Odd, Old News: Drinking And Gambling Didn’t Mix

Four men playing cards, drinking with many onlookers [Photo courtesy of HSU Library Humboldt Room Special Collections, Kuykendall photo in Palmquist Collection]

On July 13th, 1914, a fire that started with a bad stovepipe flue in the Briceland Hotel kitchen erupted and blazed out of control, destroying the north half of Briceland. Nine buildings were razed to the ground, including the Williams and Briceland Hotels, the residences of Jess Smalley, Ralph Cowen, and C. J. Swithenbank, Charles Wood’s general store, the town hall, the post office, and the Ferrian butcher shop. Lacking storage capacity, the town’s water supply simply wasn’t adequate to fight the fire. As well as leaving a score of locals homeless, the destruction of the hotel bars left saloon goers with only one town saloon for socializing and card playing.

Alcoholic intoxication has provided a bottomless well of stories of human misbehavior. Drunken murder and mayhem, as described in last week’s post from theKlondike region, has subsided to mere mayhem in this week’s Odd, Old News article.

On a summer evening one year after the fire, four young Briceland men played cards late into the night at a local house, and became the victims of a sore loser who was under the influence of fermented libations. Three of the men were from mixed race families as many were in Briceland. Carl Briceland was the son of John Crail Briceland, for whom the town was named, Leonard Luke was the son of William Luke, the town constable, and William Pollock’s family had a cabin at the far end of town to the west of where the Briceland school was located. A mixture of gambling and drinking led one of the card players to attempt to pull off a robbery in a manner quite different from most successful heists.

FARCICAL HOLD-UP AT BRICELAND CARD GAME
Humboldt Times
August 4, 1915

W. J. Abbott Loses $10 and Leaves, Then Puts on Mask and Returns, Shooting Out Lights and Capturing the Pot
HAS NO MEMORY OF TRANSACTION

His Victim Swears Out Warrant and He Now Languishes In Local Bastille With a Trip to County Seat Ahead of Him

(Special to Times) BRICELAND. Aug. 1—Three hours after W. J. Abbott, employed by the Wagner Leather Company of this place, had lost $10 in a poker game, he returned to the place with his face hidden in a mask and a pistol in his hand and demanded of the remaining players the money he had lost.

The identity of the man was known as soon as he entered the place and with shouts of laughter his command was ignored until with a shot from his weapon he extinguished the lamp, and saying that he would take all the money in sight, compelled Carl Briceland, one of the players, at the point of the pistol to place all the money in his pocket on the table and accompany Abbott from the place and down the street several hundred yards where he relieved him of it all amounting to nearly forty dollars. He then allowed Briceland to return to the party.

Earlier In the evening Abbott, with Briceland, William Pollock and Leonard Luke, commenced to play poker in small house near the outskirts of the city. Fortune frowned upon Abbott, and soon he had lost $10 he had drawn from the cashier of the Wagner Company. Evidently Abbott was under the impression that the game hadn’t been “for keeps”, because he requested the men to return his money. This being refused, was soon forgotten.

About 2 o’clock this morning while he left the place in rage and while the remaining three players were still engaged with the game, a knock was heard on the door. To their response to enter in stepped a man with a black mask on his face and a revolver in his hand. The men instantly recognized their companion of earlier in the evening and began to laugh.

“Give me back my money, said the newcomer.

The laughs that greeted him were cut short by a pistol shot and the place was in darkness.

“Now Briceland, gather up all the money on the table, and come with me” said Abbott, leveling his weapon at the man addressed. Briceland obeyed and Abbott, after taking the money from him, went on his way.

Early this morning Briceland swore out a warrant for the arrest of Abbott and Constable William Luke arrested him at the sleeping quarters of the Wagner compound. He found a pistol and $35.01 on the man. Abbott is now in jail here and will be removed to the county jail at Eureka tomorrow morning.

Abbott said this morning that he was drunk at the time of the robbery and that he has no recollection of having committed it. He made no attempt to escape or avoid arrest.

Earlier Odd and Old News:

There are many, but here are the most recent:

• When Empress the Elephant Came to Humboldt County
• No Such Thing As Impassable Roads For Fool-Proof Modern Motor Cars
• A Parent’s Worst Fear Stories of a Century Ago
• The Wreck of the Steamer ‘Active’ North of Shelter Cove
• Early Adventures in Automotive Travel
• A Trip Up the Coast to Crescent City
• ‘Dope Evil Plainly Growing,’ Warns Early Eureka Newspaper
• A Real Fight With a Bear Up Mad River
• A Carriage Ride Down the Coast in 1892
• Lively Times At Klondike