The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-04-23
Runs AfoM Of Joe Bassett and
an Unusual Display Of
Guns Follows.
By DAVID A. CURTIS.

oSSA 100 VA <Rlh6A6u6 SlI1 nave u V6-
culiar interest to me-" said the gray
haired. young looking man in the club
smoking room. because OF my own
personal experience in old man Green.
laws back room.
Il played poker there with the old
man himself and three Of his friends
in the year 1882. and though was no,
made acquainted with his bungstartei
and was not fleeced Of any very con.
siderable amount Of money, there was
enough excitement attached to the
game to fix the incident in my mind
and make me realize how faithful the
Post stories arc In their description
OF the conditions actually obtaining al
that time.
II was representing some importan,
interests at the time Of the great food
Of 1882 and 1t was necessary for me
TO go from Memphis to Little Rock
Flood conditions made travel extreme.
ly uncertain and the most available
route was by river packet to Arkan-
sas City, thence by rail to Little Rock
thought could get there inside Of
two days, but 1t took me four.
City Practically under Water.
When I got of the boat found Ar
kansas City practically under water
We landed on the levee, and such
buildings as were atop Of that-there
were few Of them, including the
railroad Office and freight house-were
accessible enough, but back In the
town the people were living in their
second stories. After a little search ]
found one man in the freight house
representing the railroad, and asked
him when the next train would start
1t was 0 o'clock Monday morning and
l figured on getting to Little Rock
liz miles away. that afternoon.
They's on'y one train runnin' now
he said. She's went up this mawnin
an she'll come back tomorrow IL she
gifts through. An she'll go back We'd
nesday.'
"Biff! Bang! There was forty-eight
hours gone from my schedule. shud.
dered when I thought Of what was
ahead Of me. for had stayed at no.
tells in other river towns, but if had
known what I did later on l reckon
I'd have tainted. I firmly believe
that the only hotel in Arkansas City
at that time was the worst on earth
l stayed there, Of course. There was
nowhere else to stay.
yentured into Barr0om.
'By Tuesday afternoon l was al
most desperate and I ventured into a
barroom near the hotel. The loose
timbers that were tied together for 9
sidewalk were floating in the water
and I had to pick my way along on
these to get there. but l felt that
must go somewhere. ' ~
IA silent bartender Joined me in q
drink readily enough, and l looked
around. There was little back room
to the place, and as the door was open
could see that three men were play.
ing cards in there. They took no no.
tice of me when I walked back and
looked on at the game, and / saw i'm.
mediately that they were playing
poker. At y
81 was not acquainted with anybody
in the town. but from what / have
read since then know now that one
Of them was old man Greenlaw. The
two others must have been Winterbot.
tom and Pearsall. 1 didn't see Blais.
dell. Possibly he had not Joined the
combination at that time. Certainly
there was no such remarkably fine
work done in the game as no is said
to have been capable of, though the
play was obviously crooked.
Knew Cards We're Marked.
Il knew enough Of poker to see that
the cards were marked and that the
old man of 1noot Ipar, tho mn vic III
pretended to have poor sight and tc
be afflicted with sort Of incipient
palsy that made him slow and clumsy
in dealing, but saw that he was read.
ing the cards as he dealt 1t was
coarse work and did not deceive me
for minute but I presume the pla.
was better after BlaIsdell sat In.
II doubt II the three were trying tc
win from one another. Probably the,
were trying to entice me. but the game
was not big one, and was perfect
ly willing to lose little money fol
the sake of little amusement, sc
after had watched them few min.
utes asked If l could take hand
didn't expect any objection, and none
was made, SO I sat in.
uSic Wdo uO COuNtlSdIlUu, huu
found enough interest in the game t
content me without wanting to talk
for 1t was very funny to see how
openly they were playing for my
money. AS did not propose to lose
any great amount, however, played
along, enjoying myself fairly well un.
til another man came in.
Handsome, But Ill Tempered.
"He was, think, the best looking
man ever saw. Tall and magnificent.
ly built, he had a fine face and jet
black curly hair, but he was unpleas.
antly abrupt In his manner and. as
soon learned, remarkably i'll tenn
pered.
'He saw at glance what we were
doing, and without word took a va
cant chair at the table and waited fol
the next deal, when a hand was deal
to him as matter of course. HI.
name was not mentioned to me. ther
or afterward, and 1t is only through
later stories that have identified hin
as Joe Bassett.
"Mr. Bassett had undoubtedly beer
drinking. though did not immediate
~ perceive that, seeing no sign of In
toxication on him. / had been losin,
rather steadily in the game up to tn,
time he sat in, but it happened tina
for the next two or three rounds / hat
a little run of good luck and tool