The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-07-19
TIE CONFESSION OFA GAMBLER.


The California papers bring us the last
chapter in the story of Lieut.. Fleming, Of
the United States Army, who has just
been convicted by military court-marial
of embezzling military funds to the
amount of $1,000, and sentenced to i'm
prisonment for ten years. The feature
of the trial was his confession, which
tells touching, impressive story, and
carries a solemn warming
Let me then, at this supreme moment,
perhaps the eliminating one in my mill
tary career, make a frank and honest
statement to you. 1t will at least relieve
a spirit that is broken, mind that is sur
charged and oppressed by the weight of
the awful miseries l have brought upon
me and niue, am yet young man;
am thirty years of age; | was we'll born;
was reared under influences and sur
rounding which were kindly and propi-
tious am graduate of the finest mill
itary school in the world, l belong to q
profession which thank God in our
country is universally acknowledged to
be the finest of any of the branches Of
public service. My associations, COM
panions and friendship have been with
men who are an honor and ornament to
their profession; and previous to these
occurrences l was well thought of. I
have introduced some testimony on this
subject l have loving, faithful and
devoted wife. Thus briefly stated then,
l stand before you man who should
have future. have only past, and q
horrible past it is at this point to con-
template. Would you know what has
wrought this ruin2 1t is passion for
gambling. That passion absorbed all
my other passions, instincts and emo
tions-my entire being, That l have
this passion and have been unable to
control it honestly think is hardly my
fault. 1t is easy for men who have no
such overmastering passion, who have
stronger wills and better-balanced minds
to shrug their shoulders and thank God
that they are not as certain other men
are. make no claim for clemency in
my case, for there is nothing to base one
upon; but / ask, nay, entreat, that you
and those whose duty it shall be to read
this record consider the circumstances OF
it as mercifully as you can. The Govern
ment, as understand it, is not dollar
loser at my hands, but that lessons not
one iota the Nervousness of my otense.
l did not intend-I have not at anytime
intended-to deprive others Of what be"
longed to them. gambled away tirst
what was my own--and that, even, l
could i'll afford to lose, was robbed by
q lot of thieving sharks. Having money
which belonged to others in my posses
sion, my brain being frenzied and my
blood on fire, L took small portion oft,
hoping, and in my foolhardiness believ-
ing, that luck would turn in my favor,
and could thus, and from those to whom
l had lost, regain what had lost. By
that act became, as you can all UNDER
stand, doubly and trebly involved. l
was involved peculiarly; l was involved
pecuniarily; l was involved with consci-
ence; was involved and entangled in
many other ways. Whatever may be-
thought or said upon the subject, the inn.
pulse which prompted the next step was
honest in its nature. 1t was to restore
that which I had taken belonging to 9TH
ers. know ofno way to do It except by
again tempting fate at the gaming g-table.
l did it on the night Of March 8, and lost
that night 81, ,450. l need not tell the
rest of the story. I Isave myself from its
recital. The subsequent steps were all
taken in desperation, and, finally, in ut
ter abandonment. The road took and
the objects on the way are as familiar to
you by precedent and tradition as the
streets you traverse as you 60 to your
stations or places of fbusiness Having in
the days when gambled what was simp-
ly my own a presCience Of the fate to
which this awful passion for gambling
was hurrying me, | often took vows and
made resolutions and pledges that L
would never gamble again. did not
keep them. Icopld not keep them,