Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1877-06-29
ST. JOHN, n. b., June 9
The Confession of a 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-martial
of embezzling military funds to the
amount of 1900, and sentenced to i'm
prisonment for ten years. The feature
Of the trial was his confession, which
tells a touching, impressive story, and
carries a solemn warning:
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
spirit that is broken, mind that is sur
charged and oppressed by the weight of
the awful miseries have brought upon
me and mine. am yet young man;
am thirty years of age; was well born;
l was reared under influences and sur
roundings which were kindly and propi-
tious. l am a graduate of the finest mil
itary 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 associations, COM
panions and friendships have been with
their profession; and previous to these
occurrences l was we'll thought of.
have introduced some testimony on this
subject. l have a loving, faithful and
devoted wife. Thus briefly stated, then,
stand before you a man who should
have future. / have only past, and a
horrible past it is at this point to con.
template. Would you know what has
wrought this ruin? 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 l honestly think is hardly my
fault. 1t is easy for men who have no
such overmastering passion, who have
stronger wills and better r-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 Government, as l understand
it, is not dollar loser at my
hands, but that lessons not one iota the
Nervousness of my offense. did not in.
tend-I have not at any time intended
| to deprive others of what belonged to
them. l gambled away first what was
my own-and that, even, / could i'll af.
ford to lose. l was robbed by lot OF
thieving sharks. Having money which
belonged to others in my possession, my
brain being frenzied and my blood on
fire, took small portion of it, hoping
and in my foolhardiness believing, thai
luck would turn in my favor, and could
thus, and from those to whom had lost
regain what had lost. By that act be
came, as you can all understand, dOublJ
and trebly involved. was involved pc
cuniarily; Twas involved with conscience
| | was involved and entangled in many
other ways. Whatever may be thought
or said upon the subject, the impulse
which prompted the next step was hon
est in its nature. 1t was to restore thai
which had taken belonging to others
knew of no way to do it except by
again tempting fate at the gaming table
did it on the night of March 8, and lost
that night 81 ,450. need not tell the
rest of the story. save myself from its
recital. The subsequent steps were al
taken in desperation, and, finally, in ut
ter abandonment. The road took ant
the objects on the way are as familiar tC
you by precedent and tradition as thu
streets you traverse as you go to you
stations or places of business. Having
in the days when gambled what wai
simply my own prescience of the fatt
to which this awful passion for gambling
was hurrying me, often took VOWS anC
made resolutions and pledges that
would never gamble again. l did no
keep them. could not keep them.