot. by snap
ping the hamer back with his thumb.
could get about as quick action as a
man with the most modern gun.
For nearly an hour Judson stood at
one side looking on-wh!le his confeder-
atoS played The bank had been hit pref
" hard. but either Johnnie had dealt
traighI or else even the men who knew
how he shifted the cards were unable to
feel certain he had turned trick FL
nally it came near the end Of a deal The
ace and seven were both cases and the
ace had won three times in row while
the seven had lost correspondinglv
When it came time To call tho turn nearly
everybody Al the table put down a big
bet. calling the ace to lose and the seven
10 win. Judson and his partners ex-
changed giances. II the dealer was go
ing 70 shift the cards Il would come Just
at this turn.
Johnnie always pushed out the cards
pretty fast. especially near the end Of
deal. Just how the cards would have
come out this tine no one ever knew
Johnnie had just begun pushing Of the
You're dealing
'ProSaoly he meant 70 say brace but
the sentence was never finished Al the
first syllable Johnnie. APPARENTLY without
taking the tire 20 look w. seEf his hand
20 his coat pocket Tire o. four shots
rang out ~ the same Instant Then t7ro
more. and Johnnie Keefer slipped 20 tha
Goor. lie Rad FOUR wounds. any one Of
which would have been mortal When
We picked him uD Il was plain he had
dealt his last deal at either straight or
brace faro.
when Judson spoke his first words
Johnnie had nred through HE coat A.
one of the n-eu across the table who uas
Just drawing hrs gun. The ehof r1issd The
mans heart bot BY a decidedly small
margin Before Johnnie could IRE again
the bullets from the others took ere.
Jui7sor's dTst shot going through his head
fust above the right eve These men had
been prepared. while Ire emergency cau-e
on Johnnie without warning y ~ had
hsd 3 chance he might have won CIT
even sE1frst sgch rer-fe5e cads
And when wc csr1e 70 look SO tre faro
want u fszf q crooked :grn ar rot n
tre excIte-ent the BOX hsa ct <uockeFl
~ iha ,1h-s ard TIE csr5s tsli or were
knocked our- 7e-haps 5chnaie Keessr
vz a. ths uoirt g uzkirz n h7-est
zeal whe- The end CEN = EH-as
Hct Well Received.