The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-07-16
nanccr. the Rich Gambler.
MAN WHO FREQUENTLY CARRIES FORTUNE IN
Ills WATCH FOR.

MAN WHO rREou EST,Y CARRIES FORTUNE IN
HIS WATCH FoH.
Mr.. Matthias NJ. Dancer, whose house mt
No. so west Eleventh street, was subjected 10
a thorough rAnsacking. and whose venerable
wife was bound, gagged. and bl'ndtotded, on
Monday, by several desperadocs, Is possibly
the oldest and most fortunate gambler IN
New York. He has almost invariably been
connected with square" gambliDg-houSes.
Reared In Smithy, he entered the lists with
professional gameSters as dealer OF "snaps."
He won money rapidly and boarded 1t. After
he had accumulated q sufficient amount he
moved from the Bowery, his starting place.
into Broadway, and in the course OF the tsst
twenty-five years has been connected, NJ va
rious times. with several Of the gaHb'ipS-
houses in that thorough(are. A large part OF
his winnings in that period was aeGuired IN
faro. bank which, by reason OF us dimin..
tive size. was known rs the "coon'D ="
farc-bank. The most noted OF the gauieslcr
resorts kent by him was at GIG Broadway.
II, i, one of the chief stockholders in the
fsro.bank at No. : Barclay street. This bank
is reported to have taken in 81 ,50O,O0O du'
ring the war. His cronieS say that he IS
worth between 100000 and 100000. lie
h1s frequently carried on his person between
$50 600 and 500, 900, and on Monday morn
ing he started out with ga $40 in bis watch
FOB. Occasionally, when thus valuably
freirh,cd, ne has beclouded his mind with
l,q,Ior but has generally escaped the spoilers.
hands. On wIntry morning four years
ago, however, $1,000 was taken from the
chan pocket o! his overcoat by boot
black. \ detective. to whom Mr. Dancer pro-
missed TO give half the amount recovered.
soon handed $3.50 TO him, aud informed him
that the bow was in the Tombs awaiting Mr..
Dancers action. Mr.. Dancer, however, re-
fused TO prosecute the child, and even went
before the grand jury to ask mercy for him.
Mr.. Dancers reputation as backgammon
PLAYER is uneQuaIed in the United States, and
N backgammon matches where skill alone is
brought 10 bear he is commonly the victor.
\ few years ago DR.. Brown, a tricky pro-
fcS,ional, having arranged the box so that
he could control the dice, challenged Mr..
Dancer 10 n match. After Mr.. Dancer had
lost S400 be was warned by a friend. He
then withdrew from the game. TuiS is per-
haps the only known instance in which he
has been overreached. Gamblers say that
while PLAYING cards or backgammon he
shows as much anxiety to win twenty five
cents As be would II the stakes were S25, 900,
and that he is as much elated over the WIN
ming of N opponents last cent as he would
be were his prize fortune.
Among Sir. Dancers treasures is note
signed by WilliAm n. Tweed, given in 1861,
in addition TO all the jewels then possessed
hy Mr. Tweed, a security for loan Of
y 900. Mr. Tweed was not singular 10
those days in borrowing money from Mr..
Dancer, the latter frequently supplying the
sincws of political warfare.
Mr.. Dancer told Sergeant Pickett and De.
tec,iye Sleyius yesterday that 100000 in old
aud SD 900 ia new bonds Of The State of
Virginia and a gold watch were taken from
bis home on Monday. The market value Of
the bonds is S30,340. They will he worth
less to the thieves. however. their numbers
being in the bond.register Of the CitiZ-ns
Bank. Mrs. Dancer is easier in body and
mind, though still rtquiringa physicians at.
ten,ion. She believes that she could identify
one OF the robbers.