The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1877-09-04
gems of a town which he had previous

lv robbed they hanged him and Gu,
off his head, and stuck it on a pole in
one of the streets The Second Kan
sas Cavalry moved into this town short
" afterwards, and the officers found the
head of their former associate. Years
later, in q suit for 'he possession OF the
property which Julia Brown had lef,
Harrison in Westchester County, Colo
mel Davis, who had meanwhile removed
tu New York TO practice law, was called
as witness to establish the fact of Har
rison's death
The oldest of the gambling fraternity.
and man who was possessed Of prop
erty and with few enemies. was "Shell"
Burrell, who kept gambling house iu
he Bowery. Most OF bis fortune was
made by the roulette wheel HIS sp.
pearance was peculiar, as he was round
.houliered and six feet in height. HIS
manners were pleasing, and he was al
ways ready to stake his last dollar q,
roulette. On one occasion. when asked
what the limit of the bets was, replied,
: Bet all you've got, and il that isn't
enough, get on the table and l II turn
tor you. But l must be allowed to pu
my own value on you"
John Cassidav, who came from Gin
cinnati, was another prominent gambler
He claimed, perhaps with reason, to be
hy birth and education gentleman -
He was man of fine address, and of
undoubted literary ability For long
time he wrote letters for the Spirit of
the Times, over the signature of Lar
kin" Becoming fascinated with play,
Cassiday eambled heavily and continu
ously. But he was never cheat or a
olaCkguard. He died in poverty, leav-
ing family, reared in luxury, depend.
ent upon relation for the necessaries
Of life.
Recent years have brought forward a
herd of low and brutal thieves, who,
when arrested, seek to disguise their real
character by saving that they are sport
ing men, John Morrissey, although
oerhaps not intending to curse New
York City with gang of williams. has
been the direct cause of the emigration
of band of men of the worst charac
ter from Troy to New York Hilher
they all came, after Morrissey's success,
fui prize-6ght with Yankee" Sullivan
Among the most odious Of these, and
nest known to the police, were BLACK
smith Dan," Eigar Mccormick, big
Mike" Murray (at whose house the un.
fortunate Murphy shot himself on Fri.
day.. States prison man, Chas Vos-
burg and ''Wally" Patrick Morrissey
and his partners, Reed and Spencer, are
the only gamblers, however, who open
ly defy the law, and who carry on in
broad daylight pool selling, faro banks
roulette, and all other games that allure
and defraud the unwary After all the
wealth that Morrissey has at different
times possessed, should his creditors
foreclose the mortgages on his property
in Saratoga, it is doubtful if he would
have $4,000. But Spencer is rich He
is man of some education, and quie,
and unobtrusive manners He will new
er die poor, if his reputation among fel
low-gamblers as q saving, avaricious
man is founded on fact.
Reed, if brought to the auction block
would be ruined. Yet he owns severa
race-horses His adventures have beer
many and varied. Because he can no
trost himself he does not drink Reed
is the man who killed Mccullough il
New Orleans few years ago He wa.
sentenced to death, but the commanding
General pardoned him because of th'
intercession of the late Andrew j. But
Ter, felIow-gambler, and the father o
George H Bn;ler.
Charles Ransom is now poor, an(
gains precarious living by carrying. OF
a "skin" game in West Twenty fiftl
street. Ransom was once a partner o
John Harrison His fondness for fas
horses end his dissipated tastes waste,
his once large fortune.
| Charles Abel is OF New England
stock He keeps gamhling-house witt
one Stokes in Ann street, and has
branch at Newport At the branc
house, woodcock suppers attract tb
"angels," as inexperienced young me
with money are called by the gamblers
who, after debauch. lose large sums /
the bank. For his Newport propert
Abel paid much more than it was worth
hoping, it is said, to attract one ric
Young man in particular. His success
is not yet known. James Thomas
also native of New England. He
supposed to have some property nov
although lie has lost largely in stoc
speculstions. John Petre, from Pate
son, New Jersey, firm f'iend of Sen,
tor Morrissev, accumulated 800, 900 dl
ring the war, hut he has recently bee
forced to part with fine farm in tn
Ramapo Valley, New Jersey.
, John 4 Chamberlain came to th
city from the West in company wit
, Price" MeGrath He formed an all
. ance With John Morrissey, who W,
hen carving on gambling house
$ No. 5 West Twenty fifth street. tt
r immense success which attended tn
n combination 80 infatuated Chamherlai
that he set up for himself at No.
the same street He kept q French coo
@ and served almost unequaled Dime
q and suppers to entrap the epicure ar
he politician Richard Schel, j Fisl
4 Jr, "Ganny' Bedford, Wm NJ Twee
n Superintendent Kelso, William Henne
n sey Cook, and other we'll known me
d we're claimed as his friends. 1t W
n Through their influence that he was e
}, abled to carry on the gambling busine
), for ten years unmolested by the polio
70 1t is supposed thst Chamberlain b
. won, sl,ogether,, OIL 100000. but i
r. bought stud OF, horses thinking I'll
70 would bring him in contact with pefso
ID whose social recognition he coveted
q The scheme did not succeed. and
q then bought farm near Long Brauo
r IN Monmouth County, New Jersey.
|, luck soon began to attend Chamberla
+ In spite of the ''snapper" roulette q
ID manv mechanical devices for cheatir
he has failed utterly, unless, as is ST
u. lposed bv some, his brother holds
ae property 10 defrauo the creditors. !,
ri Most of the ''banco men," "nats
he suffers" pocketbook droppers and pei
2