The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1889-11-02

A noted bookmaker and gambler had
peculiar experience the other night which
will serve him for the rest of his life. It
IS an old saying, "That hawks Will not
pick. out hawks eyes" but these night
hawks are very peculiar breed; they had |
just as soon rob each other as an outsider.
He is in flash parlance sporting man, in
other words a gambler, a bookmaker on |
races, and the proprietor of whiskey mill |
on Grand street, besides being interested in
a Bowery Dime Museum. Now any rea-
sonable man would say that sporting
gentleman with pull like that might walk
with unmeshed feet feet from the Battery
to Kingsbridge without ever turninga hair.
Whiskey selling, dime museums and book
making must be good average kinds Of
business, for at three o'clock on Saturday
morning he was seeking his virtuous couch,
with seven thousand dollars in his pockets
Pickpockets. sneak thieves, bunco steerers,
footpads, highway men, faded harlots, and
all sorts Of bad characters do much abound
here. 1t is not safe place for a stranger
in the middle Of the day and on . dark
night like that which intervened between
Friday and Saturday morning, it is worth
aman's life to walk block; but the captain
had been there before many time; he was
used to travelling with his pockets full of
the United States obligation to pay, &c;
in addition to which he sported gold
ticker that weighed about half pound,
fastened to his ample vest BY golden lin Is,
that on occasion might have served for
an OK chain. His shirt bosom was adorned
by a six carat and half diamond that in
measure supplied the absence of the elec
trio lights whose suspension we now
mourn. In addition to the above, he was
a fighter from away back, and he tipped
the scales at one hundred and ninety-siX
and a half, so that no ordinary snoozer had
any business to go hunting for loose ducats
when the captain was around. But the
captain had closed his saloon for the night
at the hour of one, like a virtuous cftl-
zen; he then repaired to Bowery restaur-
ant, and placed himself outside OF porter
house steak, fried potatoes, and bottle Of
bass, and started for home. His line Of
march lay within 3 stones throw Of the
police headquarters; he looked up at the
great marble pile, but all was silent, for
guardians of the peace were all in pro-
found sleep He had not gone far when
he became aware that he had company,
and cutching the load of ereenbacks in
his coat tail pocket, he quickened his pace
but his companions did not linger behind ;
perhaps they bad trained in a walking
match, at any rate they we're equal TO the
occasion. At last they came to place
where building was going up, so they
lodged across the street and hurried ahead,
but the captain was not TO be caught in
the trap, and like the sensible man that he
is took the midcle of the street. Then the
thieves threw off all disguise and made the
rush for him, and he like brave man
took to his heels. 1t was an even race for
a block, and finally one Of the thieves
caught up with him and grabbed his watch,
and the captain shot out his left hand duke
and caught the bandit on his right side
light. Just then bandit No. 2 caught the
captain a welt with a sandbag and sent
him to grass, but he held on to his watch
while the highwaymen lost the opportunity
of their lives in not securing the captains
coat-tais in which quietly reposed seven
thousand dollars in greenbacks. Aftera
a desperate struggle the captain reached
his own door, when the sound Of apporch-
ing footsteps frightened the robbers and
they ran away, but not before they had
given him two or three more good welts
with the sandbag.
With our streets in darkness we are in a
pretty bad condition, and now curse our
folly for having dismantled all the old gas
lamps, instead of keeping them ready for
just such an emergency as that which is
now upon us. You will get our letters
right along, for Broadbrlm will not expose
himself to sandbag till the electric lights
are fixed.
We have had smother fatal miscarriage
Of justice here in he case of Dsctor Downe
You will doubtless recollect some months
ago reported his case when be murdered
his paramour with poison. The case was
peculiar. DR.. Downie was a physician of
large practice in Edinburgh, and was
married 10 lady of fortune. He, how
ever, fell in loYe with an ignorant woman
by the name of Jessie Duff, and to the
great scandal OF his family ned with her to
New York, she bringing with her two of
her children. Before his escSpade became
known here his diplomas and letters gained
him standing among the best medical
men in Brookhn where he settled But
his love for bis parsmour soon COO ed, and
he commenced a system OF brutality and
abuse which finally ended in her death.
Both we're OF violent tempers, and both
drank to excess TO drown their sorrow. At
last on one Of their drunken bouts while
the woman was in helpless condition he
gave her terrible beating, so that the un-
fortunate creature took 10 her bed. On
the table beside her the doctor placed a
preparation Of bi-sulphate Of mercury, and
nrged her to take it. She took 1t and
died. To a neighbor who called in to see
her when she was dsing she made this
statement. 1t was not made under oath in
the belief that she was dying nor in the
presence of an officer, so it went for moth
ing. On the new of DR.. Downie's peril,
his brothe hastened over from Scotland to
his assistance; he had plenty of money,
and suddenly all of the witnesses of DR..
Downie's abuse of his mistress became
dumb as oysters. The District Attorney
could not get proof to frame an indictment,
and this week the criminal marched free
man cut of Court.
Yours TRULY,