Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1907-08-12
AN OLD TIME GAMBLING
EPISODE.
1a@AHeAAAM.. /:
IOrisinall

lOrisinall
when was little chap living In
Cincinnati l was delicate. We had
relatives In New Orleans, and at one
time l was sent down there for my
health. The only route was by the
Ohio and Mississippi rivers, and
made the trip i'm one of the big steam.
ers OF that day. The main feature
that / remember was seeing men sit
ting in the cabin playing cards, with
beautifully colored chips. Why they
used the chips | was too young to I'M
derstand. In this connection | also re-
call their leaving the tables occasional
ly to go to little box about the size
of punch and Judy" show, placed
forward In the cabin, where they
drank drinks of Ito mel beautiful col
ors
The Mississippi was one vast gam
bling resort from Cairo to New Or
leans. There were flatboats fitted up
for the purpose that Hoated slowly
down the river, tying up at any point
where there were people to be fieeced,
and wherever there were planters there
were victims. One afternoon one OF
these flatboats descending with the cur
rent was seen from the shore not far
below Memphis to be turning I'm to
shore. The only power aboard was In
the arms OF men and a couple OF long
sweeps or oars on either side. Those
on the starbOard side flashed In the
sunlight, while the tiler oar left rip
pie astern. The boat In this way was
brought ashore, and hawser was got
out and tied to a stump upon the river
bank.
That night Julian Maran, young
planter, stepped aboard the boat and,
with one or two OF his friends who
were already there, opened the game
Maran had sold his plantation and ne
groes and was going to Baton Rouge to
marry his sweetheart and take up his
residence there The money he had re-
ceived was in bank except hundred
dollars, with which he proposed to
amuse himself on the fatboat He
added considerably to his hundred dol
lars during the evening and. being
chivalrOus fellow, considered himself
bound To go back the next day and give
the bank a chance for revenge" In
few days the fortune he had i'm bank
was every cent transferred to the
safe In the hatboat
That was curious age. II there are
chivalrOus professional gamblers now,
we hear nothing OF them. There were
chivalrous gamblers then, and they
made their influence felt. Perhaps 1t
was because gambling haG not then
been left 50 far behind other means OF
making a living as 1t is now. The
gambling propensity has developed
into more legitimate forms Be this as
IL may, IS Maran was parting with the
remnant or his fortune GustaVus Ster.
ling. Il professional gambler, who had
once been respectable planter board
eel the fiatboAt He had left 1.-The pro
fession" and with his winnings had
bought Maran's plantation. When Ma
ran had parted with his last dollar,
Sterling walked up on TO the river bank
with him.
Permit me to say, subj" he said to
Maran, that l have seen many fools
i'm my life, and yo' ar one of the big
gest. Even when q gambler plays far
the advantage is with him. The men
OIL this boat are OF the lowest kind OF
swindlers"
Maran. maddened, was about to re-
tort angrily. when Sterling pulled
roll Of bills from his pocket and con
tinued: "YO' go down tina tonight with
this and start I'm again. Don't play to
win Play only to be in the game. I'll
be tina, and take a hand myself. Have
a gun in yo' pocket, sub"
Maran tried to express his gratitude,
but Sterling turned away and went to
seek n few Of the formers friends
That evening Maran. Sterling and two
others whom Sterling had asked to be
present opened the game on the fat
boat. The owner Of the outfit and two
assistants were Of the party, making
seven in all. They had played an hour
or more when a Jackpot was opened,
and the pile on the table grew enor-
mOusly. Suddenly Sterling clapped one
hand down on the money and whipped
out gun with the other At the
same moment Maran and his two
friends drew their weapons and GOV
cred the three professionals The coup
was effected so quickly that not one OF
The latter was able 10 draw
Put yo' arms on the table" ordered
Sterling raking of the money into his
hat Then. setting the hat on a chair
he went TO the owner Of The boat aud
began 10 search him.
III IN" ne remarked. drawing sev.
erm aces held 10y clasp attached TO
a rubber cord In his sleeve "A cheap
device but good enough 10 fool asses
with Then. going To- the next man.
he took pack OF cards from his pock.
Ct held them up to the light and
continued
Marks big enough to sce I'm the
dark An the court cards are plain
on the back az ON the face
After going through the three men
and finding evidence Of fraud on aII
he politely asked the owner FOR The
Key NJ fine safe The man. hlvinI
pistol muzzlc within q Few inches Of
hia ear. complied Sterling opened the
safe and counted ont an amount equal
10 Marm's losses and handed n 10
h0m Then he paid what Losses the
others had made from the money IN
thc bat Tie was himself winner.
and ibis amount hc took from DIS pOck
Of and TOSSED 90 ou thc table
When the party left the borf fbov