The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1833-04-24
FATAL CONSEQUENCES OF
GAMBLING.


respecting the cause which led Mr.. Curtis
TO the commission of self murder at Provi.
dence, is confirmed to us from q source
which places it beyond all doubt. A highly
respectable gentleman Of this city on read
ing il, has kindly communicated to US tho
following melancholy particulars.
.4bout eight weeks ago, Mr.. Curtis called
at the office Of friend in this city and fully
disclosed his situation ard the causes which
ted to it. lie Informed him that on the fret
cs November last. ne was worth lttIa
more than $4,000 and that before the middle
Of February. or about thar time, he was in.
solvent in about the same sum. The whole
Of this amount, viz, $4,000, he had lost in
that period, by gambling. He stated that
he had been invited by two persons from
Boston to play at a game of"props" at Brigh.
ton, and that they won considerable sum
from him, they invited him to try his luck
again, and he continued to meet them in
Brighton and in this city until he was strip.
ped Of over $lO,0OO. The two hell hounds
alluded to, won over $4,000 from different
persons in about elk weeks. One of these
demons Of darkness was at Providence when
the wretchod man hung himself, having fed
from Boston because he was fearful of being
sppreheDded.
The whole story is not yet told. The
infatuated Curtis stood not solitary chance
Of success with the gamesters. Their gam.
bling appara.u was so prepared that he
must lose. Their "props" were loaded, and
though they might allow him to win haz.
ard now and then, it was only to make bis
destruction the more certain. There is a
bundant evidence of this fact. but the seIf-
destruction Of their misersbe victim will
prevent the strong arm Of law from falling
upon his cold -blooded murderers.
In addition to this, we learn from the
bes, authority that young mechanic Of
this city was kindly conveyed to Brigh-
ton not long ago by one of these worse
than highway robbers, and UNANIMOUSLY
swindIed out Of Sll25, in the course of
Eve nights, for which he drew his
checks upon one Of the Boston banks.
Is il not high time that the community
was in arms against these diabolical
ruffiansi The editor Of the Galaxy.
with "A fearlessness that demands public
appreciation, has drawn :he characteR
0ftwo persoas. well known among us az
and abandoned wrctches,
and has exhibited such scene of villa
ny, vice and cruelty as cannot fail to
startle and alarm our citizens. What
steps may be taken TO check tho career
of these vile incendlaries of the public
morals, we know not. One thing we
do know, j. c. that unless something be
done and that quickly, to save the young
and the unwary from the sn.res thnt
are set in their paths, and to bring the
Williams to justice, an excitement will be
raised among us that never has had a
parallel.
Who that is father or mother, Il
brother or n sister, Il friend to the great
human family, that does not feel the
urgent importance Of prompt aud an
energetic effort to rid the laud of this
desolating pestilenee Suffer it to
continue. and who knows what relative
may be the next bloody sacrifice ,
y s. Since the above was written,
We have received the Providence Gag
ettc, which contains the following arti-
clio ::
"Not little anxiety has been cxpe-
rienced in this city since Saturday, in
consequence of tho melancholy suicide
of Mr.. Curtis, who it is alleged, hanged
himself in his room,at Jones Providence
Hotel. Many stories are in circulation,
with reference to the matter !; and, if
the facts that have reached us can be
depended upon, the affair demands u
much more rigid investigation than has
been given. 1t lis said, and we repeat
the assertion upon tho best authority,
that when. Mr.. Curtis arrived in this city
he was known to have in his possession
a large amount of money whom fouud
dead. his money bad disappeared. II
is fact that there ~ss deep wopnd
on the back of the dead mans neck,
that could not have been inflicted by a
handkerchief and il is no evidence
that suicide was commitied because
three doors which led to the room Of the
stranger we're fastened. There are 9th
er circumstances connected with this
affair. which arc singular, dark and
mysterious, and call upon the people
Of this city for a rigid examination OF
tho suicide"
We understand that the deceased bor-
rowei &I25 ofa fiiend before hc left
Boston and that he was induced to go
to Providence by letter he received
from one Of his robbers, which assured
him thnt if he would come thither, he
would be able to recover his money
The paragraph from the Providence pa
per iniimnses that he was murdered.
Mr.. Curtis lived in Cambridgeport
and has left a wife and seven children
the oldest about sixteen years ofegs.
Atlas.
III. II -l~~s Hall ~otl,J l~.,J..