Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-06-21
A GAMBLERS CAREER.
Death Of Noted Indiana Characteristic
Troubles with Desperate Son and

Death OF q Noted Indiana Characteristic
Troubles with Desperate Son and
Grandson.
1nDIANAPoLIs, IND. June 21-William
Law, noted Indiana character, well known
TO the gambling fraternity in all the princi-
pal cities of the Union as Ben Franklin" I"
died at his home south of this city yester-
day under peculiarly sad circumstances
For forty years the deceased was suc-
cessful poker player, and his gains were
invested from time to time in land, till he
became the owner of six hundred acres of
the finest farming lands in Jackson county
His only son grew up to be desperado,
and the latter years of the gamblers life
and much of his fortune were spent in
efforts to keep the son out of the peniten-
tiary.
A grandson, ON whom the old man dotted,
developed disposition like the fathers,
and this added to the old gamblers troubles,
for between the two the neighborhood was
constantly in a turmoil, and law was ALWAYS
called upon TO defend either his son or
grandson in the courts. Nearly year ago
the grandson stabbed worthy neighbor
boy TO death, and then, it was
alleged, fed the country. The neigh
bors believed that the grandparents
had either concealed the murderer or had
conniyed at his escape, and number of
that the murderer be produced. Law de-
MED any knowledge of the fugutive's
whereabouts. The crowd became demon
strative and threatened violence, and
scared Law out of his wits. The next day
Law united with the Christian Church, but
the neighbors. regarded his piety only as q
ruse, and when he returned from the bap-
tismal pool late in the afternoon a crowd
was waiting at his house and he was given
twenty-four hours in which to produce the
murderer or ''take the consequence He
chose the former course, and at o'clock
the next morning the murderer was de-
livered to the Sheriff, thus confirming the
suspicion that the grandfather had har-
bored him during the week that had
elapsed. The young man was promptly
tried and given a twelve years sentence,
despite the efforts made by the grandfather
to clear him. In the meantime Laws
son ontinued his desperate career, and on
the night of the 10th inst brutally MUIR
dered hired man named Lamar as the
latter was sleeping in his house. When
the news of the tragedy was carried to the
father his eyes assumed a vacant stare, he
appeared TO be making an effort to
comprehend it, and Immediately lapsed
into q state of hopeless idiocy and
died on Monday. His son is now in Jail
with the prospect for serving life sentence
for his crime. and his grandson is already
in the penitentiary under a twelve-year
sentence, while the valuable property of
the old gambler is left with no one permit
ted to enjoy it. Throughout the neighbor-
hood there is a feeling of security that has
never been experienced since Laws son was
first able to cock shotgun.
The Coroner of Johnson county is irving
in vain to solve the N, stery that surrounds
Lamar, the victim OF the latest murder.
He came to Laws house something more
than year ago, but nothing is known of
his antecedents. He was never heard to
speak of his friends or of his former home,
and he seemed determined to destroy
everything that might lead to his identity.
Several letters were found among his
effects, but from all but one both the date
line and signature were torn OFF. One let
ter, and the only one not mutilated by
tearing off the date, is from Springfield,
and begins, my dear husband"
1t is written in neat hand but the sigma.
ture has been torn off and it practically
leaves the Coroner without any clew as to
the identy of the writer. Lamar was about
thirty years of age and had evidently been
reared in good society.