Weekly Arizona journal-miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1903-1908, 1908-01-15

Downfall OF the Card sharps,' was
supposed 90 have been the title of lit
tie drama of scr.o.comic quality which
was produced at the Birch Bros cafe
about $3.50 o'clock yesterday morning.
That couple of the actors are TO-
day IN sccIu-iou. with badly battered
feature. is not due so much to the
stay managers of the little drama a.
60 the Gsiir ability Of toc propriotors
Of the place wherein the play WAS pro
,iuced
One Red Hudson, formerly a bar
slender for Birch Bros, George &. Guiry
and a card player named Nelson were
she uriginators of the plot Of the
piece Sidney and Robert Birch proved
70 bc the star actors when the drama
was produced.
Hudson. who was recently discharged
by the Brchs, knowing that the man
agcmont of the poker games would, in
the vernacular of the "profcsh, -
stand To- lose some $4,000 or more, If
.unlueky. conceived the idea of "ring
nag in" marked cards in the game and
th.rcby "cloaning the suckers Ac-
cordingly. be- associated with him
Gully and Nelson, the latter two 90
do the playing after the marked cards
were placed in use.
Hudson approached Franz Suplcc q
bartender for the Birchs, and offered
him q third of the winnings ncttcd as
"A result of the scheme 10 cheat if ne
v"uh place the marked pastcboards
behind the bar. Suplcc agreed. This
s'frame up was made possible
shrougb the fact that all games are
supplied with cards by the management
of the place, the cards usually being
kept in large quantities behind the
bar.
After the cards had been brought in
by Uudson and turned over 10 Suplcc,
sne latter Immediately informed the
Birchs of the plan 10 "doublc cross
chem. The Birchs kept mum, but sid.
ney Birch aud the man who ran the
game familiarly known as "The
SS~rdc,' spent the entire afternoon
studying the marks on the cards until
they were as familiar with their mean.
ing ms were the would be sharpers.
Wednesday night the game started.
After some dcsultory playing GuiIy aud
Nelson came in and purchased checks.
Sidney Birch was also playing, as
were two or three Others. "BOb"
Birch was quietly looking on. II did
not take the two sharpers long to
'elean' those IN the game not FAM
i'nr with the markings on the cards
and She game soon narrowed down to
tbr"c players, Nelson, Sidney Birch
and The game keeper, Gury, IN the
meantime, having been 'brokc' by
Sidney Birch. who shortly after vita.
drew from the game himself, leaving
Nelson aud "Thc Swcdc" 10 con
tspuc
70 shorcn this story of frenzied
poker playing aud get on To the more
tragic acts of the drama, suffice it to
cay that Nelson was finally beaten at
hIs own game, and, showing his chair
back from tho table, declared he had
had enough.
TINS seemed to be the signal for a
barst OF fireworks, dying fists and
,kisking feet that was startling in its
vapidity Of motion.
Gnny, who was looking on, felt what
nnst have seemed 10 him u brick house
land behind ala ear. That was 4" Bob -
Birch q fist. While the latter wa
playing rapid tattoo with his fist,
ON Gufly's features. cred" Hudson
~sainc in, looking, no doubt for his per
fion of the graft. lie got il
~'Slim" Birch grabbed him by the col
ssr, did few jul iitsn stunts Will
ann, slammed him on the floor, wipe,
his feet on him, then stood poor cred
'pn his pedal extremtics aud proceeded
40 do 1t all over again
Don't kill me. pleaded ifRod, ,
after bo had been kicked into cor
n"r, much as one would a eur dog, au,
Slim rested from bis excrtions
'Eufy, in the meantime, mado dcs
perate dash for liberty, toward IN,
hack door, being assisted, as h,
lreachod the exit, by the broad foot Of
Bob Birch planted On e convcnien
portion nj his rear anatomy
After the smoke of battle ha,
sicned away the Bircas explained I,
-tbo Dnlookcrs what the frame-up'
had been, and how the sharpers ha'
Asea defeated al their own game