FLEECING A MINER.

Dunstan Times, Issue 700, 17 September 1875, Page 4

FLEECING A MINER.

A thrilling incident occurred on a recent trip (says an American corresl ondent) which I made over the Union Pacific, that may be of interest to your readers. We were rolling along between Salt Lake and Omaha, when I made my way into the smoking car to enjoy a cigar. T noticed a group gathered in the centre of the car, and crowding my way up, found two men gambling. One was a well-dressed man, but hearing the general appearance of a blackleg ; the other was a veritable miner, just as he came from the mountains, with long grizzled heard, rough, coarse, and dirty clothes, hut with lots of gold. The play was for quite large stakes, and I heard whispers that the gambler was about to fleece the miner, and much sympathy was-manifested for him. The game—-draw-poker—still went on, with hardly a word spoken by the players, till finally, when a large sum was on the hoard, the gambler being called to show his hand, threw down three aces and two queens, and reached for the money ; the miner stretched and held his hand and laid clown two aces, showing, of course, five aces in the pack. He then reached back and drew a large navy revolver, cocked it, placed the muzzle directly between the eyes of the gambler, still bolding his hand. Not a word was spoken, but each looked steadily into the eyes of the other. Soon the hand began quietly to move from the money, the form of the gambler to draw hack, and still the revolver followed. He stepped into the aisle, and here the scene became so uninteresting to me and several othei-s that we dropped under the seats. The gambler slowly backed towards the door, with the revolver following till the door was reached and he passed out. The miner coolly let down the hammer of his revolver, replaced it in his pocket, swept the money from the board into his pouch, quietly lighted his pipe, and settled hack in his seat as if nothing had happened The strangest part of the whole business was that not a word was spoken from the time the gambler laid his three aces on the board till he passed out of the car-door.