The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1877-06-15
the Gamblers Fatal PassIon'--A Sad
story.

Fleming. IT, >. A., upon charges 81 en-
bezzlement " public funds, conduct UNI
becoming an officer and gentleman, and
violation a the Articles Of War, took
Mace al Acatrnz Island, near san Fran
cisco. on May ~. The prisoner plead
cd guilty 70 All the charges, but intro
duced several brother officers as wit
nesses to testify 70 his former good char
actor IN mitigation 81 his oilcnse.
The Judge Advocate said the prosccu-
tion had no testimony To offer in rebuttal
Of testimony as to Flcming's good char
acter. On the contrary, the Court adj
mitted that his character was rs stated
previous to the occurrences mentioned.
Fleming then read the following state
ment to the Court
.sGENTLEMEN or THE COURT; The
charges upon which | have been ar
raigncd before YOU and the pleas have
made thereon tell dreadful story. ]
know full well that need not relate il
10 YOU, for you can not but appreciate II
before | attempt To utter IL. The trans
actions recited in these charges and
.neci6cations reveal dishonesty on my
mart. Let me then, at this supreme mo-
ment, perhaps the eliminating one N
nv military career, make frank and
honest statementto you. II will AZ least
relieve spirit that is broken, mind
that Is surchargcd and oppressed by the
weight Of the awful miseries ! have
brought upon me and mine. am yet
4 Young man; am 80 years of age;
was well born; | was reared under in
finences and surroundings which were
kindly and propitious. ! am graduate
Of the finest military school in the
world belong to "A profession which,
thank God, in our country Is universally
acknowledged TO be the finest Of any Of
the branches of public service. My as
sociations. companions and friendships
have been with men who are an honor
and ornament to their profession; and
well thought Of. | have introduced
some testimony on this subject. have
loving. faithful and devoted wife.
"Thus briefly stated then, stand be-
fore YOU "A man who should have had q
future. have only a past, and hor-
rible past il Is at this point 10 contem-
plate. Would YOU know what has
wrought this ruin? II j.
passion for gambling. That
passion absorbed all my other passions.
instincts and cmotions-my entire being.
That have this passion and have been
unable to control ii, honestly think Is
hardly my fault. II j. easy for men who
have no such overmastering passion,
who have stronger wills and better bal
anced minds, 10 shrug their shoulders
81 II. A. OIL tbat fhAtr nA a. taf
tain other men are. | make no claim
for clemency IN my case. for there \
nothing to base one upon; but ask may,
! entreat, that you aud those whose duty
il shall be 70 read this record, consider
the circumstances Of il a. mercifnlly o.
YOU can. The Government, a. under
stand II, i not dollar loser AZ my
hands. but that lessons not one iota the
Nervousness Of my ofiense. did not in
tend have not at any time intended
70 deprive others Of what belonged u
them. gambled away first what was
my own land that, even, could Ill AZ
ford To lose. ! was robbed BY lot q
thieving sharks. Having money which
belonged 70 Others in my possession, my
brain being frenzied and my blood on
fire. took small portion If it, hoping
and even in my foolhardincss believing
that luck would turn in my favor, and
could thus, and from those To whom u
had lost, regain what had lost
by that act became, as you
can all understand. doubly and trebly
involved. was involved pecuniarily
was involved with conscience; ! wa.
involved and entanglcd in many other
ways
"Whaiever may be thought or said
upon the subject, the impulse which
prompted the next step was honest in IL
nature. II was TO restore that which
had taken belonging 20 others. knew
a no way to do il except BY again at
tempting fate M the gaming-table-
Did Il on the night Of March 8, and los
that night $l,450 need not tell tn,
rest Of the story. ! save myself from
Us recital The subsequent steps were
all taken In desperation, despair, and
nnally, in utter abandonment. The
road took and the objects on the WA,
are familiar to you, by precedent anc
tradition, as the streets you traverse n
you 90 TO your stations or places q
business. Having in the days when
gambled what was simply my own .
prescience Of the fate 10 which this awful
passion for gambling was hurting me,
often took vows and made resolutions
and pledges that would never gamble
again | did not keep them. could
not keep them.
Twill not pain and worry you BY fur
tner uncoyering the causes, facts and in
cidcnts which have made wreck and /
rum Of what might have been nm hon
orable and crcditablc career. | hav,
written 70 my family statement Of
what have done, and hope and expect
That all the money have taken in thcs,