Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-07-30
ALEXANDRIA, VA, WEDNESDAY EVENING" JULY 80 1884,
THE LATE COL. WILLIAM q. BETS.

second-class matter1
THE LATE COL WILLIAM q. BETS.
William H. Belts, whose sudden death in
this city last Saturday was mentioned at
the time, was member of one of the most
respected families of Alabama. He was i'm
bued with all the sentiments of chivalry
prevalent among Southern youth previous
to the war, ready to resent an insult almost
before it was given, and at the same time
ready 10 lay down his life for friend, or to
suffer martyrdom for sentiment. In those
days gambling was polite accomplishment,
in which nearly everybody INDUCED, yet to
have called these gentlemen by such 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 fourished in Co.
lumbus and Montgomery 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 firm
ly fastened into him and thus led him along
in the course which proved to be one of
ever downward grade.
When the war called the young men of
the country to the defense of the State it
found William II. Belts in his place as
colonel of an 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 COM
planned to her husband of the manner
of one of the men in camp. Col. Belts ask
ed his wife to promenade around the camp
with him. "When you see the man point
him out" said he. Not suspecting her hus-
bands determination, presently she said:
There he is" Almost instantly bullet
went whizzing from the revolver of the hus-
band, 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 af-
fair was soon forgotten except among those
most intimately concerned in it.
When the war closed Belts found himself,
without money, cast among reckless men in
Columbus, and he soon became recognized
as professional gambler. He had rooms
which were elegantly fitted up, considering
the times, and where countrymen who had
Just disposed of their cotton would enter.
When he had won the victims money and
wanted to get rid of him he would ask him
if he ever saw "hoodoo." OF course the
victim had not. Drawing aside a curtain
which had 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
a place. Two of Belts intimate friends
at this time were Mit 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 Rasberry in Atlanta. Malone
committed suicide the day on which he was
to have been hanged, and thus gained
nominal victory over the law. Bedell was
shot dead. One day one Of the bulies of
the town was imposing on little boy, which
so angered Belts that he let him have
lively fusilade, only wounding him, how
ever.
As Columbus was growing warm for Belts
he next made his appearance il West Point,
Ca, where he carried on his gambling opera
tions with boldness and dash. So open did
they become that the authorities determin-
ed to wind them up. The officers surround
ed the rendezvous of the gamblers and
found the doors closed. The Marshal at
tempted to force the door, when he was
met with IL ready bullet from Belts, killing
him. Belts was subsequently tried and &C.
quilted Of the charge of murder. One of the
peculiarities of the trial was the dedication
of an original poem, of about column in
length, by the prisoner to Judge 0. A. Bull,
| who tried the case. When Gov. Mead is
| sued his order requiring the registry of
| voters, SO that they might take the oath of
allegiance, Belts again brought himself into
prominence in a peculiar way. Going to
the Office of the Registrar an officer stood
ready to take the gentleman's name. Belts
gave the name of his black-and-tan dog,
which he held up in his arms, as being one
as well qualified to vote as negro. The
officer refused. Belts was about to try his
old argument on him, when help prevented
further trouble.
Some time passed away, when Belts was
again heard from, this time in Albany, Ga.
An alarm Of burglary was given there one
night. The suspected spot was surrounded
by lot of men. Presently tho burglar
emerged and making a bold dash, cut
through the crowd and escaped. The next
morning the matter was being talked over,
when Belts quietly remarked, "If I had
been there he would not have escaped so
| easily"
Perhaps you were the burglar" inter-
posed a bystander named Ammons.
| Owing to flash from Belts revolver
| Ammons knew no more Of the subsequent
proceedings. So notorious had Belts char
acter become by this time that a reward of
81 900 was offered by Gov. Bullock for his
arrest. In the summer of 1870 he made his
appearance boldly in Atlanta, conserting
exclusively with men of his class. 1t was
ascertained one night that be was in the
room of Maud Delasco, well-known
variety actress of that day A number of
police surrounded the house, while we'll
known Atlanta detective entered and Sc
cured his prisoner after desperate struggle.
He was taken to Albany, tried for the kill
| ing of Ammons, and acquitted.
About this time Col. Belts, who had been ram
pant democrat, began to weaken in his allegiance
to that party. when an appropriation was made,
in 1879, for the o-erAowed people of Mississippi
and Alabama Congressional election was pend
ing 1t is notorious that thousands of pounds
of this overfowed bacon was sent to sectlons
| which did not know what an overflow was. Col.
Belts announced himself as the republican candi.
date for the Opelika (A1a.) district, and had