A man by the name of Levy (of course he was a Jew) and myself were
once traveling on the Jackson Railroad, amusing ourselves playing
in the smoking car, when along came a horseman from New Orleans,
and dropped in, thinking he could pick up the right card. I was
doing the playing, and I asked the horseman if he thought he could
pick out the card with the baby on. He said that was just what he
could do for $300.
"Put her up," I said, and in a twinkling I covered his $300. He
turned the card, and lost. Then he studied for a moment and
remarked: "I am going to try that once more." So he planked down
his watch, which was a fine Howard movement, worth about $200. He
lost, got mad, and kicked by telegraphing ahead to arrest a couple
of gamblers on the train who had been robbing a man. We were then
a few miles below the Sixty-two Mile Siding, and I knew there were
no officers there; so we got off at the Siding, and on the down
train we spied an officer who was coming from Winona after us.
Then we took to the hills, and kept a sharp lookout, where we could
see and not be seen. The officer asked where we had gone, and the
railroad people told them down the road. They returned to Winona,
and he offered a reward of fifty dollars for the watch, and $100
for the return of the watch and money.
Bad news travels fast, and I soon heard of this, and I decided not
to go so high up on the road. At last, however, I went to the
town, though before I reached the depot I handed my money to a
gentleman who resided there, who was a good friend of mine; and
sure enough, as I expected, the constable served his warrant on me
immediately. My friend at once stepped up and said that we would
not go to jail, and forthwith furnished bail. We gave the officer
the laugh, who only got mad and telegraphed to New Orleans that he
had the party who had won the watch and money belonging to the
horseman. On the first train, up he came. When the case was called
for trial, I asked the Judge for a continuance on account of the
absence of a material witness. He granted me one of three days.
The horseman then offered to compromise if we would return the
watch and money. Failing in this he fell to abusing the Judge for
granting us a continuance. This reached the ears of the Judge,
who was anything but pleased, and when I had an opportunity I told
the Judge that if he wanted I would stand trial for gambling, and
be fined; although I was aware that he had no jurisdiction in
gambling cases, but I presumed that he and the constable wanted to
make a piece for themselves.
The trial came off, and the Judge fined us thirty dollars apiece
for gambling. My friend paid the fines, and then I turned to the
Judge and demanded a warrant for the horseman, for gambling in the
State. He too was fined thirty dollars; and when he returned to
New Orleans, and told his story, the boys all gave him the laugh,
and told him he had better have staid at home, for we all told you
that you could never get a cent back from Devol.
When I reached New Orleans I hunted the horseman up, and he redeemed
his watch, giving me $200. This transaction made a man of him,
for afterwards I met him and he wanted to help me skin suckers,
and did make money. Many business men whom I have at first won
money from came to me afterwards and stood in with the game, so
that I was given an opportunity to get into games that I never
could have done without their influence.