The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1907-06-22
WENT IN A HURRY
MAN LITERALLY ROLLED OUT or
TROUBLE.
o'd-Tlmer Tells Of Tough Experience
In a Western Texas Town Where
the Country Was Wide
Open.

The passing OF gambling in Texas
brought out "reminiscences of the early
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
ton Of the Southern Pacific through
the western part Of Texas, tells this
story.
I'm 1884 I was railroad and express
agent at q new station, which was
then 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.
bliIH! 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
few others started poker game In
a tent which was pitched Just at the
edge Of steep hill. When I got
through with my duties as agent
went up to take look at the game.
II was invited to take 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 I used for
a 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 OF
six players besides Winters. Among
them was a half.breed Mexican who
had come over from Mexico with q
reputation as killer.
HE was. like Winters, a 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 he
known his desperate character, don't
believe he would have been so quick
" Tue lTOuDlc.
"The pot was large one. The half
breed Mexican and Winters caught
match hands. Both men claimed the
pot. Each started to reach for II
about the same instant, each draw
ing his gun with his right hand. They
fired at each other simultaneously
THAT was only the beginning Of
the melee. The light was knocked out
and In the darkness the fash of pis
tolls could be'seen. l am old enough
now to admit that | was scared.
'The first thought that occurred tc
me was that l must seek some place
of safety. Why not crawl into the
empty -four barrel? got into the bar
rel all right, and was lying there
trembling when one of the gamblers
gave the barrel kick to get II ou
of his way and sent IT beneath the
flap Of the tent and away it went
rolling down that steep hi, with me
inside of 1t.
That hill was nearly half mile
long. and the barrel went tumblinf
down 1t. humping over stones ant
crushing through the desert vegeta
ton. Toward the end of the decliv
ity 1t was going at terrific speed
II suffered untold agony during tina
terrible ride. could not get out
was rolled over and over at tn,
ate of hundred times a second, 1
seemed to me. 1t happened that Their,
were no nails protruding through tn,
barrel. Had there been l would havt
been punctured full of holes.
The barrel finally came to a stand
still and crawled out. I was bruised
all over. but managed to pull mysel
up the steep hill to the railroad sta
ton. had escaped from the scene O
the shooting. but felt that l would
probably have Jared better had l re
NAMED there.
"The shooting ARRAY resulted in tn,
killing of Winters. the half-breed Mex
lean and another gambler."-N. Y
Sun