The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-09-25
DOC CRAWFORD IS DEAD.
DEMISE OF A GREAT PokgR-PLAYER.
A Boss Card-Sharp-The Secret of His
Method Persisted With Him-His
Winnings Estimated at MILL
ION and Hair.
"D. is d.

"D. is D."
That comprises the cable message re-
ceived here last Tuesday by prominent
sporting man, says the San Francisco
Chronicle. If the initials had been spelled
out the telegraphic tariff would not have
amounted to any more and the message
would have read, DOC is dead" The ex-
penditure of . shiilings more would have
permitted the sender to make his message
Ineligible TO all that doc Crawford is
dead" But that was unnecessary. The
receiver was a Spectator who had gambled
! s., 900 on the life of the greatest poker
| player that the world had ever produced,
/ and he understood I'D. is D." to mean
/ that he had lost the amount of his invest
/ ment. The message bore the London date,
! and there was no doubt as to its anthem
/ ITCHY, for another message with more par
/ ticulars was received soon after by one OF
the dead gamblers friends in this city.
The end came last Sunday in London from
/ heart disease, with which Crawford had
been troubled for years.
Crawford's reputation was little short of
worldwide, and no part of it is detracted
/ from in the slightest degree by those who
/ made his acquaintance in California. He
| played cards with wealthy men strictly as
a business ofliveiihood. When he PLAYED
/ with gamblers and sharpers pleasure was
! added to business, for it was his delight to
/ hunt professionals in their own haunts,
/ destroy their pitfalls for them, and beat
/ them at their own game. This he never
! failed to do, even when they were exercis-
| ing every device, mechanical and dexter
| Gus, known to the craft to get the better
/ of him. In his hands a pack of cards
was as obedient to his will as a child
afraid of the parental birch rod, and he was
/ the one great gambler the secret of whose
/ unfailing method persisted with HIM. In APP
/ pearance the doctor was a small man, with
/ silvery hair and mustache that set off his
! pale features much better than would
! hirsute growth OF any other color. He
was afflicted with hating, shutting step.
/ which would identify him anywhere. He
| passed as a wealthy, retired physician,
/ travelling for his health. Why he assumed
! this role is puzzle, for the part was en-
! tirely beyond him. He was afflicted with
a brogue in moments of excitement, was
a poor conversational, and could not
! chat for five minutes with regular physi-
clan without betraying himself. These
| shortcomings made a confederate a neces-
sity. Help in the play was not necessary,
but help in securing the victim to play
with, was imperative. The better the
social position of the confederate the
easier the running down of the prey. He
had new man in every city he visited,
and sometimes three or four OF them. But
none live who can truthfully say that the
wizard of the green cloth and pasteboards
ever disclosed his secret, and it died with
him.
Crawford's graft" as the gamblers
phrase it, or, in plain English, his mode
of operation, instead of driving his brother
professionals from him, only served as a
lure, and large per centage of his win
nings is supposed to be due to the per-
sistency with which they sought to detect
him. 1t is supposed that be was simply a
wonderful sleiaht-of-hand performer, but
the lack of evidence does not permit OF
any positive declaration on this point
The winnings of Crawford during his
career are estimated by people who knew
him we'll to have aggregated over 81 ,500,-
coo, but he died a pauper. He was
addicted to wine and women, and the
combination, together with universally
unlucky pool-room investments, kept him
perpetually on the verge of bankruptcy. He
first attracted attention on the Atlantic
liners and made nine profitable
round trips before he became blacklisted
and was debarred from play while at sea.
California has contributed 100000 to his
support. His first appearance in San
Francisco was made nine years ago, when
he was registered at the Palace hotel as
DIR. O'Neil. He came back again with the
Sullivan combination on the occasion OF
| "a cha an rfcit nf
under the management of Pat Sheedy.
Crawford was then acting as the big fell
lows medical adviser, and he soon found
considerable business on his hands in va
rious Doker-rooms. He liked the country
and remained behind when the fighters
pommeed their way through the North
west. Half dozen residents were only too
willing to hunt game for him, and wealth
fairly poured in. The poker club at the
corner of Suffer and Kearney-sts. invited
him to call. He called several times and
carried away something like $50 900.
Two or three expert manipulators were
turned loose at him, with backing from
former victims DESTROYS of revenge. Con-
don and Smith were two of the selected
individuals, but their capital left them
like chaf on a summer breeze. A grand
coup was resolved on. The program was
to help Crawford to four queens and con-
front them with four kings on the show
down. Crawford picked up the four
queens, according toprogram, but in some
mysterious manner he succeeded in laying
them down and substituting the -four
aces. The pot swelled to 81, 700, and when
the Doc reached for it Condor and
Smith yelled fraud and pulled their
guns. Crawford let them take the money,
but stopped the negotiation of a liquor
dealers note that was in the heap, and
the endeavor to collect it was afterward
ventilated in a civil suit. Mr.. Davis, the
then narrow gauge railroad president fell
in vi it'll Crawford at Santa Cruz and paid
several thousand dollars for the pleasure
OF his acquaintance An Alameda rancher
named Llewellyn contributed a sum that
took five figures 10 denominate 1t, and the
purses of q hundred other victims were
depleted by the white, nimble fingers OF
the redoubtable Doc during one or the
other of his two visits. Finally he became
an old story to the devotees OF draw,
and after a farewell tour of the state h(
, packed his grip and sailed for Australia
Honolulu caught his eye, and he stopped
, over steamer. King kalakaua's losses
for the month footed up $1,000. OF this
sum 81 800 was paid in cash, while the re
mainder. in royal /. o. US, constitutes the
dead gamblers estate. Crawford had iron
S5O 600 10 S75 600 when he reached the