Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-08-16
Al&fan0rlla 6axette
THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST 16.
EsicIles Quickly Lost.

Murrss's notorious gambling house, at No. /;
West Twenty eighth street, is one of many ex
amplcs showing that the lives of gamblers gen
orally end 10 WretchedDcs5 and gloom. a
glance over the past thirty-fve years disclose!
the fact that comparatively few Of the promi
ncnt gamblers who have appeared in the sport
ing circ'cs Of Ncw York have retained their
ilI,gotIen riches and enjoyed life to tho last
Most of them soouer or later sank into misery
and a! joc. poverty. MATT" Danscr's contn
ucd prosperity was notable exception, and al
most without precedent. 4 look into The cir
cumstances OF the New York gamblers of to.
day does not find many indications that their
last days will be much happier than those OF
their predecessors.
Among the most conspicuous OF the metro.
politan gamblers was Reuben Parsons, who,
from 1910 until his recent death, had ct vari.
Gus times accumulated much money. which he
invested in rcal estate But at length he went
into Wal! street and lost his fortune. His old
partner Henry Cotton, was believed until re-
Gently To bo wealthy, but legal proceedings
hare sho~n that he has transferred all his
property to his wife, in the interests Of his
children. Cotton and Parsons and the late
| Matthew Danser were considered, for years, 10
be the richest men OF their di6rcputable class
From time to time men from distant cities,
attracted by the inviting field for their opera.
| tons presented by New York, have sought TO
make this city their home. Such men were
| the elegant Pendleton, Of Washington, and
Orlando Moore, who kept a noted gambling
house for many years in Broadway, one door
below the Chemical Bank Moore for time
vas prosperous; but his desire to force his iami-
Iy into a circle Of society closed TO them, in spite
Of his wealth and the famlly's education, led
him into extravaganza that proved his ruin.
Another notorious gambler Was Patrick llearne,
an lrishman OF great shreWdness and OF polish
cd alFabity of manner. In company with
Schuyler llalscy, he established and conducted
q gambling house for many years opposite the
Metropolitan Hotel. Hearnc, perhaps was tho
good education, and his personal attractions al
iurcd into his society such men as the Livicg-
stones, the Jamescs, Of Albany, and the Cos
ters, Of New York. from whom he won not less
than half million Of dollars. But he loved
play for its own sake, and was addicted to high
living and dissipation and extravaganza gener
ally. llo died almost pcnnile59. Halsey pass
cd of the stage two years ago, leaving, out OF
40 immense amount Of ill.gottcn gaios, only
$4,000. man named Joseph Hall. origi.
nally house painter, also tried his fortune 10
New York. lie was handsome mao, but
pompous, overbearing, and presumiDg. llaV-
| ing succeeded in gambling he invested in trot-
| ting horses, and onco owned the celebrated
trotting stallion Lantern, afterward purchased
| by Robert Bonner. Hall was famous for his
suppers, and knew how to cater for his guests
better than any other gamber.host in New
York. A story is told to show his extra7a-
gance, in effect that after Lantern had won an
| important race Hall had silver bucket made
! for the horse to drink out Of A few years
ago, worn out aod crippled, Hall was soil.
citing aims to keep him from starving.
John Harrison was popular sporting man.
He was convicted and imprisoned for keeping
| q gambling saloon-almost the only case OF the
kind that can be remembered by the oldest
| gamblers of today. Strange as it may seem,
Harrison was called an honest gambler who
played fair game. His low Instincts finally
led him into an alliance with woman, notcr-
Gus as Julia Brown. This ruined him, and he
| died in poverty. Harrison had, however. given
a fine education to the woman's daughter at
one of the converts of tho Sacred Heart She
has scce married New York lawyer, and re-
sides at present 10 Westchcster county.
| u
| left considerable property in Wcs:chcster, and
| whose life after leaving New York was of a
most extraordinary and varied character. lie
| went to California 10 the flush times of 1851 +,
aud became such uotcd desperate that the
Vigilance Committee drove him from San
Francisco lie took refuge in Kansas. where
| he was renowned for his crimes, and where he
added two or three to tho number Of persons
| whom he had killed in California. When pass.
| ing through IIeavenwortb one day, 10 conVersa-
| ton with feoW desperado. ho enumerated on
! his iogcrs eleven persons whom he had killed.
Suddenly drawing his revolver, ho sWore he
| would have twelve men Of his own killing 10
| the Internal regions as a Jury to try him when
| he reached his home there, and shot all moi
| lensiyc German shoemaker who was sitting on
| the opposite side Of the street at work. Inc
citizens of Leavcnworth drove him away, and he
| took refuge in another part Of Kansas. ln
1861, when tho war broke out, Harrison, with
twenty or thirty men of like desperate charac.
ter, ioincd the Second Kansas Cavalry, which
was being raised at that time by Col. A. 9.
Davis formerly United States District Attor.
| uey Of Kansas. Davis very reluctantly admit.
ted Harrison into the regiment, and only after
| promise that he would control his men and
behave himself.
After two or three months IN camp Harrison
and his fcIow-rufiaps one night crossed the
| river toto Missouri and sacked little town op.
posito the camp. Harrison was arrested By
Davis, tried by court-martIal, but he escaped
and went into the Indian Territory, near the
place where the Confederate army lay. He
raise company Of balf:breeds, who, rassioe
into Arkansas, committed depredatlons on
friend and foo Glike. After time be was cap
| tured by the citizens Of town which be had
previously robbed. They hanged him and cul
! off his head, and stuck it on pole 10 one ol
the streets The Second Kansas cavalry moved
into this town shortly aflerward, and the officers
found the head of their former associate. Years
later, in suit for the possession OF the prop
erty which Juiia Brown had left Harrison IN
Westchcster county, Col. Davis, who had mean
whio removed to New York to practice law,
was called as witness to establish the fact OF
IlRrrison's death.
The Oldest of the gambling fraternity, and a
man who was possessed Of property and With
| few enemies was "SheIl' Burrell, who kept a
gambling house 10 the Bowery. "M0st! of his
fortune was made by the roulette wheel. Ills