Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1874-05-07
4 GAMESTER OF THE OLD TIME.

Ihe Life and Adventures OF noDerL Dai-
ley" is a somewhat rare book, published at
Richmond in 1923, and sold to subscribers
from the hand of its author.
Bailey was the greatest gambler of his Pc
riod, and was in the height of his fame du.
ring the administrations Of Washington, JET
ferson and Madison. He was the son of an
Irishman and his mother Quaker. Born in
Chester Valley, Pennsylvania, his father
wasted considerable fortune of Mrs. Bailey's
by going security for men at large. Then en-
tering the patriot army, the elder Bailey be,
came ma jor, and was killed at the battle of
Cowpens. The impoverished widow loaded
her goods upon cart, and with her brood of
children, followed after, on foot, to Culpepper
county, Virginia, where she kept tavern,
and afterward school, and finally married
again.
The second husband undertook to chastse
young Bailey, but received dreadful fog
ging. This happened at the Seneca stone
quarries, in Maryland. Afterward, young
Bailey married tavern keepers widow, and
showed considerable genius for trading in
horses, liquors, negroes, and merchandise:
Without education, he had still powerful
will and violent temper, and bis prowess made
him audacious and feared. In those days,
the Virginia springs we're full of faro dealers,
and Bailey was the principal gambler at the
Sweet Springs, afterward keeping the hotel
there. In the height of his fame, he had
large boarding house at Berkley Springs, and
a city hotel at Washington, called the Bell
Inn, kept in six of Daniel CarrolPs houses.
At this time as for fourteen years, he was
the dupe ola Winchester widow, named Ann
Turnbull, and though his relations were noto.
rious and open with this creature, the chief
Justice and the supreme bench boarded with
him, and even advanced him hundreds of dol
lars at times on account of board. Afterward
he had magnificent establishment at George
town and haunted Union Hotel. He was
twice put in prison as debtor, and each time
escaped, once advertising reward for the
marshal of the district, Ringgold, who had
placarded him. On another occasion he WIS.,
tied President Jefferson, at the White House,
at the request of Commodore Barney and
Commodore Dawson, and when the Secretary,
Colonel Cole, sent an usher to tell him he
must retire, he way laid the marshal in the
street and gave him terrible aogging, for
which, after tedious prosecution, he was
fined only $40 and costs.
He kept some of the fastest horses in the
country, and ran at Annapolis, Richmond,
Petersburg, Winchester, Lexington, Lynch
burg, Port Tobacco and other places. He
drove either four or six horses to q grand
chaise, with outriders, and men in livery, and
his own hair was superbly powdered, while he
carried gold-headed cane. On such tours
he stopped at the prominent places and opened
game. He says that his earnings amounted
to half million dollars, in gross. On one
occasion, when the ladies at the Sweet Springs
refused to dance with him, he bought the ne.
gro violinist and stopped the music in the
height of the season.
He went abroad to dispose of some OF his
mountain land, and becoming short OF funds
rang in with some Englishmen, who diced
freely, and he bet 100000. Losing, he threw
himself on their generosity, and they raised
him purse. Again, in France, magnificent
luck followed him, and he returned to the
United States rich. He then loaded ship
with merchandise and went into business at
New Orleans where disagreement with his
doxy made him low spirited, and he lost his
luck.
In the latter part of Baileys life, when he
was struggling most earnestly to amend his
evil courses and thrive by legitimate business
he fell into the hands Of bailiAs, and was
hunted from Jail to Jail for trivial debts, until
he lost the use of his limbs by wearing mana
cles and by rheumatism. Then, wretched,
pursued and despairing, he went into meet.
ing house at the town of Bath, where he had
once been great favorite, and endeavored to
address his ignorant soul to the contemplation
of heaven. The constables suddenly rushed
in upon his meditations, and he was dragged
again to Jail. Finally, released from Ha-
gerstown prison, by the intercession of the
celebrated Otho Williams, he had no resort
but to indite his memoirs and peddle the same
from horse race to horse race Washington
Star.