Connecticut western news., 1880-12-08
A GAMBLERS LUCK.
The Reformed Gamblers Career of Adventure, Wealth and Penury.

A Philadelphia paper says: Over thirty years ago Jonathan H. Greene was known as one of the most expert gamblers in the country. He was fa- miliar with all the arts calculated to de- ceive even the most skillful, and had the faculty of winning money wherever he went. Possessed of fair education, he supplied what was deficient by nat ural shrewdness, quickened by rough knocks from heartless world, and he passed as man of learning. His skill with cards was almost. phenomenal, and in the fifteen years he devoted to gam bling he handled hundreds of thousands of dollars. He came in contact with the-mnst noted professionals of his day; he visited all the principal cities of the Union, passing as 8 man of means, which he spent like Prince, and dressed in the most fashionable attire his society was courted, and he was popular with all whom he met. To-day he lives in 8 small house in the lower part of the city, which is not even supplied with the necessaries of life, with family of seven children looking to him for SUD- port, and destitute of the means of SUD- plying them. In fact, Jonathan Greene, who once had bank account which could be reckoned by thousands, is 8 supplicant for charity. His family have barely the means to keep body and soul together. In personal appearance, Greene is striking. Tall and compactly built, with an eye but little dimmed by his seventy years of life, rich, melodi- ous voice and 8 bearing that tells one who has in times gone by associated with those who were gentlemen in bear ing at least.
 The career of Greene has been re- markable one. First he acquired a reputation as 8 professional, and then he became known as one of the most ardent advocates of the laws enacted in Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland and Ohio to make gambling criminal offense. He was born in Marietta, Ohio, in July, 1913, in what was known as the Campus Martins, 8 stockade built by the colony that had emigrated to Marietta County. His father had emigrated there with his family of six children, four others being born there, of which Jonathan was the youngest. His father had been soldier in the Revolution and was an architect and builder. Ii was he who drew the plans and built the Blennerhassett Mansion, twelve miles below the Muskingum River in Virginia, occupied by the man so inti- mately associated with Aaron Burr, whose intimacy with his wife in after years gave rise to a suit that scandalized society. The family soon after moved into the Territory of Indiana, and here, when he was six years of age, his mother died. con her death-bed," said he, "She asked me never to drink intoxica ting liquors. I gave her my word, and in few minutes she died, with hel hand upon my head and 8 blessing on her lips. That pledge I have never broken" And he involuntarily brushed a tear from his eye. From that time until he was sixteen years of age he became wanderer, his associates being the Indian tribes that then helc possession of the Western country, the principal ones being the Cherokee Choctaw and Greeks, most of the time being ill the Red River as high up 8: Fort Towson, going up the Red Rivel and cutting way through solid rafts te get there. It was while leading thi' wild, careless life that he acquired hi
 taste for gambling, and on returning t' his old home in 1881, then grown t' respectable proportions, he launched forth into the current that has carried so many down to ruin.
 But success met him at every point and he soon became looked upon as
 gambler from whom it was an honor t. win stake. He could read the card by the backs almost as readily as by tn
 face he was the first man to deal tn cards from the bottom of the pack, an' he was the inventor of four of the Lad vantage" boxes used in faro. Followin
 this up successfully for twelve years his winnings were naturally large, an
 his operations extended to all the prin cipal cities of the United States. Com ing to Philadelphia in 1885 he met
 party of well known gamblers, anon
 whom were Pendleton of Washington
 Campbell of Baltimore, and Hopkins ( New York, all experts. He played wit them three consecutive days, and wake
 out of the saloon at Sixth and Chestnu
 streets richer by $36, 900 than when h
 entered. In 1842 he renounced tn
 gaming table and decided to lead nor
 honorable life. He started on lectu1
 ing tour and went to Harrisburg, where after heavy outlay of money and muc time, he had passed the Gaming law now on the stutute books. On tn rostrum he exposed the tricks of gan bling, and startled his audiences by tn adroitness with which he handled tn cards. After having the law passed Pennsylvania he went to Kentucky, the to New York, then to Ohio and Mary land, where he had similar laws enacted
 During the course of his lectures vel
 known professional from South Carolina named Freeman, denounced him as
 fraud, cheat and humbug. He il sisted that Greene could not do tn tricks he claimed, and challenged hil
 to publicly debate the subject. Thi Greene accepted. Rev. William Eide
 acted as moderator, and on the pla
 form were Rev. John Chambers, Leonar
 Jewell and Dr. William Gibbons. Fc