Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-12-20
STORY OF WHITLEY RUPP.
A Popular Superstition Among Gamblers
.oparcotiy Verified In One Case.

T, ia one OF the superstitions Of a
GAMBLER. says the Kansas City SIR, that
10 roust relieve distress. Were it a thou
sand times day that the hand of midi
gance and suffering should he extended
1e would feel compelled to load it with
sl,yer OF bis wealth. II is not SO
mrcb innate benevolence on the par.
~ the soldier of fortune as fear
that his luck may turn black
ard bad should he refuse. There is
one limitation, however, yonr gambler
1 laws on his largesse ; that Is, the bene-
fjciary. in the event OF his being one OF
fine craft, cannot make 1t the basis Of a
NAV or bet against his benefactor. This
another and potential superstition Of tho
g;ver contradicts. II is q popular he
I;ef that vast Losses would attend the
ee.hearted giver in case his money in-
narted in charity was played against
himself Gamblers tell many stories in
illustration OF this
Whitley Rupp, one time proprietor Of
strong and prosperous faro-bark in
Wichita. is, in his fortunes or mis-
fortunes. an example often pointed 70
among the men Of chance and hazard.
II was in the earlier eighties, and one
afternoon rs the fortunate Rupp was de-
ascending the stairs which led 10 the lalr
sof his particular tiger a broken sport
named Bill Chenelt sought aims at his
hands. Rupp Was III n good humor.
His bank had piled up the ingots
the night before he had Just
eaten comfortable dinner, and at
| this very iuncture was medltatlng a
y$fde behind dashing span he had the
title to. He paused long enough IN his
pleasure TO give Uhenault 80. Then
Rupp went on. Chenault, an inyeterate
pamester himself, ate briefly and spa
ringly on % cents of the gift and then
fastened back to Rupp's bank with the
balance and began to play. had the
| dealers known the fatal source of his
wealth they would have barred him.
Chenault won. He won again and again.
He then divided his possessions among
several of bis cronies looking on. There
was Tom Arnold, who now deals monte
in FL Paso Sam Arnold, who was sub
seauently shot TO death In Oklahoma
CITY. and several others. They blthely
showed the money about Rupps layout
in way to insure the widest action.
There never vas suchluck as attended
20 diminutiye q raid. Gupp was only
riding an hour and thirty minutes. De
spite his reasons for high and elated
| heart he felt worried The shadow OF
coming ruin and disaster had fallen on
him. He came back to his rooms, and
as soon as he discovered what was IN
progress with curses and maledictlons
stopped the play OF Chenault and
his coterie-not, However, until they
had rolled their bundle of piun'
der up TO the neat outlines OF 81. 700.
The amount itself WAS scarcely pin
scratch to so strong bank as Rupp5,
but he took it in especial grief ano
gloom as the beginning of his downfall
Rupp began to drink. and, to vary hi'
carousings. took large slices Of his OWL
bank-roll and played against his neigh
bors' games. He lost thousands in thi'
wav. While he was losing to othel
games his own was being raided by ont
side gamblers at the pace Of a thousand
an hour. His bad luck, invoked by thu
treacherous turning Of his gifts agains
himself by the unprincipled Chenault
never tagged or battered 10 its STRIDE
until. in less than two months, Whitley
Rupp, loser over 970, 900, left Wichita,
ruined, broken sport.