The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-07-16
STORY THAT READS LIKE A ROMANCE,
Top Evans Was at One Time Prominent
Lawyer In Cumberland.

Williamsport, Pa, paper, and has
to deal principally with lawyer who
was once a member of the Allegany
County Bar and with whom the ven.
cradle Jacob Brown read law. Mr..
Brown says that some of the follow
ing is tue, but much of it he thinks,
is untrue:
George F. Wagner, who lives with
his wife in Williamsport, Pa, has
had an eventful career and in ante.
bellum days served as the body ser
want of TOP" Evans, one of the
most noted gamblers the Mississippi
river ever Flew.
Wagner is an octoroon and was
born N Washin gton county, Nd in
1922. His father was wealthy plan
ter and before his death freed Wag-
oner's mo ther and left her an annu-
ity He also provided for the educa-
ton of his children and Wagner re-
ceived the best schooling afforded in
the community.
Evans, whom Wagner served, and
with whom he saw a great part of
the country, was a strange character.
He was once lawyer at Cumberland
Nd, but tired of the prosaic eX' tence
OF a country barrister and turned
his attention to more exciting games.
He never used liquor in any form, but
was never without a long black cigar.
Tall and straight, with jet black hair
and smooth smiling face, he never
failed to inspire confidence when he
met stranger. But once behind a
poker hand, with the stranger oppo-
site, the smile changed and the gen
ial Evans, barrister, became at once
Top Evans, gambler, without pity
and ready TO take the last cent
staked.
The gang to which Evans belonged
generally worked in pairs and a no
ted sporting man from Virginia
named "Davy" Waddell was gener-
ally his partner. Evans and Waddell
were known as the leaders of the Mis-
sissippi gamblers, and were the ma
bobs of the fraternity. Both were par
ticular about their dress, and always
went on their trips accompanied by
body servants. Top Evans fairly
hated Northern man and always re-
fused to sit in game with one, no
matter how much of the ''long green"
he possessed. Notwithstanding this
hatred, he was rabid abolitionist
and refused to hold slaves. During
the time Wagner was with him he
paid him wages of $50 per month and
provided for him.
Unlike the gambler of fiction top"
Evans never had any desperate fights
hairbreadth escapes from death. He
was the perfect type of a gentleman
gamester, and took his gains and loss
es with equal good temper. His man
tent in Cumberland his native place,
and after hard season would settle
down on his plantation and lead the
peaceful life of gentleman farmer
with sporting tastes. 1t was on one
of these short vacations from active
duty that one of the most interest
ing experiences of his career occurred.
Accompanied by bis servant, Wagon
er, he rode over to the place of a
neighbor named Tom Taylor. Taylor
was considered the wealthiest man in
the county and had so many slaves
that he had completely lost track Of
them. Two or three other friends
dropped in during the evening and a
little game of 50-cent limit was pro-
posed. Now Evans when On the road,
generally played for table stakes, but
among friends was wiling to take a
hand for any ante just for the socia-
bility derived from paying. The
game went along with varying for
tune, as all games of this class do,
and none of the players were much
ahead, but towards u o'clock old
man Taylor, after drinking several
rather long juleps, proposed to re-
move the limit The others assented
but Evans held back, knowing full
well that if he wanted his friends
money he could get it without much
trouble. The others urged him to
such an extent however, that he
finally waived all objections.
Let her go'' said Top, "I'm game
for anything from the cellar to the
roof"
They evidently did "let her go, for
along about 7 o'clock the next morn
ing Taylor was $1,000 to the bad and
Evans was a big winner. In those
days, in a friendly game, no money
passed over the table until the finish
of the sitting, the banker keeping &C
count of the checks purchased and
the player settling at the end. Old
man Taylor didn't have much of the
necessary about him, as was often the
case, but he had remarkable man
ner of raising money-he used his
''niggers' for coin. The game had
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