Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1888-12-30
WITH THE CARDS.
INTERESTING STORIES BY A NOTBD
SPORT.
Some Big Winnings and Losses That Followed
Tragedy and Comedy the Professional
Gambler 0lsn Sees.
ltlap,a ClnsRgtion.

the lsa5ing Characteristic
'sTelI me- something bsutysurself."
Tbs remark was sdGr.ssed to Billy
W ore OF the o'dast and best known
Issp,rting men" in the country, who has
teen in tire city for few days.
Billy l.oSs mere lie bank president
than 3 gambler, and his conversation is 10
keeping with his locks. He IS well edu-
ted, speaks several languages flusntly;;
and IS he hss knocked around the "orld
for good many years, he has nao some
interesting experiences
81 have gambled for about 30 years, ~ ne
said, and am, suppose, what you "ould
cal an old stagsr at the business. My nfst
gambling was dooe in S.. Louis. | had
shont go. ard lost every cent OF 1t. l
borrnwsd SIS from friend end won enough
totska me To Denver, which Wss then called
P,ke's Peak. I so. work in gambling
house there, and as am naturally quick 81
picking up things ana used to watch the
men play. soon caught GA to g'el' msny
trick Ia y months had nearly $50, 900
in nv bank at st. Louis, bat II dldn' t stay
long"
TELL me of the biggest game yo1 ever
took part in"
"Tae biggest game ever played in was
AT Pixies Peak IN 20 There were four o.
usin tie game, Dock Nagle, Jim Bell,
Charley Sampson and myself. From 10
o'cin,k TEutsdsy night until II O'Clock
Friday I had won SIS 900. After left
Denver rsn on the Mississippi boats IN
Partnership with George Ddyal a1d Can
ada Bill I say grest many excltlng
psmaq on that river. Gamblers were tas
biggest men Oh the tote. l shall never
forget Sc incident thu! tappe1ed on the
steamer Bart Abe 4 ycurg man anon:
10 or 20 was playing n the caoin
with so1e gamblers. BE was hard
some b5y, snd my heart went out 70
him WHEN l thought Of what ne must lose
He was Oh bis way to S. Leafs with aboat
So 500 h.s father rad given him 10 deposit
in the bank Some gamblers roped him
into tie zane and robbed him out Of every
dollar he had. When the poOr fellow saw
that be- had lost all Of bis mOaey he drew
a revolver from his pocket and blew ou'
his brains.
"Cansda Bill was one of the smartast
men who ever handled card. He went to
Dodge City, Kss., aud opered faro bank
with q man named Blackburn. Bill was s
great hunter, and while Blackburn looked
after bCsisels B II hunted Oae day BIZ
looked in ;hs drawer ard saw tab for
$500. Blackburn told him a man With ?
white be. had Won il. Bill said nothing,
bat kept on hunting. Finally another tab
for $1,000 dropped in the drawer. BiscS
burn t5!d the same cid story, a man wltS
white lat had won it, Bill iuduceC
Blackburn 10 go hunting, sod when Black
burn ct back ne found that the bank was
'b-oke.' Bill RAJ take about $40 600,
and whfn Blackburn inquired who hsd
won it, Bill replied, tine man with tina
white hat
''Sgvera, years ago Canada Bill was in
Washington, and there he met the ceie-
brated Beau Hickman. Together they
planned one of the greatest schemes ever
perp stratsd IN this country. Hickmaa
would % 10 o certain Senator or Congress
man AID tell him that certain man
would c II on him TO borrow s. Hickman
would advise his victim 70 pay the money,
"a the man was q crazy millionaire aid
wound return il. Thea Canada Bill, in the
disguise OF a wealthy-lookiug citizsn, would
borrow ths money aud would say to his
victim Twlll see ycu at my rom to'mor-
row. The victim, on calling, would receive
SIS or so. This soon noised about, aud
everybody WAS on the lookout for the crazy
millioosirs. each anxious 10 double his
money. Some gave Bill $50 and even as
HIGH az 5000. Bill collected in this way
about $1,000. OF course after ne got a big
ANN, tbo r,,viuu hack ceased
Then Hickman got in his work. He
would 90 70 the rural Senator and tall him
he had been played for 8 sucker, and that
ne Benz, must have about $50 ID keep the
thing qu,at. OF course the victim would
pony up rather thaa be exposed. In this
way thsy gathered in several thousands. "
"Clnada B II at ore time was worth hall
smillioa dollars, but he was great sreni-
CT ard died few yesr9ago IN the pCorhouse
in Reading, Pa
i wss in San Antonio, Texas" con-
tinuei Bill, 'when Bob Thompson killed
Jack Harris hsvs read a great many
accounts of this killing and the reasons why
Thompson shot Harris, bat they were sill
wrong. Bob Thompson was the worst man
in Texas. He had forty hicks on his pis.
toll and each nick represented msu he
had killed. Jsck Harris and Billy
Simons ran a saloon, gambling rooms and
n variety theatre in Austin. One night
Thomson lost 81, 900 as faro, then Dor
rogsd $500 on his jswelry and lost that
Harris gave him hack his jewe!ry, AID told
him wien he got home to send him the
money. H4rris waited couple Of weeks
and sent word 20 Thompson that he wanted
his mouey. Thompson sent word to 90 to
HI. Then Harris declared himself, and
said that ne would shoot Thompson on
sight.
Thompson heard these reports, and get
ting on the train went to Austin. As he
passed Hsrris' saloon he saw Harris drink
ING at the bar. Thompson shot through
the window and shot Harris through the
hesrt. Thompson was tried aud acquitted
on the grounds of 'self-defence.'
BILLY Simms, Harris partner, testified
very strongly agNinst Thompson on the
trial, and people said he would not live ten
dsys after Thompson got ont, for ThOmP-
SON had said he would send him 10 meet
Jack Harris. The two men met on one Of
the principal streets Of ACssin, and both
pulled their pistc Is; but Simms was too
quick for Bob, and sh't him through the
heart. Simms was acquitted, and Is IN
Austin yet running gaming house.
The largest amount ever saw won
from q sm3ll amount was in Memphis,
Tenn, in Mike Glessner's rooms, by Jem
Meyers. 1t was on q Christmas eve and
Meyers was sitting on stoop with MS
head in his hands as friend passed and
asked what was the matter. Meyers re-
piled that for Is years be had sent his old
mother . Christmas present, but that be