Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1884-08-07
A GAMBLERS WILD CAREER.
William a. Betts's strangely
CheCkered Life.
How Southern Gentleman Fell From
His High Position and Became a
Murderer and an Outlaw. r

How a Southern Gentleman Fell From
His High Position and Became
Murderer and an Outlaw.
WEST POINT, Ga, July 26.."POOr
Betts," said an old citizen this morn
ing, as he read the brief telegram
from Washington announcing the
death of William II. Belts in that
city. Poor Bette BE is better OF
now, and he was mighty good shot
in his days" And thereby hangs q
tale of strangely checkered career
full of incidents Of wild adventure
and showing how bad company and
unrestrained Indulgence can blight q
life which otherwise might have been
full of honor, told by citizen who
had known Belts long and well.
William Fl. Belts was member ot
one of the most respected families OF
Alabama. He was imbued with all
the sentiments of chivalry prevalent
among Southern youth previous to
the war, ready to resent an insult al
most before it was given, and at the
same time ready to lay down his lite
for friend, or to suffer martyrdom
for a sentiment. In those days gamb,
ling was polite accomplishment, in
which nearly everybody indulged,
yet to have called these gentlemen
by such a rude name as gambler
would have been quickly resented,
Notwithstanding the partition which
divided the gentlemanly gambler
from the professional was very thin
Among the fast young men who
hcurished in Columbus and Mont
gomery none was faster than the
brilliant Belts, and the allurements
of the game soon led him across the
line, until the professionals had their
hooks firmly fastened into him, and
thus led him along in the course
which proved to be one ofever down
ward grade. -
When the war called the young
men of the country to the defense Of
the State it found William e.. Belts
in his place as colonel ofan Alabama
regiment. 1t was while stationed at
Pensacola, Fla, that his first act Of
violence of which record exists was
committed. Colonel Belts had his
wife with him, and one evening the
lady complained to her husband of
the manner of one Of the men in
camps Col. Bette asked his vile to,
promenade around the camp witt.
him-SYsHAas-gnu- see
him cut" said he. ~ ~ |
her husband determinatlUn, pres
emily she said: There he is." AL
most instantly a bullet went whizziDg
from the revolver OF the husband,
who coolly continued his promenade.
As the killing was done in defense OF
his wife's honor no trouble followed
to him, and in the events of life on
the field the affair was soon forgotten
except among those most intimately
concerned in it.
When the war closed Belts found
himself without money, cast among
the reckless men in Columbus, and he
soon became recognized as profes.
sional gambler. He had rooms which
were elegantly fitted up, considering
the times, and it was his wont to en-
tice therein unsuapecting countrymen
who had just disposed Of their cotton.
When he had won the victims money
and wanted to get rid Of him he
would ask him if he ever saw a
Z" hoodoo." OF course the victim had
nes, Drawing aside curtain which
hiu a closet in the room, there stood
full sized manikin, with candle
dimly burning inside the skull, which
thus gave light to the eyes. The
stranger would be only too willing to
leave so horrible place. Two of
Belts intimate friends at this time
were Milt Malone, who had murdered
three men, for the last Of which he
was convicted and sentenced to death,
and Penn Bedell, who had killed
Policeman Raspberry in Atlanta. Ma
lone committed suicide the day on
which he was to have been hanged,
and thua gained nominal victory
over the law. Bedell was shot dead
1t may readily be imagined that
where three such men thrived they
had things pretty much their own
way. 1t was the period just previous
to reconstruction. There was nc law,
and an officer who attempted to make
criminals think there was was not
long in discovering his mistake. One
day one of the bullies of the town was
imposing on little boy, which &c
angered Belts that he let him have a
lively fusilade, only woundiDg him
however.
AS Columbus was growing warm
for Belts, he next made his appear
ance in this city, where, with a choice
lot of spirits, he carried on his gamb.
ling operations with bolduesS and
daah. So open did they become thai
H. ,tL.u;to, Jotorm;na1 In WinC