37. Shocked, Shocked, to Find That Gambling Is Going On Here
The Alston All Stars (and death row players) played before packed crowds in baseball-mad Rawlins, WY. It was a harshly conservative town where wrongdoers were punished to the full extent of the law, and then some. The townspeople often did not bother waiting for the law to run its course: desperados caught in the act of murder, rape, or robbery, were often lynched on the spot, and not only hanged, but even skinned.
The good people of Rawlins were not only baseball mad, but also gambling mad. That was one thing they had in common with the All Stars, as well as with warden Felix Alston. Indeed, during the death row All Stars’ run, team captain George Saban developed a sideline as a bookie, going to local saloons and dives, taking bets on his team’s games, and pocketing a 20% commission.