The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1907-06-06
WENT IN A HURRY
MAN LITERALLY ROLLED our ne
TROUBLE.
o'd' Timer Tells of Tough Experience.
IN Western Texas Town Where
the Country Was Wide
Open.

Inc passing of gambling in Texas
Drought out "reminiscences of the earl,
days when the games were run wide
open in many of the towns of the
state. Jess Fry of San Antonio. who
was In the front during the construc.
tlon OF the Southern Pacific through
the western part of Texas. tells this
story.
In 1884 / was railroad and express
agent at a new station. which was
theh the end of the line of the South.
ern Pacific. This experience of mine
happened on a monthly pay day.
Every workingman in camp had
money. Most Of them had the gam.
bling fever, and leeches from all over
the west were on hand to get their
share of the dinero.
On this particular day the most
notorious of the professional gamblers
In camp was Ike Winters, who had
come over from Tombstone. Ariz.
Along in the evening Winters and a
lew others started poker game in
tent which was pitched just at the
edge OF a steep hill. When ] got
through with my duties as agent |
went up to take look at the game.
Il was invited to take a hand. and
that being about the only way to pass
away the time | sat in. The other
players were sitting upon empty pow
der kegs and boxes, and | went to the
commissary tent near by and got an
empty flour barrel, which | used for
seat.
The game progressed without in.
cident for an hour or two, and then
there occurred the biggest rumpus !
was ever In. There were five or
six players besides Winters. Among
them was half-breed Mexican who
had come over from Mexico with a
reputation as killer.
He was, like Winters, d profession
al gambler. Winters was unacquaint
ed with this half-breed Mexican. He
took him to be a foreman of a con
struction gang, probably. Had hi
known his desperate character, don
believe he would have been so quicl
to precipitate the trouble.
The pot was large one. The half
breed Mexican and Winters caugh
match hands. Both men claimed tn,
pot. Each started to reach for 1
about the same instant, each draw
ing his gun with his right hand The.
fired at each other simultaneously.
That was only the beginning o
the melee. The light was knocked out
and in the darkness the flash of pis
tolls could be seen. / am old enoug
now to admit that ! was scared.
"The first thought that occurred t
| me was that | must seek some plac
of safety. Why not crawl into tn
empty flour barrel? got into the ban
rel all right. and was lying Their
trembling when one of the gambler
gave the barrel a kick to get it GU
of his way and sent it beneath tn
flap of the tent and away it went
rolling down that steep hill, with m
inside of it.
udl ulH was NEARLY HAIL liii
long, and the barrel went tumblin
down it, humping over stones an
crushing through the desert vegets
ton. Toward the end of the decliN
ity it was going at terrific speed.
Il suffered untold agony during tina
terrible ride. l could not get out
| was rolled over and over at tn
ate of a hundred times a second,
seemed to me, 1t happened that Their
were no nails protruding through tn
barrel Had there been | would hav
been punctured full of holes.
The barrel finally came to stanc
still and ! crawled out, ! was bruise
all over, but managed to pull mysel
up the steep hill to the railroad stf
ton. l had escaped from the scene G
| the shooting. but / felt that | woul
probably have Jared better had | re
manned there.
THE shooting ARRAY resulted in tn
| killing of Winters, the half-breed Me'
lean and another gambler. IN.
Sun.