Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-10-31

greet that ] saw him assume the airs of a
man about town One night | saw him
enter saloon, and after brief sojourn
there with some fellows who had shady rep
utations, the whole party assembled the
stairs to a well-known gambling room. As
1t was on my beat / kept watch of 1t while
making my rounds, and about o'clock
saw him come to the sidewalk and 90 to-
ward the store. / knew he did not room
there, and went into the alley in the rear
of the place where | could obtain 5. good
view of the interior of the room. He went
to the light which was burning and turned
it down so low that the interior of the
room became very dim and then went TO
the safe, which he opened He took out a
roll of bills and carefully arranged every
thing as he had found it. He came out
and went back and joined his compan-
IONS
He finally came down and started up the
street. He was pale and haggard, and did
not notice my salutation as he passed me.
| followed him short distance and called
to him. He stopped. and Iasked him why
he was out so late, and if he was sick. he
was so pale. He flushed and stammered
out an evasive reply | took him into a
dark stairway and told him that | knew all
he had done that night He completely
broke down and confessed He had been
persuaded to gamble little. and was fin
ally, in the fever of excitement which
seems to burn within every gambler veins
At first his losses and winnings were only
small, and, as he had fair allowance of
pocket money, he did not miss it. On this
night he had been around with this dis
solIte gang of fellows, who were almost
LIVING off his generosity, and had drank
more than was good for him. He was
easily induced to gamble, and at first was
winner, but a few punched deals caused
him to lose all the money that was his own
That day he had been out collecting and
+. had quite sum belonging to his father
that he had failed to turn in He thought
his luck would soon return and he would
risk the money to win back what he had
lost. By degrees the stakes grew heavier
and he lost all he had with him. The pas
sion was strong within him, and as he had
taken one false step it only required a
slight persuasion on the part of his fellows
to induce him to rob his own father He
took quite a sum from the safe and lost it.
When he was going home he was in des-
perate frame of mind, and was almost in
clined to turn back and take all the money
in the safe, about 81 500, and play it
against the sharps who were bleeding him.
He knew the crime would be found out in
the morning, and he would lose the re-
spect of his family. He wanted to leave
the country and do other rash things
Il induced him to go to the gamblers
who won his money, and then | stated the
case plainly to them Through fear ofpro-
seeution they gave up most of the money,
which they had equally divided among
themselves. By careful saving up his
wages he finally made good the loss with
out detection. He has suffered enough
that night to teach him practical lesson,
and from that time he has attended strict
ly to business and enjoys the esteem of a
large circle of frieuds who never dream
how near he came to being ruined. Every
Christmas he remembers myself, wife and
babies, and | know he would divide his
last dollar with me in case of need