Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-14
A ROMANTIC CAREER.
A Printer Who Stepped Suddenly into
Fortune and Gambled it Away.

Fortune and Gambled it Away.
From tie Louisville Courier-oi0Wrndl.
George II. Sims, whom the Presiden
pardoned Friday from the southern Hi
nois peniteDtiary, where he was sent FOL
i've years for participating in an attemp
TO defraud the government, is well known
in Louisville. George sims was one o
tour brothers, whose father was a veal
thy citizen OF Columbus, Ind. just pre-
vious TO Hthe consolidation of the tour
nat and Courier, Sims came 10 Louisville
and worked in the Courier job rooms as 3
printer.
He was a fine workman, and was gen.
eral favorite among his fellow craftsmen
and among sporting men, with whom ne
fraternized largely. While he was YET al
work in the Courier job rooms, ms l"tueI
died, and his fortune of SlSJOV was
EQUALLY divided between the four broth
ers, their mother, and a sister. soon alUSI
this Sims waSJoined in LousNue Dy MS
brothers. TheV led a gay life, ana gam
bled conti9ually. The consequence was
that theiY fortunes were soon dlssipHteU'
George left Louisville before ne nad spent
all of bis money, and went 10 cincinnati
There'he lost the remainder OF his fortune
NJ the faro table in a single play. He then
returned TO Louisville and went TO work
N his trade on the C0uTieT-,jOUrRdt. He
hssoeiated with gamblers and sporting
III men generally, and lived at very rapid
rate. His winnings at faro were some
times very large. but his financial condi-
tion varied, tluctuatlng like the stock
market He was a large man, weighing
about 240 pounds, and not handsome. He
also stammered slightly.
Sims secured enough money 10 purchase
the Southern StOckyards hotel, then in the
southern part of the city, which be ran for
several years. la fracas which occur
red at the hotel he received bullet wound
in the hand which deformed that member
so that he could not again work at his
trade. He failed in the hotel business
and found himself fiat on mis- back, inan-
cially.
He went TO Chicago, and was next
heard Of as a divorce lawyer, advertising
literally throughout the country. He
achieved considerable unsayOry nOtoriety
In that liue, and was at last compelled TO
abandon 1t, as the law was fast getting
grip on him for illegal dOings. He then
became a snide jewelry fa1ir and conf
denee man generally.
His last venture was when he became
pension lawyer in Indianapolis, aud Sc
cured an illegal claim of $4,000. He was
detected in this fraud and tried, re-
ceiying a sentence OF five years in the
penitenuary.
1t is related Of Sims that while at work
on the COurter-JOurHdt he visited a faro
bank at No. so Fifth street, run by one
Featherly. He lost ali bis money, and,
becoming enrageu, seized the table with
it's gambling paraphernaliasand broke the
entire layout 10 pieces. The room was
filled with men, whom he dehed and VINO
did not venture TO interfere.
While young he married a Miss Bal
lard, Of Lafayette, Ind, an estimable
young lady whose father was a well-tO-dO
and prominent citizen Of that place.
While be pract,ced law in Chicago as a
divorce lawyer his wife carried on the
business Of Z. physician for females, adj
vertising largely and selling patent med
icInes.
When private in the Union army,
Sims and q comrade found a cotfee-sack
containing $250,0O0 IN greenbacks. The
lucky fellows did not know what to do
with their lind, and carried it for several
DAYS. They became frightened and final
~ decided to surrender the money 10 the
Colonel OF their regiment. They did SO,
and shortly after the war was over the
Colonel built an elegant house at Nash
vile, and gave every other evidence or
being man OF great wealth. Often in
his later life Sims would sit and swear
at himself for furnishing the money to
buy palace he could never occupy.
George Sims served throughout the
war ia the Federal army, and was pro-
NOTED for gallantry to the rank of Cap
tain, which position he held when mus
tered out.
After the war Sims conceived an inge-
nious method whereby he could secure a
pension. He tied his arm IN an awk-
ward position, and kept II bound IN this
wav until 1t became stiff. He then ap-
~. Fr.- f,a
found that he was perhaps MANNED for
life, but after considerable treatment
by skilled physicians, the arm was right
ed.