The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-29
THE STORY or a GAMBLER.


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Old John Watts was gambler by nature.
lI9 would bet on everything and last ThNrs-
day. when he died In his little room on Tenth
yoS s .e ve Tbsse ." %er p,s no for
son. q respected and able physician pracisinge
in New Jersey. stood by his bedside and
the pains of death. NOT with any hope Of saving
life. They carried Watts out to Mount Moriah
Yesterday. and the humble little funeral cort6ge
that paid the lust tokens OF respect to the gam
ber's memory passed out Of the gate Of the
came TO bury Major Magnire isd in osienia.
t,o1s hu3drsds up the road from The rnI,r?ad
dolphin. but more than n score Of years ago his
face was much soon on the Western river steam
noaIs, ana MS pane WAS rs We'll known as my
typical river gambler. Elegant Of address. un-
excitahle. calculating skilled in cards. and viii;
ing 70 bet on ANYTHING in the world, he lacked
nothing that could distinguish him In his cali
lie was one OF tho mon who travelled on tho
lower Mississippi in ante,bellum days, whom
the entire long cabins OF tho steamers were
given M 10 card parties poker their game. and
the stakes thousands. II WAS in those days that
tho pistol and bowie knife often came IN rs
occurred only when somebody did a mean thing
with an ace, or filled a pair by stealing n card.
or doing some such little pleasantly in way SO
shamefully bold and unskliul that detection
that i rs Is said. HePlayed fair and Gem"ndsG
not Of inirequent occurrence with him. two bull
Jet holes in his cheek. others in his body. and
over him gave testimony, For many years no
travelled on the New Orleans. 81. Louis. and
Louisville line OF boats. His peculiarly OF
travelling was that he always made the full
trip; Tor Instance. II bound to St Louis on one
there E o was mo Play OF Il Mex Tsn'
Vicksburg. or Cairo. and try now lay. He was
always the best dressed man on tho river.
His jewclry was unostentntious, and his
clothes OF the latest fashion. He had his meas
ure Mt Bells, in London, and that Regent street
artist supplied him, A swell tailor in New Or
leans once solicited Watts for an order and i'm
portuned him so that he finally gave Il. Watts
wore the clothes for some time aud talked much
and in terms OF high praise Of them. but re-
fused to pay the bill when presented. BY this
OF law, but in setting up the plea that in conde-
scending to wear tho clothes he rendered the
tailor full value BY adding 70 the reputation OF
| Watts professed to be man OF honor-although
gambler-.he was by no means OF the very best
| OF his fellow man in this way. For instance,
| with his friend and accomplish he would board
| the boat at Louisville. and. scanning the pas
| senger list. pick out for his victims some old
| card players OF wealth, with whom he was per;
20 very quietly and say Of his own accomplice.
There Is man who plays high. and we can
beat him; you Join with me and Wen do it,
Watts always succeeded in regulating success
| the wrong way for his victim. and thus tho
One time he was accused Of swlndlng in that
| way. the charge being made in the heat of play
i1st won WON $1,000. Is that your opinion he
| quietly asked. Yes sir; that's what think"
stiSmStlze YOU as a seoandrei." The hour Was
| late. and only the Waterman and the party en-
gagged In PLAYING heard the me charge but AL OF
| we're sure Jack would take n life to wipe ont
| the insult T. Is said that he has done TINT
| will not make that opinion any further public"
| said Watts. drawing forth his pocketbook. " No.
my s H3 SSt with T MONEY! es T6egn wSts smiled
in his wicked way and held pistol IN one hand
bere r ri oT R Ssu ~
| your opinion offer you $4,000 You refused.
Now 3ier you that amount =, OF money ana your
| Jacks cold. steel gray. eye. and what he read
there. was convincing.. He took the money and
Many stories are told OF old Watts which arc
not traceable 10 any good foundation ike this
for which he vouched for the truth: was
| always IN ardent racecourse better. and FOL
lowed the kentucky stables for many season.
| My last racing was the season McGrath's great
race horse. Tom Bowling. broke down. was
breaking up myself then. We wore In Saratoga.
| and Barron the negro minstrel singer. camo
into Morrissey's club house one night with
party. and somebody proposed that lac give us
and urged Barron to go ahead, He accoded,
and sat down 70 the piano. The boys turned
| around from their game. and then Barron.
striking few chords. without other prelude
| struck up:
here, sheer hulk. lies poor Tom Bowling.
| The darling OF our crew.
| sion, and looked down on my cards. and, by
love there was tear right on the ace Just
| the hand and pressed II fervently. trying to say
Thank you, but he couldn't All he could
e!aculat9 rs ne went out r OF the door with ms
| II was not until we were well in the second
basket that wo lost our impressions OF the most
| pathetic SOMEONE that moved more sporting
gambling house."
All relations concur TINT the great steamboat
Rnaa h.YNU gha I.an saA NuN.la Nu..U.
| New Orleans to ST. Louis broke old John Wattss
| heart, depleted his purse. and even unsettled
$4,000. 1t is said, on the Natchez and lost 1t. He
took stateroom on board Of his iavoritc TO
| make the trip and see the race. but he never oc-
cuped It, Night and day for the. five days and
| odd hours the race lasted he stood on the upper
deck leaning over the rail, Just where he wanted
| tne champion trophy placed when the Loo had
| shown that she was only the second best boat ON
the river, Watching the contest of levathnns.
| When the Natchez fell back and the Lee swept
by and passed on so far ahead that there was no
longer any hope. old John. for he had come to
be- known as old. stamped. raved. and swore,
and finally rushed down to tho barroom and
took the first drink OF liquor that ever passed
ms lips. He paid up his losses and came
In his early, life he married a young Ohio
girl. whose heart 1t is said was broken when
| afterward. leaving him one son. whose educa-
ton was carefully, cared for. The schools Of
Europe contributed to his learning, and the old
man stopped at no expense IN advancing his
sons welfare and position. The boy was not
ungraeiui, Tor when age ana adyerslty had
brought the old gambler to the threshold Of
want his son came forward and cared for him
lovingly and tenderly. For nearly year the
old man has been in Philadelphia receiving
treatment from q grent specialist in nervous
affections. The old gam bier preserved till the
day OF his death the pack of cards with which
he first learned to play poker and all-fours
They were worn. dirty. but he would have no
others, and II was wi th many game Of solitaire
with these old cards the paraiytc old gambler
solaced the last days of his life He was IA
years OF age and he used 10 say he WIS the first
| child horn a MigGigginni
| The I.naeaa annLn aanri.a