The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-24
BRING A NEW DECK;
Eli LUCAS Is DEAD
Terror Of Darktown Killed as
He Plies His Trade of Hold
up at Saratoga.
GAMBLERS HIS SPECIALITY
Had Recently Ended Long
Term at Sing Sing for Bat
tie With Police.

pAS w AsAA -
..-... .. --r- :, DO.
Harlem and San Juan Hill went on
a spree last night. 30 far as the deni-
Gems OF cafe back rooms and places
where the innocent pastimes Of poker
and seven UP are ordinarily in progress
could make q general illumination in
these districts. 80, 3...v..
BY the. old underground route By
which most Of our important news u
flashed, the dusky bucks Of Darktown
had learned that once again their hearts
might be free and CHEEKY. once more
they might live and sit in at poker and
take their winnings with q clear and
easy conscience. They had heard that
their veteran bad man. Ell Lucas,
twice murderer. sunman. blackjack
man. and troublesome citiesn. who had
terrorised them for years, was dead In
Saratoga ...
Ell Lucas was killed, they heard. in
a saloon row Tuesday. when he tried to
back Zed Hasleton UP against the wall
I'D extract from him. at pain of
drubbing, the winnings that led had
Just pocketed from an hours session.
Had q Way with Him.
That was ever the way of Eli. He
sauntered unwelcomed into upstairs
joints, back room Joints and saloon
Joints and just plain Joints where the
chips were passing. He watched the
game from q distance. leaning his hugo
form in comfort on q chair, regarding
his huge hands caresslnxly. When the
game was done ne walked to the win
ner and demanded the cash-not by
right, particularly, but by tho right Of
might, which every one knows Is an un-
pleasant principle or absence thereof.
So Harlem heard. and so San Juan
Hill heard last night. Eli tried the old
game with Zed Hazleton.
Come here to me, boy" Ell said
softly. Come here and give mo that
money. You all knows what does
round fere'
He backed Zed to the wall and was
about to apply his knuckles when Zed
pulled his gun and It spoke. and Ell
Lucas died then.
Zed Hazleton is now in jail in Sara
toga, the police reported. and Harlem
purse last night to pay for his defence.
And the bad man is now dead. Long
live Zed Haxleton 1t was their SEN
timent Long live an untroubled crap
game" they added under their varied
breaths
Police Recall Ell Distinctly.
Tho police remember Eli Lucas dis
tinctly. He was sentenced to twelve
years back in 1906 for a mad. drunken
81 ooting ARRAY In which two policemen
who tried to arrest him were shot down.
one Of them nearly fatally. Before that
he had been terrible marauder In the
South. Twice he had taken life. Once
he served long term. The next time.
for unknown reasons, he was pardoned.
The little affair in 1906 was staged in
Johnny Jones's cafe. tie Crescent Club.
10s West Thirty-second street. Before
coming there Ell had been fighting with
Buck Rogers who was something of a
two listed scrapper and ready with a
knife. Ell didn't manage very we'll with
Buck and he went out again to md
him. thinking he might be at Johnny
Jones's. He arrived armed with a gun
and liQuored to the eyebrows.
I'm goin' to shoot somebody" he
announced, land I don't much care who
II Is" ..
And Not q Dusout in sisht.
Thereupon he fred. and somebody
fired back. The lights went out and Ell.
taking a position behind the piano. began
Kidding the place. Three policemen en-
tered and tried to capture him. but two
were shot down. and he escaped. Al
midnight he WAS caught after another
running pistol battle.
Since he left Sing Sing few months
ago Ell has resumed his terrorizing
tricks. He was eaid to be Sc years old
and still going strong. He freQuented
the old resorts. powerful as ever, I'M
changed in disposition. but operating in
manner that prevented police charges.
He missed Johnny Jones's cafe. but there
were plenty Of others.
Johnny committed suicide the day
Lucas was discharged from Sing Sing.
The bad man always believed that
Johnny had been responsible for his ar
rest after the shooting that night and
as 1t resulted In the longest sentence
Lucas ever served he felt particularly
vengeful.
A few days before his term expired
Lucas sent by usual channels a message
to Johnny Jones that read:
Honey. you sure have got something
coming to YOU, and when Is out Use
going to look for you. Better git ready,
because I'm coming strong"
And Johnny. getting this communica-
ton. went out behind his shop and with a
gun put himself forever out Of Eli
Lucass reach.
Tonight as the word sped around the
negro tenderloin there were recoilections
of the huge bulk Of Ell Lucas. his fiashy
diamond pin. the stories OF his nightly
holdups which ran to 5000 and $500.
the terrible power OF his fists, and that
bad. bad eye that man had. Lord be
praised. Ell was dead and gone!