Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1888-12-05
A NARROW ESCAPE.
Gambler Phil 1aIy's Unpleasant
Experience in New York.
He WAS NEATLY TRAPPED.
A Note From a Woman Called Him to
Her Rooms, Where lie Was. At
tackled and Shot by
Masked Men.

knows Phil. Daily, the sporting man. He is
famed for keeping at Long Branch the Penn
sylvania Club house, an establishment which
has been the nearest American equivalent for
Monte Carlo, and where nearly 500 men may
sit down at once at faro, roulette and rouge
ct noir DAILY boasts that it is the fairest
game in America. Daily is patron OF the
turf, is worth half million, wears diamonds
worth $500, carries a gold watch that cost
900, generally has several thousand dollars
Ia his pocket, Is free with his money and
has plenty of friends Hence, when q
story ran up and down the whispering
gallery OF Broadway yesterday Afternoon
that DAILY had been murdered it male a sen,
satioH The rumor went far and wide, and
in less than an hour men were in the cafes
and hotel Hobbies and on the streets asking
what truth there was in all that. They
couldn't believe that murder had really been
committed, for DAILY had been seen around
the Coleman house at noon and ON Broad
way for some time later.
Presently there were scores of men telling
that DAILY hal gone to the house of woman
on Fourth avenue, to meet somebody on bust
ness and that two men, wearing masks, had
entered the room where he was and had shot
him dead, SO as to get his diamonds, his
watch, and $4,000 he had in his pockets Sc
many peop.e told Il is tale. i'm the Hoffman
house, and everywhere else up town, and de
clared that they had got the facts from the
police, that the account was believed.
lt turned out that DAILY was not dead, but
that was about the only thing in the story
that was not true. The bullet fired at him,
instead of going into his skull, just missed il
by a fraction of an inch and only cut fur.
row across his scalp laying it open to the
bare bone =
Last Friday Mr. DAILY received in his mail
at the Coleman house letter which ran
something like this:
400 FOURTH AVENUE, Nov. 30, 1888.
Mr. Philip Daily.
DEAR SIR; Please call at my house today be-
tween ~ and 10 see some one on business
Yours, very truly, adobe STANTON
Mr. DAILY went there on Friday. Mrs.
Stanton received him and said, when he
asked who wanted to see him. that the per-
son wasn't there She didn't say who the
person was, aud Mr.. DAILY departed. He had
been there not more than five minutes. On
Saturday night he got another letter, asking
him 70 come again. 1t was signed by Adde
Stanton. He tore the letter up and paid no
attention 70 the matter. Monday, when he
went to the Coleman house about noon, he
found a third letter, asking him again to call,
lie had not very much to do, and about half
past O'Clock he started for the house
Mr.. Day says he rang the bell and was adj
mitted to the house by Mrs. Stanton in per-
SON lie climbed the two flights and went
into the front room. The place is pretty
well furnished, and when he got in he sat
down in an easy chair.
take off your coat, won't your the
woman asked
s'Oh, no, he says he answered, az can't
stay long. Is the person here who wanted to
see meg
mo, she isn't here just now. She was here
but just a rev minutes ago waiting for YOU
She hiss gone ont to get some lunch, and will
be back in little while You must wait for
her and take or your coat.n
lie declined TO take off the coat, but she
pressed him, aud he took it off and put it on
a chair by his side. At the back of the room
there are two folding doors. They open in
ward to another room, which is dark While
Mr. Daily aud Mrs. Stanton were speaking
the doors were swung almost shut, but Mr..
DAILY says he saw that they were just wide
enough open for any one back there to be
looking through He watched them for a
moment viii speaking with Mrs Stanton to
see II any one was in the dark ROOM
just then Mrs Stanton excused herself
ard opening the doors, went into the room.
She closed the doors behind her Suddenly
the two folding doors opened and two men
rushed into the room.
Mr. Days back had been turned. but.
hearing the noise, he wheeled and saw the
two men. Each fellow had a mask covering
his face. The mask was like a handkerchief
tied around the head. The shorter man had
a pistol in his right hand. He leveled it at
Mr., DAILY, and pouncing forward, with the
big man at his side, called out;
throw up your hands,
Just as the two fellows rushed at him the I
woman, Addie Stanton, came behind them
air. Daily says:
II had $50, 900 in government bonds and I
S.000 in cash in my pockets, and besides l
had my two diamonds, worth s., 500, and my
watch. Isaw at once that / was in hole,
and it made me mad. | thought quick. and
saw that physically was a match for the
two fellows, even though / had TO handle
them both at cpce. | knew | was in for
trouble any SS.sy, so when they yelled.
Throw up your handsr l jumped forward
at the little fellow with the revolver.
wanted to get that out Of the way first If
had had a gun with me / would have
been all right, but don't carry weapons
now as rule Wei. when jumped out at
the scoundrel, he banged away at me- The
bah hit me in the head and the b.ooi spurtei
out thought the bullet was in my brains
and that | surely was done for. NV ouly
Thought was to get out Of the house on to the
street 50 as to make statement to somebody.
HE men didn't attempt anything after the
first shot Both turned as if they thought
they had killed me; slamming through the
two folding doors they ran into tue dark
room. The woman went after them.
: Ii must have been about o'clock for
got 70 the pace few minutes before 8. aud
it wasn't two minutes before all this took
place How / had presence Of mind enough
20 get my coat and hat don't know. but. at
any rate. got them and stumbled out the
hall door and down the two flights into the
main entrance. didn't see the men or the
sspman, AMI when / got to the street l
Thought I was sure to die. There Is q drug
store &C the corner. in the building right