Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-08-19

him for month, telling him ne was Q
near relative OF Pierre Lorillard's, q
New York bankers son, and that his
friends were rich tnrfmen's sons from
| Kentucky. who had visited Florida to
buy horses for a racing stable. Mc,'in'
ley thought nothing too good Tor them.
but somo of Benjamin's guests began 70
cry over losses at queer roulette game.
where people drew prizes which were
never cashed. :.
The landlord sent for Albert Read, OF
the Coast-Line railroad, a competent de-
tectiye, and told him TO investigate tho
stories. Read, a nimble-witted man OF
affairs, came back and said "Ben,
these rich mems sons You have made so
much OF are O nest of bunco thieves:
McGinley's rage knew no bounds. lie
sent ND stairs for Miller, who came
down. and bowling gracefully demanded
10 know what Mckinley wanted with
him.
"Want with your You id bunco
thief. / want you to stop robbing my
guests, and ] give you one hour to leave
this house." Miller's face grew white,
but he simply bowed his assent and
swore, under his breath, that be would
"even up things" before long. In some
unaccountable manner misfortune over
took Mckinley. He lost control ot.both
hotels. but whether Miller "eyened up
with him, as be expressed, history does
not distinctly record.
DOING AN ASTOR.
But there was reason for the wild
explosion of the McGinly wrath. A
pleasant, heavy faced fredericksburg
man to whom everybody deferred, was
stopping Mt the Everett House. lie mad
taken a great fancy to the well-dressed
bunco king. Miller's first purchase,
after arranging for a healthy deposit
with Banker Amber. was to buy for
g., 600 the finest pair Of spanking bays
in all that country The wealthy guest
implicitly believed in Miller's stories and
almost every day was seen behind the
dashing equippage. The middle-aged,
phlegmatic man was William Waldorf
hstor. of New York. After hearty
dinner ho bad been invited to go up
to Miller's quaint cottage, rich IN brlc-a-
brac and modern edorniDgs, and to help
him get lottery ticket caahed. once
in the tolls Aston was found to be what
printers call "fat take, and the SOFT.
voiced millionaire left the snug sum OF
SIS. 900 with Miller, part cash, and the
balance in the shape OF n graft on New
York, on which the bioO1ed New orker
was too high strung TO stop payment
The next day, without word of e1pana-
ton, Mr.. Astor called Mcdinly TO him
and pointed Miller out to the landlord
and said simply 81 have good reason
to demand of YOU that TINT man leave
this house." The bunco goose was
cooked, the lace curtains came down, the
portable roulette wheels were packed up
and soon these, with the wooden safes
disjointed, found their way to more
promising fields What the police OF the
CITY of Jacksonville were doing during
this interesting winter is something
that ono fellow can find out, bnt, IN the
slang phrase OF the day, tho polite sharp
ers were supposed to make CONSTITUTIONS
to what they facetiously called " the
school fund Miller found the atmos-
phere growing too hot for him and lett
between two days, but soon brought np
among his old associates and IN his
old haunts in New York. But be had
q bad run of luck in New Orleans, after
leaving Jacksonville, and was slightly
wounded in the right arm as he made
speedy exit out OF a second story window
BIZ Jealous lover, who took no stock IN
bunco gallantry. This led to report
that the king of the bunco sharps was
dead. The Associated Press said so, and
for months he was mourned as dead.
When he arrived at the metropolis he
was not long in corralling country
cashier and extracting 81, 900 which was
intended for city bank. A bar-keeper
in a Broadway saloon had been called IN
10 assist the king OF the crooked men,
and he had of necessity, as flight was need
ful and the danger imminent, to entrust
the " Doodle to the bar-keeper.
DUEL TO THE DEATH.
When il was safe to return Miller de-
mauded an accounting from tho dis
penser OF post prandial drinks. The bar
man was q crook himself, and declined
to give up the "swag." Miller promptly
sent him word that he would kill him
on sight. They were kept apart for
three months, but the inevitable hour
came. and the bunco king, who feared
neither man nor devil, walked into
the saloon-to him the jaws Of
hell-to meet his mortal foe. Quick
or than flash both men IN
this impromptu duel to the death
drew and fired. Miller fell, shot through
the abdomen, and died the next day.
He expressed no animosity towards his
SLAYER, but died game. The man who
killed him was acquitted and left the
city for fear of the assassin, who, Turk
ing in the dark, had registered an oath
to slay the slayer of the great king Of
the buncoers.
The business has lang'Iished since
then. A bunco general is born, not
made. Miller was the Phil Sheridan in
very bad business and his word was