Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-03-15

embarrassed. HIS wife, beautifu.
and grcOmp ihrd Kentucky sdy, was
also an srdent devo,ee OF the green
cluth. aud, fprtunstely FOR him her
consummste skill and phenomenal
luck enabled her Ia c,unterbalence his
losses with her winnings.
'To illustrate the good fortune that
favored This remarkable woman,
will relate story OF her gambling
days. A. the time in question, Dan
BringhsIf was shsrif OF Polk county,
In which Des Moinss is situated. In
those days sheriff. received a certain
rer cent upon all sales made. As
sheriff. Brlnghalf sod l62 miles of
the old Fort Dodge railroad, running
from Des Moines to KeoKuk, under
foreclosure. His fe e's aggregated $l7 =
OOO. Being acquainted with DIR. Aborn
and his wife, Bringhslf, with this fat
roll in his pocket; dropped into q prI-
vate game one evening, in which Mrs.
Ahorn was one of the players. Before
morning she had Dams money. after
having lost TO him over $50, 600 during
the arly part of the evening.
"Dr. Aborn's weakness for the opp0.
site sex tiually brought about serar-
alton, and his wife, after procuring q
divorce, repsired 70 San Francisco,
where she welded a wealthy stock
broker. Deprived Of h r guidance and
rare good fortune, Aborn plunged into
gambling and two years ago found
him reduced in circumstances to an
extent that necessiiated encumaeriug
the hotel with mortgage Of SIS 900
Later his brother. resident of Cali
fornis. advanced the doctor So, 900
taking SECOND mortgage upon the
hotel. Meanwhile the operation oi
prohibition had deprecisied vslue- o
properly at the Iowa capital one third
and business stagnsted 10 an extent
that threatened to close the house In
the absence Of sufficient patronsge
to keep u open. At this criiica
juncture DR.. Aborn was seized with
q brilliant idea, which he proceeded
~ put into execution. In order h
keep the hotel from closing he gave 1,
rent free to Charles Holmdsle, the
then lesae, Until such time - he
could dispose of it. Then he inaug.
ursted the lottery scheme, and duped
ex.Gov. Bureu r. Sherman, just out
of office, into endorsing his plsns and
co operating with him. They employ
ed q gifted newspaper liar. Damed
Mca,rackeu, formerly o. the Des
Moines News. to puff and advertise
the lottery scheme. They went te
Helena, and began asystematic cam
paign. Neither Sherman nor Nc.
Cracken were aware that the prop
erty was encumbered and supposipp
they were engaged In u Legitimate
enterprise, they threw all their ene--
gies into the work. 1t soon leaked
out that there was screw IOose some.
where. and the ex-gov. insisted upon
Aborn producing clear abstract Of
title. Refusing compliance, Sherman
and McCracken servered their con.
nsction with the scheme and returned
home. Aborn remained. and after
dislosing Of forty or fifty thousand
dollars worth Of tickets, he held the
drawing back and took his departnrs
Tor Des Moines. When the number
were announced Aborn was found Ia
have drawn the hotel himself. Ths
swindled ticket holders being wildly
scattered could not get together fol
united action. and. owing 10 absencs
of prosecution, Aborn escaped thu
penalty for swindling. I last saw hin
In Des Moines last September. HI
was then engaged In lawtuit with
Holmdale, the landlord, trying u
collect rent for the hotel. which wa
then, and Is, I think, still In the hand
OF the receiver. He IL looked upoI
In Iowa as u swindler, bis practice an'
reputation are gone, and his meteori
career. is, in my opinion, drawing To