The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-11-11
Gamblers. Brokers, and Murder
ers.

/ Ii
Willis,the New York gambler, charge
with murder, has published a card in tn
Herald. in which, after complaining Of un
fair treatment by the press, he says:
81 ON told that the great reason ~ whicl
some people give for believing this absur
charge against me to be we'll founded, is tina
I am gambler. 1t seems that even In thi
advanced sge there are still left few per
sons whose capacity and taste incline then
rather to listen to bugaboo stories them Il
investigate the truth and then think for them
selves. Why, Mr.. Editor, il you reflect bu
for minute, you will see that q gambler i
about the last man in the world to kill a mai
for money, or for any reason. Gamblers
like stock brokers and Wall street speeuIa
tore generally, whose pursuits are identica
10 principle, from the very nature Of thOs
pursuits, hold their passions and temper il
greater check than any other class of men
They are quieter, and habitnally put uI
with more insults than any other men, no
because they have less pluck, but because
they see no use in having row, and they
know that excitement from any cause inve
riably gives their opponent an ad1antsgt
oveN them in play. To show temper at the
loss of money would Nuke a gemblerh
friends lose confidence in him, and be lest
willing to "stake" him when "broke."
simply wish TO show that gamblers are nee
essarily the coolest men in the community
There are men here in New York whose
wives cannot tell by their husbands appear.
ance, conversation, or temper at the break.
fast table, whether they won or lost $4,000
the night before, and it is the aim OF every
sporting man to attain that mastery ovel
himself Yes, indeed, gamblers are the
least likely men in the world even to lose
their temper about money, much less tc
commit murder for it. Every man Of the
world knows that there is no difficulty in
getting every cent Of money gambler has
in the world If you can only win it OF him,
But there's the rub. Cards are very uncer.
tain things. t..
| will not attempt in this connection to
defend gambling, but will hazard the u.s.
sertion, that, outside OF their profession, q
more honest and honorable set OF men can.
not be found than gamblers. Nor do | re.
fer solely to their transactions with each
other, but with landlords, tailors. shOemak k
ers, hotel'keepers-in short, with all class.
cs OF the community with whom they have
pecuniary transactions. Professionally, they
manage, Of course. like other business men,
to have a slight advantage over outsiders,
but while, when dealing with brokers, tpec.
uiators, politicians, and oil classes OF traders,
you never know how much you are cheated,
the gambler allows every man to see and
reckon for himself the precise per centage
against him in game Of chance. In games
OF skill, the only advantage which gam.
bier has over on occasional player is that
arising from a superior knowledge of the
game.
"No man of the world would ever think a
gambler more likely TO commit such crime
as that with which ON charged than uDy
other man. Like lawyers and doctors, gam.
blers are necessary evis-quite as necessary
but not quite as evil. Like nine-te nths of
the tradesmen, rich iders, and other nom
producers, we are, certainly in philosophi-
cal point of view, drones upon society. /
have not doubt that the services Of nine
teen'twenlieths of the lawyers, gamblers.
and khopkeepers Of the world,
could be profitubly dispensed with in their
present capacities, and that they would i'd
iunce the interests OF humanity much more
~ tlIng the soil.
10 conclude: this serious charge against
ne has neither occasion nor circumstance
o justify and sustain it. 1t is based solely
IN the word Of servant whom hud charg-
ID with and caused 10 be arrested Tor lurce-
~, and who, therefore, not only had cause
md motive Tor malice toward me, but who
lad, in the presence Of Judge Welsh, threat
med HE with vengeance tor having her DR..
ested. Not thing or a Circumstance has
cen discovered 10 corroborate her state-
lent.
RoBERr L. WILLIS.