The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-05-29
A Renaissance of Horace Greeley and
jeff. Davis.

-dHHu 4. Brdc6eH IN <dttoHftc' e"Ase, Aooo.
A Renaissance of Horace Greeley and
JEFF. Davis.
George Alfred Townsend has just contrib
ilted to the Chicago Tribune a two-column
story of bis recollections of the scene in
Richmond when Horace Greeley became
bondsman for JEFF. Davis. Mr.. Townsend
praises Horace in unmeasured terms for that
act, but his individual opinions are not of so
much account as the description he gives of
the performances in the courtroom His
picture of Greeley is very well drawn, thus
Mr.. Greeley had never spoken with up to
that day. He was large, fleshy, marked
looking man, with smooth healthy face, in
which the colors were brighter than men
usually keep. He had deep, benevolent
forehead, and wore, think, a suit of black
broadcloth. He seldom wears white coat
at any time, although caricature so represents
him, and his hat in his hand was the same
quality and shape he has always carried since
"a broad-brimmed felt, soft and fine, and
sensible and dressy enough for any person.
He was dressed as well as anybody in Rich
mond. He looked to me like man origin
ally shy and bashful, and incurably retiring
by native wish, and who, therefore, came
forward on public occasions from propulsion
rather than from enjoyment. His smile, at
such times of exhibition, is that of good
humored boy who had much rather go play
in the yard than exhibit before company and
it occurred to me that man might have such
a thing as too exuberant health and temper
ance. He spoke to few, and then always
by request; and he was, to great extent,
the reigning influence in that presence. I'm
derwood, the Judge, with whom lay the op-
ton of taking bail, paid much more respect
to Horace Greeley's intentions than to Mr..
Davis.
After the bond was signed, as Mr. Greeley
stepped back toward column or pillar where
he had first stood, Mr.. Davis rose from his
chair with a smile of respect, and reached
out his hand, bowling like one under deep
obligation, and fully accepting the act in its
benevolent spirit. Mr.. Greeley took the
hand, without speaking, so far as could see,
and the action lasted only portion of a mo-
ment. The two have never had communica-
lions since.
GAMBLING AS A ESCIENCE AT THE GER
MAN SPAs-Casual and amateur bettors AFT
the spas play at random, without theory or
calculation of any kind but the habitual and
professional gamesters always have systems,
by which they confidently expect, some time
or other to break the bank. 1 have been told
of men, and women too, indeed, who have
been going to Baden or Wiesbaden for ten,
twelve and fifteen years with that avowed
purpose, and yet the sole financial injury
they have wrought has been to themselves.
Their i'll luck as they term it, does not, how
ever, mar their faith in systems. These they
hold to be unquestionably correct-the fault
is either in their understanding or it the ma
ignant stars.
The principal fallacy in respect to systems
is that chance is subject to law, extremely
subtitle, but discoverable if diligently and ear
nestly investigated. The mind of a thorough
gamester can never be disabused of this no.
ton. he cleaves to it after years of expert
ence to the contrary as he did at the out set.
Come what may, he will hold that the blind
goddess has vision enough to read the pages
OF the volume Of logic which he is persuaded
sne carries concealed in the folds of her robe
One OF the simplest and most plausible sys-
TENS or theories is to begin with a small
stake, and keep doubling it until it wins.
There are three bars to the success of this
plan: first, the vast amount of money requir-
ed to carry it out; secon dly, the limitation as
to minimum and maximum of the stake; and
thirdly, the percentage of the bank (no
amount OF prudence, audacity, or calculation
can overcome this), by which, when the little
ball at roulette drops into zero, or the refait
Is made at trente-et-quarante, all the bettors,
on whatever side, lose their wagers
Few persons, without actual computation,
have any idea to what an enormous sum the
doubling process will soon swell Let any
one, for example, begin at roulette with the
smallest stake aAowed,- one -Aoriif,- Net
him lose, as not infrequently happens, twenty
times in succession his last bet must be 524,-
2SS forins-about $210,0O0-an amount very
few men have at hand to devote to the pur-
pose of play. At trente-et-quarante the sum
needed, beginning with the lowest stake, two
horins, tor the twentieth doubling bet would
| hnrinc-caxy ciO0
long before the player arrived at his twentieth
stake he would have exceeded the limit of the
bank, and be forced to return to his original
bet, losing four or five thousand forms in the
desperate attempt to win one-a species of DO
lltical economy not likely to be taught or fol-
lowed outside of amad-house Another the
DRY of the trequenters of the gaming-tables is
that chances are governed by the doctrine of
proDabllltles-in other words, that number
or color which has lost for long time must
soon begin to win. If this could be tested
Tor century or two it might be proved cor
rect. But, confined to a limited period, it
turns out very fallacious. have known men
who betted persistently on black in the even
ing, be cause red had had such an extraordinary
run OF luck during the day; and yet when the
bank closed they had no more forms than
the players who had stubbornly adhered torthe
red.-JUNIUs HENRI BROWNE, in Harper's
Magazine for June.
The VALUE OF CAPITAL PUNISHMENT. =
Early in December last John Ware was hang
ed ''by the neck until dead" in Camden,
N. j., for parricide. This is a description of
the death scene:-
Sheriff Fredericks addressed him and said
2onn,, can you hear what he is saying?"
YES" was the reply. won't you promise
me to trust in God?'' 'sNo, IN be - if
do" The Lords prayer was then recited in
unlson-Ware still refusing to take part in
the ceremony, but bending his eyes on the
ground. He appeared affected when his jail
or, an old French gentleman named Brideaux.
went down on his knees and prayed for for
giveness for him; and his eyes were filled
tears when one of the gentlemen present ex-
claimed, ''Think of your wife and child, John
oh! think of themp' But when Sheriff
Fredericks asked him to repent, he shook his
head modify and said he ''would not" His
legs were strapped together, his last look at
this earth was taken, and the black cap pull
ed over his eyes and secured around his
neck. Sheriff Fredericks then addressed him,
saying: John, have not done all | could
for you?" and he nodded in response. s'Look
to Jesus, Johnp' An almost impercepti5le
shake OF the head was the only reply. ''Then
may God bless youv' The Sheriff stepped
back-there was the quick flash of keen
hatchet, and the sustaining rope was sever
ed. The weight fell with heavy thud, and
the poor wretch was jerked up into the air,
the recoil being about two feet
Here was man, "whose breasts are dis
tended with milk'' Ito use a synonym for
youth that we heard Choate use in the Tir-
rel trial), sent straight to perdition by his
fellow-men acting in the name of the law.
Cm bono? Is it likely, because Ware was
hung for parricide, that it will prevent any 9th
er half-witted, uneducated youth, crazed with
anger and passion, from shooting his father?