The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1912-08-30
JACKSON siNcLAlR's STORY.

JUL = suppose you ever Killed q
man. did you?" asked Jackson SIN
clair. who has been known on the
Bowery for many years as Lone
Jack" because of his reticence and
dislike Of society.
entered a modest disclaimer.
well. II you never did, then you
can never understand the feeling that
goes with 1t, especially when the man
whose life is taken has been friend
to you, no matter what the circum-
stances may be.
"Well, killed my friend, Chris
Berry, and I see Chris every day, and
hear his last words ringing in my
ears, just the same as If it was yes
terday on the Bowery, instead of over
thirty years ago. Chris Berry was q
good fellow. and the finest card sharp
in the country. I was considered the
best man on the Bowery with the
cards In those days. but Chris could
give me points without turning hair.
Being in the same business and
something Of crook myself, it was
only natural that should run up
against Chris at many a game, and
those games were always for blood,
but on the level. was more easy
going than Chris, and we took kind
Of liking for each other. After time,
In company with Jake Seymour. we
went regularly into the business of
running skin game Of cards.
I'VE had little poker game at No.
26 Bowery. Seymour did the steer
ing, while We did the playing when
ever the sucker was big enough game.
The business ran 50 big and we played
so we'll together that Chris proposed
that We should make 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 I ever saw, and had
tongue 80 sweet and persuasive that
1t would coax the bank-roll out of the
pocket Of Old Mr.. Tghtwad himself,
we started West. We put up for
few days at Albany. where the legis-
lature was In session, and cleaned out
every dollar there was in both houses.
We left Albany with $21, 900 more than
we had when we landed there.
I'm Chicago We started on another
tack, and from there we were East
ern sports making a tour Of the coun-
try, looking for fun Of all kinds, ready
for q game at any time. Sometimes
we would be together as friends, and
then again we would accidentally
meet as strangers In some other To-
cality to disarm suspicion.
Seymour was the greatest drum
mer-up Of business that I ever met. He
Was nearly always In the game, and
frequently lost heavily, but, as either
Chris or got about all there was at
the table In the end. It didn't make
much difference. We pulled lot Of
money out Of Chicago. but We quit
when We saw that they were putting
mp q brace game on us. We didn't do
much business then tin We got into
81 Louis. Then We struck . game
after We had been there about two
weeks that IL the end gave mo more
trouble than anything ever had Be-
fore Of since. ,i$!s #Bsi M. .i.
!: Seymour was on tho scout IN tho
time and A. pulled q old cove named
Colonial Wentworth into 8 private
game a our room 81 III hotel. COL
onsl az utworth W. i vsssy, wealthy
cdtton plSSnts ma s. sEife playst.
vi !. h peecsSrsd : gatno Without "a
li6nl - did =. 4 w n ~ J, y. 4
- H. ~ to arinll W. playsd
IN night Snds I ysD ooJ "a lin sjons,
fntilsSaa IN III = ,1sSt tSE ~ N - -,