Gambler Devol's Escape

A correspondent of the Louisville C'ourier-Joumal writes from Milan, Tenn. : Detained at this place, I made the acquaiutance of Geo. H. Devol, the ' gambler. He is a gentleinanly-looking persou of 47, dark sandy hair, light sandy whiskers, bezinning to show the silver, a j quiek, piercing gray eye, ruddy ! plexion, is of good address, and a sweei tidker. He was bom in ühio, but foi' thirty years lias been a gamblpr. Wliile opt'iating on the Shortline road, near Lagrange, he won about $1,800 and five gold watdh.es, nnd ended the game just as the train was leaving Lagrange on its way to Cincinnati. The victims squealed terribly, nnd proposed to have their treasare or blood. They jnarshaled their ! torces and drew their revolvers. Devol skipped into the rear coach, looking the door as he went. He then went to the , renr platform, and, although the train was running at the rate of thirty-five miles an hour, selocted a clear spot and jumped. H; rolled over at a lively rat but pioked himself up unhurt, though his late friends fired a volley at hiin from their revolvers. He ent across the country and strook the railroad at Lexington junction and went back to Louisville. " The closest place I was ever in in my life," said Devol, "was in '50. I was i coming up the river from New Orleans in the steamer Fairehild, and had won a i great deal of money. The boat landed at Napoleon, and about twenty-five of i those killers there, who in those days did not think any more of killing a mun thiin they did i rat, got aboaxd. Iopenedout ! and won a gpód deal of money and four or flve watobes. Eveiything went along smoothly enongh mitil about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, when they began to get drank. One of them said : ' Where is that damned gambler ; I am going to kill hiin. ' ' I'm with you,' said another. 'I, too,' said another. And the wholo party rusned to their state-rooms and got their pistols. I slipped up and got between the pilot house and the roof. They I searched the boat from stem to stern, but did not think of l.K)king ander the jilot liouse. I whispered to the pilot when he oame to a bluff bank to throw j her stern in and give me the word and I would run and jump off. At about G o'clock he gave me the word, and I ran and jumped. I was weighted down with ' the watches and gold I had won, and the cüstance was more than I thouglit, and I missed the bank and stuck tight, waist deep, in soft mud at the water's edgc. The killers saw me, andas the boat swung out they opeiied íire. I could not move, and the Imllets whistled past myearimd spattered mud and water all over my face. I had given the pilot $100 in gold, and he threw the boat out, so that I was out of sight very quick."