davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-04-07
B%Comz4sy2u%CoQDe

Yes" he said, looking DULY into the
others angry face; ''yes, L robbed you
''Tell the whole thing. You formed my
acquaintance with the intention firm in your
mind to rob mel
"Ye-yesi"
ness prospects of your company, you led me
to believe that there was the making Of a
fortune in it for me- Didn t youf Didn u
you9'
"Yes," answered Harrison slowly.
"You prevailed upon me to sell the land
business. Even when / was doing that You
were planning this bankruptcy game that you
might take my sustenance away from me
Ism t that true7 Answer me, Harrisonl'
The other man seemed to choke He
swallowed hard
"1t's true he answered at last ''But
m willing to make it up, Grissom, - He
fumbled in his pocket; Grissom stopped him.
Currency" he ordered sharply,
'lt's in the safe there, I know it, Har-
rison opened his mouth to reply. Grissom
interrupted. ''I want something on which
payment can be stopped-if get out of
here. The currency is in that safe. Now get
it out and pay me''
For a moment the man on the floor glared,
then silently he rose and walked unsteadily
he knelt down and began to turn the knob,
Grissom, watching him through eyes that
were narrowed, again felt the wall
"Hurry,' he said tersely. ''The wall IS
getting hotter We III be smothering SOON
Harrison looked at him. vacantly. He
turned the knob Of the safe again, Once
more it revolved. The door swung open,
Within rested package Of bills. lie took
them out and counted them. Then he placed
them In the waiting hand of Grssom His
eyes suddenly assumed gleam of eagerness.
He looked anxiously at the great door
"The keys he said hurriedly, but Girls
som only laughed
"There 8 more. Take pencil That piece
of paper will do. Now write.
Harrison made move to obey. Once
again Grissom raised the keys and began
to scrape them heavily against the rough
door. The air of the little room seemed to be
getting stuffy and bot and hard to breathe
Upon the face OF Grissom that smile had
come again. He had placed the bills in his
pocket and the hand again held the open
knife.
- Write, ~ he ordered
Harrison only stared.
"WTite!N
Harrison almost unconsciously took up the
paper and pencil and waited.
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-04-07

We had been there about two weeks
that in the end gave me more trouble
than anything ! ever had before or
since.
''Seymour was on the scout all the
time, and he pulled an old cove named
Colonel Wentworth into a private game
in the hotel Colonel Wentworth was a
very wealthy cotton planter and stiff
player. There was big money in it for
us. 1t looked 10 be about the richest
thing we had struck yet. He couldn Z
beat our game unless we let him. We
let the luck run his way for awhile,
and then began to occasionally sock
il to him.
He preferred game without a
limit-so did we. When he began to
lose, he began to drink. We played
all night, and we coaxed him along
until we had about $4,000 in money,
which he had sent out and borrowed
from time to time. Then he became
bit reckless-he was pretty drunk,
too-and lost $4,000 on one hand. He
quit the game, and said he'd give a
check for the $4,000. He dashed off a
check in hurry. like An angry, drunk
en- man, and said that he would give
us another battle the next day.
"Then Chris made big mistake. He
raised the $4,000 check to $4,000 by
putting in letter and cipher. He
presented il to the bank and asked TO
have il certified, but the cashier re
fused to certify IT without first seeing
Colonel Wentworth. The colonel denied
that he had given any such check. This
started up Chris temper, and he be
gan suit against Colopel Wentworth in
the courts of st. Louis to recover the
amount Of the check.
"The foxv colonel did not make the
defense Chris expected. but set up in.
! stead that the check was a forgery
| We bluffed il out and the case came
TO trial. Chris went on the stand, told
| the story of the game, and claimed
that the $4,000 was given for money
which he had loaned 10 Wentworth
| during the play. He told a pretty
story. but on the crosse1amiuation the
! colouel's lawyer went for him bare
! handed. The lawyer had got some
knowledge of our swinding trip, and
asked questions concerning the most
| intimate relations between Chris and
myself. ] substantiated Chris's story
but also had to 90 through the same
searching cross-examination. After
Wentworth had told his story 10 the
iurv about giving an $4,000 check
which he was willing 70 paw. they
brought in a verdict against Chris.
| "Chris left the courtroom in white
heat. lie didn't saw anything TO me
till we got 10 the hotel. Then he flew
at me like a tiger and knocked ms
down with the butt Of his revolver
He accused me OF giving the informa
tion about our trip 10 Wentworth ,:
lawyer, I denied it. and said II must
have been done by Seymour, who hac
disappeared: but Chris had it in fol
me for some reason, and would have
] shot me II he had not been interferec
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-04-07

Chris well, myself. and hundreds Of his
friends came to the station house, and
also identified him. They constituted
themselves special detectives to find
out, if possible. who had murdered the
King Of the Card Sharps.' A dozen
or more theories were advanced by
Chris s friends, to explain the butch
cry, as he had been in trouble many
times after his return from the west,
but they were theories, with no evi.
dence to back them up
'That which gained the most weight
with me for time was that Chris had
been killed for some quarrel concern
ing woman. He was one of those
crimson lights that used TO flash up
and down the Bowery with a pocket
full Of gold and string of women in
tow. making the night merry with
wine and song, The Bowery was full
of lovers in those days, and Chris had
been in number of scraps with some
Of tho women g lovers who at certain
stages of the game. had acted too
fresh.
Zone of the girls that I heard Chris
had taken a fancy to was 81 Cuban.
She had formerly been the sweetheart
of a Spanish cigar maker in Allen
street, and these were a few facts
picion toward him | did not find the
girl or where Chris lived until the day
of his funeral, which took place from
mis- sisters home in Delaney street.
'FThe girl attended the funeral and
followed Chris IS body to the grave.
After the burial was over. ] followed
her to her home and sweated Der for
information which would throw some
light on the case, She didn't know
Al. Il
where her Spanish lover lived and
said that Chris had settled all trouble
with him by giving him little money
and getting him place to work in a
gambling Joint in the Bowery.
"She said that Chris left home
about noon on the day he was killed.
saying he probably wouldn Z return
until the next evening, but he gave
her no hint as 10 where he was going
or whom he was to meet | went
after the Spanish lover TO satisfy my
self that her story was straight. |
found him working in Butch Ellis s
gambling house and convinced myself
beyond doubt that on the night of the
murder, at the time it must have oc-
Cured, he was spinning roulette
wheel.
''This ended that feature of the
case. but while working it out I got
tip from Butch Ellis that Chris had
been in game early in the evening
Of the day he was killed. at which bad
blood had arisen, a few blows had
been struck, some pistol shots fired
and some pretty wild threats made,
Clutch wouldn't give me the loca-
tion of the Joint where the, trouble oc.
Cured. but / found it in about half an
hour from another source and got
what looked like start in the right
direction It was in Ed Kelley's, and
among the half dozen card sharps who
had been in the game was Al Living
ston, who was something OF a high
roller from Virginia. He was every
inch n sport Of the gentleman order.
and very sensitive on the question OF
insults. which he was always ready
to resent.
"Chris and Livingston got into dis
pute over the amount OF money there
should be in certain pot and they
called each other liars across the ia
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-04-07

At last came the words:
L have paid Thomas Grissom $4,000 be-
cause 1T was lawfully due him. Have you got
thatf" asked Grissom.
Hurry answered Harrison. "We-we
haven t got much of chance left 7 m afraid
the floors going It's getting hot in here
Lawfully due him." cane the dictation
again, because it was money stolen from
him by me. I do this with the full knowledge
that this is to be used against me in crimi.
nal prosecution" Grissom stopped mo
ment: Nov sign it, ho ordered when the
The paper and pencil were thrown to the
floor, Harrison's hands raised high in the
air and the fingers spread widely outward
81 won ~
"sign ,tbatl" came the stern order
TT
''Sign itli'
The paper was raised again The pencil
scratched its way along. There was a pause
in which the two men glared at each other.
'sNow!'
The answer was the grating of the key in
the lock. Harrison. his head bent low, his
handkerchief pressed to his nostrils, cursing
inwardly the man beside him, who worked
yet watched him with that ever ready knife,
bent himself for the rush into the flames.
The key grated again. The lock pulled slow,
ly back and stopped Grssom pressed hard
against the great door and prepared TO open
'NowI'' he cried as he gave the final
pressure, "turn to the left. Make for the
window there. 1T IS the fire escape,'
The door swung open and Harrison, his
eyes almost closed TO guard against the
smoke and flames, rushed forward turned,
struck out his arms and then, with cry of
amaZemcnt, stood stock still, The office was
as it always had been except for a sheeting
Of smoke that lay against the ceiling The
electric lights still cleaned There were no
evidences of conflagration except the still
smoldering remains of coil of pitch smoked
rope that reposed within deep.set metal
pan at the side of the vault. and nearby an
empty carton that once had contained theat
rical 'red fire. Harrison stared about him
in bewldcred way. from the pan 10 the
ceiling, to the drawn curtains, and then to
the open vault Gradually he understood.
Slowly there came to his brain the import
of it all. His hands clinched His eyes
flashed angrily.
"Trickery!" he cried hoarseIy, "trick-
ery!" 80
A door slammed. There came the sound ot
steps down the hall. From distance there
floated a mocking laugh The voice was
Thomas Grissom's s.
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-04-07

y want that $4,000 you stole from me''
81 didn Z steal it. Harrison IS words came
hnarriedIy., n Things just went wrong,
They went wrong as long as you wanted
sen took every cent I owned away from me
and then they suddenly went right again. -
Grissom stopped to feel the wall IT'S be-
probably cut off by now. The fire will work
down through the elevator shaft ] took
good care Of that
Harrison, in tho corner, groaned- He raised
faced man before him.
Lets get out Of here, Grlssom." he
som. . he added, "you don t want to die yet,
do you-you don t want to die
laugh interrupted him, wild, high, hys-
tercal
.'Plead for yourself Ask yourself about
that / never robbed a man. 1 never stole
everything person possessed and dragged
him down to poverty! I've got nothing to
face after this is over. [ can die with
clear conscience-but how about you, Har-
rson7''
The man on the floor stirred nervousy
'f You've got arson to think Of" he
swered "you realize that, don t youf''
Grissom leaped forward.
Chat s enough - he shouted "I've gwen
you your chance and you don t seem to want
IT. You answer me with counter accusations.
w Gle III WiiiluP 10 Tame Lne Dig jump
There g nothing special that 7 have to live
for, and when I GO, IN going to take you
with mel" He jerked the keys from his
pocket and began to scrape one. of them
against the rough surface of the iron door
"You understand what I'm doing, dom
your he asked with new show Of GOODNESS.
70 m wearing down the teeth Of this key so
that it will not turn the tumblers Of the lock
You'll bully me, will youH Try it again and
II end this thing and for all. Stay
where YOU are ~ he commanded as Harrison
attempted TO rise He drew a knife from his
pocket and opened it. of you want a
chancc--any kind of a chance, stay where you
are and talk fast! -
Harrison sank back.
Don't do that..I'll-I1l talk business.
What do you want9'i
''You know what I want, the $4,000
and you did rob me- didn't you, Harrison'"
The silent.
''You did rob me, didn It youG' A snarl
had come to Grissom s lips. "Answer mel"
Harrison turned his head.
81 ask you for the third time You robbed
me. Now confess it!''
''Slowly Harrison g lips framed the words.
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-04-07

had not been seen around his old
haunts by anyone since he left Kel
ly's with the threat to kill Chris. and
all these facts certainly pointed to
Livingston as the murderer beyond
doubt.
''I got on to Livingston S track
through woman he had sent for, and
arrested him in a house in First ave.
nue.. He had sent for this woman to
money to get ont of the city He did
not seem at all startled at being ar,
rested, and when / accused him OF
killing Chris Berry, he replied very
coolly that ho had been expecting to
hear something OF the kind, and said
he was ready to go to headquarters
''I tried in every way 10 get him to
admit the killing, even under such cir
cumstsnces as would make 1t most
favorable to him, but he positively re-
fused to discuss the murder at all. II
was my opinion that there was dead
clear case against him.
cit was very sensational case, snd
when these facts were developed he.
fore the corouer's Jury, they brought
in verdict accusing Livingston or
the murder. He was locked up IN the
Tombs to await trial.
1.-TWO days later Lone Jack Sin
clair walked into police headquarters
and said that he, and not AL Living.
ston, had killed Chris Berry. This
was a thunderbolt from clear sky
but when Jack told his story, pro,
duced the bowie-knife and the pistol
that Chris Berry had with him, on
that night, and gave all the details as
he knew them, there was no doubt or
it's truth.
Livingston was discharged from
the Tombs, and Sinclair was found
guilty of manslaughter, and sent away
for n long term.
Downright. 1912, bv y j.. Nelson,l /
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-04-07
Stomach in Bad Shape?
Indigestion Easily Conquered

You only have one stomach iahs @
care of it; il will be with you as long
as you live. Ao,
Treat it as well as you can and w5en %
it fails to do its work and causes ois
tress. give it MONA stomach taT
lets. the best. remedy for stomach All
ments known TO science. Ill
There is nothing on earth thst VIZ
turn tired, flabby, overworked ston
ach into a strong, vigorous one ID
short q time as MI-O.NA tablets
For distress after eating. termenta
ton, heaviness. heartburn or gas, w. w..
MONA tablets will chase away ,n
misery in Ave minutes. Ml-O,Nh SUI I;s.
" does cure Indigestion, and al nh a,
eases caused by out Of order sto,na,n hnnd
such AS nervousness, dizziness, head
ache. biliousness, foul breath and os,s s,eep, =
lessncss. The price is only oo ihors ceIu
large box at druggists everywnea,vv.
Schramm-J ohnson, Drugs, Stores s""
antee ii.
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-04-07

BILE. That was the fighting word on
the Bowery in those days Livingston
had plenty OF friends, and so had
Chris. Soon not only Chris and Liv-
ingston were having it out on the
floor, rough -and-tumble, but the
friends were in it, too. Knives and re
yolvers were pulled, and it looked as
in Kelly's. Kelly stopped the row
himself by yelling; Police! which
brought the men to their senses.
"The row didn t stop any too quick
for Livingston, for when it was called
off Chris had a grip on his throat
which would have sent him to the
cemetery IL it hadn't been stopped
Just about that time. This had oc-
Cured about 9 o'clock in the evening,
and it broke, up. the game, as matter
Of course, Livingston was in very
ugly mood, and mentioned several
times, in the hearing of some of
Chris's friends, that be'd have his life
before daylight
''About ten minutes after 9 Chris
left Kelly s place alone. The gambling
house was at the corner of First street
and the Bowery About minute after
Chris left. several persons saw Living
ston take a bowie"knife from his hip
pocket and drop it in his outside coat
pocket: then he started out quickly,
muttering a threat that he would kill
Chris when he found him. No one fol
lowed the men, as Chris was able 10
take care of himself, aud Livingston,
it was thought, was only putting up a
bit Of southern bluff.
"The finding Of the body, as near
as could be fixed was at n quarter
past nine, which would have given
Livingston Just about time to have
caught up to Chris without running,
as Chris had about blocks start.
The wound in the chest. which split
the heart in two, physicians said, was
made by bowie knife. Livingston
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-04-07

ears. Just the same as if it WAS Yes
terday on the Bowery, instead of over
thirty years ago. Chris Berry was a
good fellow, and the finest card sharp
In the country. | was considered the
best man on the Bowcry with the cards
in those days, but Chris could give me
points without turning hair. He was
ordinarily mild chap, but he had a
temper as hot and as quick as creased
cit was lucky thing that he didn I
often get mad, for IL meant something
very serious for him as well as the
person he was angered at. Although
he vas crooked card player he
scorned the ordinary methods of
thieves. and if he couldu I make money
with cards he wouldn t have gotten it
at all. as he was constltutionally op-
posed 10 work
Being in the same business and
something Of crook myself, it was
only natural that | should run up
against Chris at many game, and
those games were always for blood. but
on the level, was more easy going
than Chris, and we took kind of lik.
ing for each other After a time, in
company with Jake Seymour. we went
regularly into the business Of running
SKIN game OF cards.
"We had little poker game at No.
26 Bowery. Seymour did the steering,
while we did the playing whenever the
sucker was big. enough game. The
business ran so big aud we played so
we'll together that Chris proposed that
we should make a tour through the
West and South, where we would have
a chance To win a bigger stake.
''This just suited me, and, with Sey-
mour. who was one Of the best bunco
artists that | ever saw, and had q
tongue so sweet and persuasive that il
would coax the bank-roll out of the
pocket Of Old Mr.. Tightwad himself
We started West. We put up for few
dsvs at Albany. where the legislature
was in session, and cleaned out every
dollar there was in both houses. We
left Albany with S21. 900 more than We
had when we landed there We were
travelling as Western merchants. taking
our time on our way home from the
spring purchases in New York. and we
carried this idea out in all the large
cities between New York and Chicago
lin Chicago we started or another
tack. and from there we were Eastern
sports making tour of the country
looking for fun Of ali kinds, ready for
r game at any time. Sometimes We
would be together as friends. and ther
again we would accidentally meet a:
strangers in some other locality 10 dis
arm suspicion. The game we usually
played was with marked cards. or with
cards with beveled edges, so that We
had perfect knowledge Of the hand.
in every game, no matter who dealt
This gave us a chance to make il ap
pear as though We PLAYED square
game. as we could bet 10 lose when il
would be TO our advantage.
Seymour was the greatest drum
mer-up of business that ! ever met. III
was nearly always in the game, anC
| FREQUENTLY lost heavily but. as eitheI
| Chris or ! got about all there was a
| the table in the end, il didn Z MAKE
much difference. We pulled lot o.
money out OF Chicago, but We qui
when we saw that they were puttinI
! up a brace game op US. We didn't d.
much business then till We got into st
Louis. Then we struck a game afte
been ". a. "a NAT county next wee
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-04-07

I" HI BoWery Is still one OF the
show places in New York City s
artificial wickeduess Visitors
10 the metropolis parade in fear
and trembling its busy sidewalks where
they imagine that every stone is
stained with the blood Of murder; but
where they are as safe as they would
he on Fifth avenue. Time was when
the Bowery was not safe; when every
other door was r gambling hell: when
every crook in the country depended
upon tasting, at least once wear, OF
the delights the street had TO offer. But
the glory Of the Bowerv has passed. It
is row thoroughly moral street given
over 10 business OF the cheaper order.
] know Of no story that better illus
trates actual condition on the Bowery
IN the old days and the fierce passions
of life S il was lived there than the
story or the murder of Chris Berry. IL
was nine days mystery in it's day,
the greatest mystery the Bowery ever
produced; the king OF the Card
Sharks murdered in broad daylight
AT the Bowery's busiest corner and not
single clue apparently to the perpe.
traitor OF the deed.
II was not until years afterward
that ] had the privilege of listening 10
the true tale Of the killing from the
lips of his SLAYER, lone jack Sin
clair. as he emerged from his cell in
sing Sing. Knowing that Detective
Hickey had handled the case and had
almost succeeded in banging an inuo-
cent man for the crime ! hunted him
up and asked him TO give me his yer.
zion of the strange affair.
81 don Z suppose YOU ever killed a
man, did you7i asked Jackson Sin
clair, who has been known on the Bow.
cry for manv years as ''Lone Jack. -
because OF his reticence aud dislike OF
society.
entered modest disclaimer.
''Well. il YOU never did, then YOU
can never understand the feeling that
goes with IL. especially when the man
whose life is taken has been friend
TO Won. no matter what the circum
stances may be.
5 all well enough 10 Kill mar
in battle, where there's crowd q
wild rush of soldiers, yclls and the
waving Of flags and the roar Of mus
letrv and cannon. for that is par
Of the business Of war. But when yor
meet a man who has been your frienc
for many years and YOU take his life
although at the time you do so yoI
think YOU are justified on the GROUND
Of lf.defense. I tell you nothing cal
blot the scene out Of your mind. M
matter how callous the rough knock
Of life have made you.
'Well, I killed my friend, Chri
Berry, and ] see Chris every day, an'
/ hear his last words ringing in m,
meet again r.v--.--s "a ,,,,,,,,s,,
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-04-07
Stomach Tab.
lets Gently Coax the
Gastric Juices to
Do Their Duty.

Belching OF gas and sour food into
the mouth means that the food in your
stomach is fermenting and forming
poisonous gases.
It means more; it means that your
stomach is bad; that it is not pouring
into and mixing with the food the gas
trio juices which are necessary 10 prop
erly digest food.
III this condition is allowed to con
tinue the stomach will become flabby
and weak and the blood will become
watery or impoverished.
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-04-07

THE CRIMINAL Tells How He Planned the Deed and
Sought to Close Every Avenue of knowledge Leading
to His Guilt The Detective Shows How Futile These
Efforts Were and How the Old Adage Murder Will Out
Always Holds Good
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-04-07
An Innocent Man Would
Certainly Have Been
Hanged Had Not Chris
Berry Old Partner in
Crime Come Forward
and Confessed the Deed.
BY HENRY c. TERRY.

rT HE Bowery is still one OF the
show places in New York City s
artificial wickeduess. Visitors
70 the metropolis parade in fear