The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1919-03-18
OLD GAMBLER DEAD;
SKY WAS HIS LIMIT
ONCE HE STARTED WITH 81 AND
BROKE THE BANK. DIED A
WEALTHY RANCHMAN.

SWEETWATER, Texas. - Hicks
Hanger, the man who took 81 and
broke the biggest gambling house in
Jaurez, Mexico, forty years ago, and
man who at times owned millions
of dollars worth of mining proper
ty and cattle ranches across the Rio
Grande, is dead.
Hanger was a prominent rancher
in western Texas for the past twenty
years, and died worth approximately
$1,00O,000. In his younger days he
was a bad man" extraordinary and
a gambler, who believed the sky
was the only limit" He had played
the races, the pugilistic game, the
American game of draw, and a little
of any and everything where there
was an element of chance. More than
that, he played them in all the big
cities of the North American CONT
nent
Settles Down to Peaceful Ways.
But for the past quarter of a CEN
fury Hanger has been peacefully en-
gagged in manipulating his extensive
ranch properties here. Long ago he
discarded his big guns and greasy
cards for a branding iron and a BIZ
Bile. Week days he worked on his
ranch and Sundays he attended
church or read at home. But in his
living room at the ranch house hangs
two of the most murderous looking
revolvers ever toted by dad man, "
and old friends have declared Hanger
has used these guns to advantage in
many flights in Mexico and the West.
Perhaps the most interesting event
in his gambling career was the break
ing of the biggest gambling hell in
Jaurez in October of 1878. At that
time Hanger was in the prime of his
life and would gamble on anything
from splitting at cross mark on the
floor to any of the fancy inventions
of the knights Of the green cloth.
Another thing he was famous for il.
his early days was drinking. The gam
bling instinct and the drinking 4,
combined at the time Hanger broke
the Jaurez gambling house by tax
ing one lone dollar and winning
more than one million without ces-
sation in his luck
Had Been Losing Heavily.
Those who tell the story of the
game declare Hanger had been 10.
heavily at all gambling for months.
He had also been drinking heavily
On this particular day he was said
BE lin his cups" and found his W
into the gambling room with ST in
his pocket. He went to the roulette
wheel and sat down. After sleepily
watching the spinning for a time he
placed his lone dollar on the double
0. The percentage on this special
mark was 30 to /. Hanger won, but
he was asleep when the Indicator
stopped and let his $33 remain on
the double 0.
He won again, but was still asleep
and the entire amount remained
the spot at the 80 to l odds. The
owner of the house did not know the
winner was doing over the table.
Hanger won again and then again.
The total amount at that time was
more than 100000.
The slumbering winner was walked
from his dreams and told what he
had done. The proprietor of the
gambling house, finding Hanger had
been sleeping while breaking the
game, said he would not pay. But
Hanger Immediately came to life.
He wiped out two murderous loci
ing six shooters and leaped upon
table. They told the gambling house
proprietor that asleep or awake the
amount had to be paid. The house
had noc thai amount Of cash. Hanger
was given a little more than $780,
600 and an l. O. U. for the remain
der. 1t is said he collected the re-
mainder of the winnings on INSTALL
ments. This money was invested in
Mexico lands and cattle. Later these