Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-01-02
DEATH OF A NOTED CHARACTER

stone residence, No. II West Twentyfifth
street, New York. He went to that city
ten ears before the war, green boy, whose
capital was au ability 10 roll tcnpins re.
markably we'll He died leaving ~ estate
estimated at froln a quarter to hall million
dollars. and . reputation of being tho
suuarest, quietest, most cool headed" mom-
ber ofthe sporting profession" in the United
States.
Ransom was born in New Haven, Conn.,,
in 1926. His father kept q small hotel on
the lower part Of Main street, and it was the
gathering place for the sport loving towns
men and farmers for miles around. There
Young Charlie" learned to play tenpns SO
well that AZ last, when he was about twenty
four, hearing how much money there was
in the game in New York for q man who
understood it, he determined to 90 to that
city He had no money, ana his father
would give him none, but young Ransom
was not discouraged. His chance came in 3
few weeks He played game with the
captain of schooner that sailed between
New Haven and New York. The stakes
were his passage to New York city ifhe won
a months work on the schooner as cook
if he lost. He won, and week later land
ed in New York with the world to conquer
by means of a capital of six cents and I'M
limited assurance. He made his way TO
we'll known bowling alley in Ann street aud
beat the champion player. The latter was
delighted at Ransom's skill, and backed
him against all comers For several years
Ransom knocked about the city, constantly
adding to his stock of money and expert
experience, until he finally opened q saloon
at the Erie Railroad terminus, which was
then al Port Jervs. More money was
made, and in 1856 he sold out and went to
New York with q capital of SS,000 The
same evening he arrived he met the pugilist
Tom Hyer, who had grown famous by
whipping Yankee Sullivan. The two men
played game of straight poker, then called
''bluff." that lasted three days. Then they
Joined hands aud opened a sporting house
at No. 5 Park place. From there he went
TO No. Barclay street, and after two years
changed to the corner Of Prince and Mercer
streets, where his establishment soon be-
came one of the sights which every
stranger in town had 10 visit before he had
done his whole duty. Here Ransom coined
money, and in 1865 opened at No. IL West
Twenty-fifth street, and until the famous
raid on the gambling houses in The spring
of 1854, he ran" the biggest and the squar
lest "game" east OF San Francisco He also
owned the New York Club House at Long
Branch. He was married three times, ae
ing divorced from his second wife, who is
now the wife of one Of the best known club
men in the city. His third wife, as well ~
three sisters and brother, survive him.
The sisters are living on a large farm near
New Brunswick, which he bought for them
at cost of 900.
Ransom never drank or smoked, never
lost his head, aud it is said, by his friends,
never did mean thing to anybody. His
houses were always patroniza6 by business
men, lawyers and doctors, who liked to play
. perfectly square game Of faro. He had
warm friends. even among ministers. Some.
times, however, greenhorns or irresponsible
persons came in and lost their money. In
such cases Charlie would talk to them, and
if he found that they had lost money they
needed or that belonged to other people he
gave it back. About four years ago he re-
turned $4,000 to q well known New York
banking house, whose cashier had los. it in
his Twenty street house.
About twelve years ago young fellow
came to New York from near Litchfeld,
Ccnn., with 10000 in his pocket. 1t was his
entire fortune and with it he was going to
buy dairy farm out in Orange county and
him in Litchfeld. The first night he Was
in the city he happened to stumble into
Charlie'shouse. The next morning he came
out with just enough to buy his ticket back
to Litchfeld. He boughtit, went back, saw
his girl, told her the story and then bad G
her goodby. He was going, he said, to
California and would never return until he
had got together again the $4,000. His
girl was one of those women who will do
ANYTHING for the man they love- She told
him to wait there in Litch6eld for two days
before starting for California. Then she
put on her cloak and came on alone to New
York and went straight to Ransom. In
a few quiet words she told him the story.
Charlie shook her hand, said he wouldn't
part her from her lover for the world,
asked how much had been lost, took
$4,000 out Of the safe and gave it
to her, together with valuable diamond
pin to fasten the baby's bonnet strings to-
gelher She blushed and went hack home.
They got married, bought Il farm and
haven't been in the city since, but the hap.
py husband always sent brace of big
turkeys to Charlie every Christmas and
Thanksgiving. Oh, yes, their baby is seven
years old now. In 1864 Ransom ran up
against "snag" that took $4,000 of his
money in one swoop. 1t was out in st.
Louis, where he had gone for . flying trip.
A prominent hotel keeper and paymaster
in the United States army and another
party were playing poker at tho time. The
game grew heavy. Finally there was $1O,-
600 in the pot" Then Ransom, who held
pair of twos, as it proved, looked up and
smiled serenely as he drew out thunder
lag big roll of greenbacks and raised the
pot $40 900. You see he knew two of them
hadn't as much money as that, and as it was
cash game he knew he could raise them
out. The fourth hand the paymaster had
played very quiet game and Ransom
didn't take him toto account But the pay
master was there. He was IA innocent
looking youth. He reached down under
out SAC, 900 in United States greenbacks and
then raised Ransom SAC, ,000 Ransom never
moved q muscle of his face, but he just "laid
down" his hand, said "Good evening gentle
men," and walked out.
i - f,1I