St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-27
A GAMBLER FROM INFANCY.
How He Ran Against Man Who Had a
System.
The Profession OF Poker Playing Aban-
doned for That of Preaching.
Louisville Courier-Journal.

| ter, on Jefferson street, between Fourth and
Fifth, one man had been seen daily for years.
He is plainly, almost shabbily dressed. His
face is pallid and careworn always, and on
it deep lines are craven, but not by the fifty
winters whose passing has left him in his
prime. He wears no beard save stubby
brown mustache, and his hair, hardly
touched with gray, falls partly over high
forehead on which anxious lines are ever
resting. The deep-set, keen blue eyes are
the most prominent feature of his face, and
they burn with fire that is never quenchcd.
The man is Rev. Stephen Holcombe. He
is the well-known reformed gambler and city
missionary. He is doing a work which no
other minister has attempted and which no
one else can do.
The story of his life is a strange one. He
was born in Shippin gsport, Aug. %, 1885,
and from his cradle up was gambler. He
! does not remember the time when he did not
play cards. and at II he left home to fight
LIES battles, unattended and unmatched
He left ShippingsDort as a cabin boy on one
of the magnificent steamboats, that piled the
river in those days, and for the next six
years followed that Maynard, wandering life.
store in the fish and oyster business on
Third street in partnership with his half
brother, William Sowders. He was even
then an experienced and daring gambler,
but he did not become professional" until
later on. He married when only 20 years
old a Miss Evins of Shippingsport. She was
sincere Christian, but the union did not
long have restraining influence upon him,
though he was always devoted husband.
When the war broke out Holcombe went
to Nashville to collect debt owed him by
scme one in the same line of business. He
remained there some time, and finally
opened fish store, but he did not keep at
it long. He began playing faro, and in a
short time lost all he had From that time
he was professional gam bier, and followed
that feverish existence for seventeen years.
de had no such thing as nerves, and had
trained eyes and fingers to lightning quick
ness and deXterity. He became one Of the
most successful gam blers in the South, over
which he travelled for years.
He was especially lucky at poker, but he
met his match one time at Nashville, to
which he had drifted with his pockets stuffed
with winnings. One night he sat down to
play with chance acquaintance, anticipat-
ing his customary luck. Instead of that he
LOST STEADILY, LOST HEAVILY,
and finally every cent passed into the pockets
of his new friend. He watched him until he
discovered the man had System" and was
equally lucky in every game he played. He
won thousands of dollars in a single week.
Holcom be told him of his discovery and stat
ing that they could work to much advantage
together asked to be made partner. His
proposition was accepted, and they travelled
over the South for long time. The ''sys
TEN" proved invaluable, and they won heav-
lily at every place they visited. Both might
have been rich three or four times over had
they taken any care of money. They were
inyeterate gam blers, and what they won at
poker they lost at faro or squandered in
reckless ways, as men of their calling always
will
AT Shreveport the partnership came to an
abrupt termination. They played with their
usual good fortune and in a week won about
$50, 900, depicting the pockets of every gam
bier in the place. One night HocOmbe and
his partner quarreed, and after fight they
separated never to meet again. Tn" system
which they used with such success was in
vented by an old gambler named Ma. Drake,
who has long been dead.
After that the Kentuckian travelled for
long time over the racing circuit in the South
and East. He went TO live in New York. but
after staying there a while came back
dissatisfied It was restless period of his
life and he seldom remained in one place
longer than three or four weeks at a time.
He was the heaviest as well as most success
full poker player in the South, but he never
accumulated any great amount of money.
"About $4,000 or Sc, 600 was as much as /
ever had at any one time" he says. 81
never knew its value, and threw it away as
fast as it came into my hands. | wouldn't
stick TO poker, but as soon as I got flush |
would go to PLAYING faro bank, and this
would terminate in my losing all had.
Faro has wonderful fascination for most
gamblers, and no matter how fair the
game is the bank is sure to win in the long
run. The percentage of the dealers take
ont never learned, though l was one so
long myself 1t decreases with every DEAL
but is some unknown quantity which gives
the bank an unfailing advantage
"The stories of gambling and Of gamblers
wealth are nearly always exaggerated" he
continued. Il have been very lucky at times,
and have made heavy winnings, but
$4,000 Is As MUCH As EVER TOOK
in at one sitting. You often hear Of gam
bers being worth 800, 900, when the chances
are that they are not worth more than s., 900
or SC, 600. That was as much as / ever
owned"
He finally abandoned the racing circuit
and came back to Louisville, where he dealt
one of the heaviest faro games in the city.
Subsequently he opened two houses, Nos.
1914 and $50 Fifth street. He owned some
real estate at that time, and one day a Meth
Odist minister, Rev. Gross Alexander, came
to rent a cottage from him. During their
arrangement of the matter the gambler Incl
dental!y mentioned his occupation. Mr..
Alexander laid his hand on Holcombe's
shoulder and said:
If that is the case, my brother, hope this
meeting will be profitable in more ways than
one
The gambler accepted an invitation to at
tend the preachers meeting and was con-
verted. He joined the church, and from
that day entered upon bis lifework. He be-
gan lsborug among his old associates and
the miserable and degraded wherever they
could be found. His charity was never ap-
pealed to in vain, aud in a short time he and
his family were without penny.
From that time the story of his life has
been a hani-to-hand com bat with sin and
poverty. The reformed gambler could get
nothing to do here and went to Denver,
whore he Jared nearly as badly. He washed
dishes in a restaurant and cooked for min
ing camps al $50, when be could have had
thousands by going back to his old cumpan-
ions. Then ne returned 70 Louisville, and
for long time he ard his family were in
actual want Of the uecessaries Of life. When
Ell Hughes was elected chief OF the fire de-
partment Hoicombe asked him for place,
and he was the first man appOin ted, an act
Of kindness which viii never be forgotten.
The labnrs Of the reformed gambler among
his old assOcistes attracted the attention.
about four years ago, Of Rev. J. c. Morris,
then pastor OF the Walnut street church.