I had beat a man out of $600 on the railroad from New Orleans to
Jackson. I saw that if I got off he would put me to some trouble,
so I kept on until I got to Canton, twenty-five miles above. He
followed me there, and had me arrested. The trial was to come off
in an hour, as it was meal time with the Judge. We were all
assembled in the court-room, and the Judge wanted him to tell how
I got his money. He said, "I could show you, Judge, if I had some
cards." I pulled out some of the same cards I beat him with, and
gave them to the Judge, and he wanted to know how they could bet
money on the three cards. I said, "Judge, I will show you so you
can understand." I took the cards and mixed them over a few times,
telling the Judge to watch the jack. He did watch it, and he could
turn it over every time, as one of the corners of the jack was
turned up, and he said it was as fair a game as he ever saw. I
told him I had two chances to his one; so he dismissed the case.
I came near giving it to the Judge for a few dollars, and then give
them back; but I thought best not to do so.
When the fellow went out of the court-room, the Canton boys laughed
at him and called him a fool. After he left, the Judge and I went
over to a saloon and had some cigars. He said he dearly loved to
play poker; but I did not want any of his game, as I thought I
might need him again some time; and it proved I was right, for it
was not long after that I was coming down on the train from Vicksburg,
and beat five or six of the passengers out of a few hundred dollars.
When we got to Canton we were behind time and missed connection,
and had to lay over until night. They had me arrested for the same
trick, and taken before the same Judge; and you ought to have heard
him after he found out how they had lost their money, for he just
gave them a good old-fashioned turning over. He called them a lot
of babies, and put the costs of the court on them. I got the Judge
a box of fine cigars, and went down on the same train; but I was
in the sleeper, and they did not see me until I got to New Orleans.
I played poker in the sleeper all the way to the city, and did not
lose very much as the game was small, and we played on the square.
I met some of them at the opera the same night, and they had their
opera glasses pointed at me for some time. I guess they wondered
how I got there so soon.