Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-04-04
THE "GREEN CLOTH"

Gath, the Washington correspondent OF
the Chicago Tribune, devotes column, iu a
recent ISSUE to the subject Of gambling in
Washington, anu says that the effect of the
breaking up of the gambling houses by the
police has been to drive the gamblers to draw
poker as the safest game, requiring no tables
or implements other than deck of cards and
plethorie pocket-book.
The following extracts are from the cores
pondeuce
"A disconsolate faro-baukcr was heard to re-
mark yesterday at Charley Godfrey's, on L
street These are truly degenerate days
There Was Morrissey's furniture, at what is
commonly called Mettinger's taro-bank, sold
lamentably for 3d. 900, when it cost $l9,S90 !!
What will posterity think of it? D. NJ,
criminal lawyer, carried off the finest extension
table in the Uuited States for $75 when Burns
4 Montero have the bill for it now at tho
figure of $3.50"
Times have indeed changed in Washington
in the sporting way First, Horato Bolster,
who had lost an Incredible number of prize
fights, took it into his mind to kill Sonny
james. Then Jack Mccarthy went cunning
after Dennis Darden, and fell to the pavement
within square of the spot where James pass
Asylum across the Eastern Branch. Darden
was generic old Potomac gambler, tolerab!y
full Of spirits by day, and not very fortunate at
the bank by nights and, before he shot Nc
Carthy, he received from that pugiGst certain
skull wounds which have used him up for
many years to come.
'Why" said Mettiuger, at the close of the
sale where the furniture went of 80 cheap.
none of the many proprietors of these rooms,
of which shall be the last tenant, ever retired
from business with $500 profit. The game
had dropped to nothing. /. cost S2, ONO
month to keep up the supper table and pay
for service, and the Interest IN fancy games had
long ceased. Morrissey got tired of support
ing such an Improbable house.
After describing the closing of Parker, Sin
gleton's Teel's, Mettingers, Slaysman's aud
the Georgetown houses, Gait" says:
The question remains, whether the morals Of
the community have improved by the substitu
ton Of short cards for French games There
was here and still exists, curious old gentle
man, with fair income of $4,000 year, who
used to drop into Joe Halls bank every night
OF the week, and buy $40 worth Of chips
He never bought any more, never any less.
His doctors had recommended to him just that
amount OF excitement as necessary to keep HIM
alive; for he had nothing else to do, except to
read the Democratic newspapers, and talk
forgotten kind of politics This old chap put
down bis chips. ate his terrapin, and drank his
sherry, and departed neither wiser nor sad
der man, and perfectly we'll contented. Sud.
denly our young District Attorney descended
upon the sporting houses. Our old friend,
with S6,O0O year, was quite discons0late.
There was no place left in the world for him
TO put down his $40 every night in the week,
and he bade fair to drop into Incorporate ha-
bits; while in this uneasy state Of mind, the
whole regimen Of his life broken up, he heard
of the big game Of short cards near the -,
aud was invited in Being of an excitable ma
ture, aud having as yet fixed no limit as there
could be no limit in draw poker-to his bet,
this excitsble old gentleman lost $500 the first
night, and Immediately had to put himself Oh
short allowance Of Connecticut. wrapper cigars
and table claret. His only excitement since
that day is to drop over to Baltimore. where
rallying remnant is maintained OF the od-fash-
loDed sporting houses
The old-fashioned sports of " ashngton made
pany, and were well intoned as to manners and
address. Mr.. Clay had bucked against them.
S. s Prentiss, as delightfully."- related by Henry
4. Wise in the life of that superb Mississippi
orator, had taken periodical strolls into the
presence Of destiny and put down his gold
pieces with more delight than when he shot
Henry s. Foote in vulnerable part, and told
the boys looking on to get out the trees, ''as,
said he ''Mr. Foote is shooting very wild to-
day." In the old days of chNahy almost
svsrybody, yy, took shy now .da hsD at the
The foregoing is all derived from conversa-
tions with reformed friend. lie delights to
wander back over the halcyon days of blind
Justice in politics having blind luck in the green
meads of Z. street and Sixth street. He says
that the first 6ue '.bank' started in Washing.
ton was Pendletons, on + street, near the
Mansion House, now Wizards. Then came
Joe Hall. from Richmond, in 1855. and gave
the National Capital the first gorgeous den it
ever had Prendle kept long at The Alley
and the Avenue, near Four and a half street
Cackey and Vincent kept eoutemporaneously
at Sixth and the Avenue, and DIR. Hyde and
George Usher beside the Metropolitan. Burns
and Montero kept last at the place where Joe
Hall reigned aud burst.
I'm allthe history of gambling at the Capital,
there was never more than one conviction-that
of Marcus. He was sentenced in Buchanan's
Administration and Abraham Lincoln par
doned him. Robert Ould had quarreled with
Marcus, and pressed the case, as District At
torney, to CONVICTION.