Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-07-30
DAILY STORY
AN OLD TIME GAM
BLING EPISODE.
LOriSinal.l

When l was a little chap living IN
Cincinnati l was delicate. We had
relatives in New Orleans, and at one
time ! was sent down there for my ,
health. The only route was by the
Ohio and Mississippi rivers, ana L ,
made the trip i'll 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 /;
" to go to Il little box about the size
of Punch and Judy" show, placed I
forward in the cabin, where they
drank drinks of (to mel beautiful col !
ors.
The Mississippi was one vast gam
bling resort from Cairo to New Or
leans. There We're tlatbOatS fitted up
for the purpose that floated slowly
down the river, tying up at any point
where there were people to be tleeced,
and wherever there We're planters there
were victims. one afternoon one OF
these tlatboats descending with the cur
rent was seen from the shore not far
| below Memphis TO be turning i'll to
shore. The only power aboard was in
| the arms of men and couple OF long
sweeps or oars on either side. Those
| on the starboard side flashed in the
sunlight. while the filler oar left a rip
| pie astern. The boat in this way was
| out and tied to Il stump upon the river
| bank.
That night Julian Maran, a 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 10 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 flatboat. He
| added considerably to his hundred dol
| lars during the evening and. heing
| chivalrOuS fellow, considered himself
| bound to 20 back the next day and give
| the bank chance for revenge" In
| few days the fortune he had in bank
| was every cent transferred to the
| safe in the aatbOat
| That was Il curious age. If there are
| chivalrOus professional gamblers now,
| we hear nothing OF them. There We're
| chivalrOus gamblers then, and they
made their influence felt. Perhaps it
was because gambling had not then
.
making a living rs it is rOw. The
| gambling propensity has developed
| into more legitimate forms. Be this as
| it may, as Maran was parting with the
| remnant of his fortune. GustavuS Stcr-
| ling. professional gambler, who had
once been n respectable planter, board
ed the flatboat He had left the pro
! fcsSiOn" and with his winnings had
, bought Maran's plantation. When Ma
ran had parted with his last dollar
Sterling walked up on 10 the river bank
with him.
Permit me to say. sub" he said to
Maran, that l have seen many fools
in my life. and yo' ar one of the big
gest Even when gambler plays fai'
the advantage is with him. The men
on this boat are of the lowest kind of
swindlers."
Maran. maddcned, was about to re
tort angrily, when Sterling pulled a
roll of bills from his pocket and con
tinued: "Yo' go down thai tonight with
this and start in again. Don't play to
win. Play only to be in the game. I'll
be tha', and take Il 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 he
present opened the game on the fat
boat. The ovsSner of the outfit and two
assistants were of the party, making
seven in all. They had played an hour
or more when Il jackpot was opened,
and the pile on the table grew enor-
mously. Suddenly Sterling clapped one
hand down on the money and whipped
out a 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 to draw.
Put yO' arms on the table" ordered
! Sterling, raking off the money into his
hat. Then, setting the hat on n chair,
he went to the owner of the boat and
; began to search him.
r HIM" he remarked, drawing sew.
eral aces held by a clasp attached to
rubber cord in his sleeve. "a cheap
| device, but good enough to fool asses
with" Then, going to the next man,
2 he took pack of cards from his peck
eft, held them up to the light and
continued
Marks big enough to see in the
dark. All the court cards are plain
on the back as on the face"
After going through the three men
and finding evidence of fraud on all.
he politely asked the owner for the
key of the safe. The man, having a
pistol muzzle within a few inches of
his ear, complied. Sterling opened the
| safe and cpuptod ont an