The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-05-09
STRENUOUS POKER.
As Played in Montana Stage Coach
Told by Bill Graves.

zone of the worst mixups I ever
saw at a game of poker, an I've seen
a good many, was when four gamblers
played in my coach all of one day
during my trip from Dillon. in Mon
tana. up to Bismarck" said old Bill
Graves, the first driver to hold the
reins over d coach that penetrated the
winding Businesses of the Little Ruby
river in the early mining days, says
the Anaconda Standard.
In them days the gam useter
make the trip with me as much as
oncet week, and they would usually
stop at all the camps along the line
to Silver City and line their pockets
for the big games in store at the end
of the run. It hadn't been a good
trip for any of them. however, and it
Just happened that had no pas
sengers aboard who wanted to play
\ few of them was too careful to lose
much or didn't have much with them
to lose. I don'tareckon any one O.
the gamblers had taken in 500 along
days that wasn't even the price of
travelling expenses, the way them fell
lers spent money.
Nationally they was sore, and
when they seen that there was moth
ing doing with the travelling public
they made it up to have a game
among themselves and see which of
them would have to lose to help the
others out.
I'm the crowd was Joe Goddard.
Mike ConOley, Bill Ayers and Gaspard
LeCouer. who came from Moo Or
leans. They was thoroughbreds, and
was known all over the west for nervy
men.
lie Couer had come from good
people, but he We're a black sheep. and
the folks wouldn't have nothing to do
with him. But as far as manners and
education went, there want none what
came west could equal him. lie Couer
was about the nerviest member of the
party. He were a great dandy, too,
and in them days most all gamblers
was handles.
He was as soft and elegant in his
talk as a preacher, but if there were
a call for fight he was all there. He
were a mountaineering chap, but
he had fought five or six duels, and
he had record of killing three men
with a knife in q rough-and-tumbl bic
fight at one sitting.
Goddard and Ayers had pretty good
regulations as fighters, but Conoley was
a man from down east someWheres that
hadn't been in the west long, and no
body knowed much about him.
They made it up to have one sitting
of poker before we got into Bannack.
We was due there about an hour after
dark, and the play began about 10
O'Clock in the morning. We all knOwed
in advance that it were sure to be a
game with high stakes if the cards run
good.
But high play don't always make
short game. The game ran along until
midday without any startling hands be
ing passed over the table. All were
playing mOnstrous cautious and laying
for a good chance. The first one to get
it was Conoley. The Jackpot was sweet
ened up until there was near 500 in It.
H. u
He had dealt the cards himself. Ayers
opened the pot for a hundred right un-
der the guns and lie Couer hoisted him
another hundred. Goddard sat next
and he came in with two hundred more,
making it four hundred for Conoley to
draw cards. Ayers didn't have no hand
to raise on. but he made good, and La
ColIer must have suspicioned cross
cut. fer he didn't raise no more, so an
Goddard had to do was to set back and
wait. They were then $1,70O in the pot
and the draw to come.
ayers took two cards and lie Couer
stood pat. Goddard studied his hand
far awhile and allowed as how he d
take two. Then the dealer drawed one.
It were a pretty sure thing for Conoley
as anything [ ever saw. Ayers throWed
in a white chip and $1,000 Goddard
throwed@ down his hand. He may nave
been blufhng and he may nave had
good hand, but leastwise he d1dn I nave
a good enough combination to bet $1,000
on. Whatever he had he didn't make
the mistake Of laying 1t down
This gave Conoley his chance, ana
he put up $1,000 more. Ayers took to
the woods, and it was up good and
hard to LIE Couer. Naturally he hadn't
no way of judging what Conoley was
doing it on, seeing as how he drawed
one card, but it looked like he'd MADE
a full or high flush, and O. course he
might have tours. Anyway, it made
lie Couer study some, but he had a king
full an O. course he couldn't lay 1t
down. Most players would have hoist
ed It once more if they'd had the money
and LIE Couer always had plenty o cash
He looked at Conoley nonstrous sharp
till he satisfied hisself that there wasn't
no bluff about it. and then he called
That give Conoley over $500 winnings
on the hand The other players was
sore at missing their chance at this big