Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-08-18
THEKENG OF THE MONTE PLAYERS.


There was published in the IHteT-OcedR
of Saturday last an article clipped from
Western paper headed ''RObbers of the
Rail-" which discussed in very good style
upon the monte gamblers who "wOrk"
along the Pacific railways. One Of the
rarfies mentioned in it was William Jones,
of Omaha, a man who has acquired an al
most national reputation as Canada Bill
lie is known among his class as The Monte
King and is doubtless the most
skiIlful and successful shark in the West.
Several wears ago. before the Union Pacific
was constructed, Jones turned the highest
trick on recOrd-fOr $4,000. 1t was on
Mississippi river steamboat, and his victim
was a wealthy planter, who was so blIndly
confident Of his ability to win, or so deS-
perately bent on making good his loss, that
he Immediately siaked the balance of his
fortune, some $4,000, on another throw,
when Bill was placed uEcer arrest. Of
course, had they not been interrupted. he
would have lost the money.
Jones is power in the city lie has made
his home; owns three hotels and number
of saloons, and employs thirty to forty men
as decoys or campers. His operations are
bold, and almost invariably successful.
Only once in his life, so far as it is known,
did he suffer wOrSting, and that was at the
hands of an Iowa farmer, who deluded him
into paving fol a wagon load Of cheese one
dav in Council Bluffs. The aroma of that
cheese still clings to him, and is the one
sore spot in his memory no one can touch
without ruffling his temper. The
Omaha Herald about two years
since inaugurated a war against
the gamblers, and attacked Jones as the
most prominent figure among them. His
misdeeds were so raked up and paraded
under ssscare-heads," that the halfreluctant
authorities were obliged to look after him.
| The sheriff, after a tedious season OfunSuc-
cessful watching, caught him one afternoon
| in the very act OF fleeing a cOuntryman
| and took him into custody. Out of defer
| ence to the popular feeling he was ordered
to Jail for twenty days. BY a convenient
| technicality his counsel procured his release
on the thirteenth day. He instantly de-
parted for the further West.
In lust exactly one week he returned, and
meeting the city editor Of the Herald on
Farnham street, took him into bar room
and exhibited a roll of money. There's
lust $4,000 there" said he. 81 made ii
since | got out. Take suthin - The next
| morning he was mOneyless again. Over
night he had struggled into faro hank and
lost every cent of it. The stories that are
told of his shrewdness and folly (fOr he is a
man of weakness) would make a very
amusing book. His dupes are not al
WAYS of the clodhopper sort. Occa-
sionally he shears men who, from
their calling and experience, one would
naturally suppose too sharp fOr any such
fooIishness. The city editor of the NeU
York Herald lost his money, his luggage,
and his wife'S ewelry to him, while stop
pinn over at Omaha ON a trip across the
continent. On another occasion a Boston
detective, of considerable renOwn, ''tOok Z
| walk" with him, and left his watch anC
| wallet. There is nothing at all in his ap
pearance TO indicate the rogue. Tall
stoop-shonldered, angular and awkward
with weak eyes, an idiotic half smile,
piping voice, and a plainsman's dialect, h
is a picture of unsophistioatiOn, and thereil
lies half his success.