The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-11-30
THE GAMBLING HABIT.
A Forciblo Sermon by Row. DR.. D.
A. Cunningham Yesterday
Evening.
THE TERRIBLE RE7RIBU7IONI
For Indulgence In this Vicc...Exam.
pies Adducod OF its Danger to the
Soul..llow to Avoid Contracting
This Insldious Habit.


Yesterday evening at the First Pres.
bytcrian church, Rev. DR.. b. \. Gun.
ningham delivered MI able sermon,
taking as his text Romans 1910: "Ab-
hor that which is evil; c!eavo to which
is good"
Among other evils the doctor spoke
Of gambling. About this vice he said:
Another evil to be abhorred in our
time is that OF gambling. lfany OF you,
my hearers, feel drawing that way; ii
you ever bet; il you ever play for
money, ior anything, then you arc on
the smooth and attracting edge OF Il
whirlpool in which multitudcs Of noble
characters have been wrecked and lost.
No passion leads men to such fearful
cxtrcmities. 1t sets up blind fortune
Tor Il goddess. It arouses the seven
iuries within man. 1t kindlcs the
fires OF hell IN his breast. 1t nurses
rage, promotes quarrels, cngcnders
strife, promotes forgery, suggests muir
der, and invites suicide! 1t steals mems
hearts or turns them to stone.
Walpole tells OF gambler who
fell ut tho table in n fit OF
apoplcxy, and his companions
began to bet upon his chances OF
recovery. When the physician came in
they would not let him bleed the man
because, they said, it would affect the
bet. We know very well that when
President Garfield was hanging between
lie and death, men bet heavily upon
the issue, and even sold pools in
Chicago.
Now this is the habit that would
warn you against. You say have
taken extreme cases. So have; but
gambling nearly always leads to ex-
IRENE cases. And il man once sets
his foot within this labyrinth, he may
10 working further and further in, when
lie is trying TO work out. Men never
PLUNGE HEADLoSG INTO HE'LL.
They first pass through tho outer gate,
and then they take a broad and safe
looking road, smooth and dcligh,fuland
covered with flowers, and this carries
them to the inner gate, "and many
there be which go in thercat."
One OF these fashionable club houses
was pointed out to mo in another city,
and 4 gentleman thus described it:
THE doors were open 10 all = sumpuous
supper was spread free 10 the players;
the furniture was elegant; the players
were fashionably dressed. They gathered
about Il roulette table, stakcd large
piles Of money, and lost or won in
silence. Behind each the arch game
ster, Satan, seemed Turing each 10 stake
his conscience. for gold, knowing that
he was sure TO cheat them out OF their
immortal souls"
One OF the saddeat cases OF ruin and
crime which came to light some years
ago in the city OF New York was that OF
ayouns man who had died. lie had
been 4 clerk in the finance department
Of the municipal government for num-
Der OF years. lie had charge OF the in
tcrest coupons. He had the appear
anCe OF 4 steady young man. Alfablc,
but not obtrusive, he attracted 10 par
tcular attention, save that he usually
dressed better and had more gentle
manly bearing than others in the office.
He was not married, and usually dined
ut home, and after dinner often retired
TO his room to smoke and read. Hear
ing no sound, the family supposed he
had retired and was asleep. lie died
after 4 short sickness and was mourned
as almost model son. A few
weeks afterwards package OF
uncancclled coupons was found in
his desk. 1t was ascertained that
his books were behind over six months.
Further investigations brought to light
the fact that he had taken and ncgo-
tiatcd Sl4S,000 OF interest coupons,
which the city had paid the second
time. His father was stunned by the
blow, and could not believe it; he in
sisted that the crime had been COM
mitted by others and the guilt thrown
upon his son because he was dead and
could not defend himself. Unfortu.
nately, that consolation was not left to
him long.
DETECTIVES WE'RE SET At WORK
burrowing like so many beavers in
river bank into the young mans lie ior
hall dozen years. 1t was found that
he had made some fast acquaintance,
and his salary being small, he had tried
his hand ut gambling. lIc lost, and be.
coming desperate, lost more. Hc took
between $1,000 and $1,000 during the
last six months OF 1879. The game
fascinated rs well as exaspcratcd him.
l!c studied tho arts OF professionals,
and became such al adept that old
players Stunned him. 1t was dscov-
cred that during one sitting lie lost
$4,000. But gambling is not 4
solitary vice; in fact, most OF
the vices 90 in herds. What he
gained in gambling, he spent in other
sins. He neglected his duties, to play
in the daytime. When liowns the top
OF his iniltuation, and talked OF visiting
the famous gambling places Of Europe
in tho belief that fortune awaited
him there, the reaction and retribution
set in. Tho terrible game OF life was
over for him.
Ono OF the worst pcrils in our cities
now, is gambling. 1t is carried OF in
almost numberless forms, in all sorts OF
ways and places. It's adapted to allure
tho youngest and entrap tho Oldest,
WHEN OFF THEIR GUARD.
1t spreads its net OF film in destinations
calculated to steal the wits OF both men
and women. How many fortunes arc
lost in this way every year; how many
otherwise prosperous md fairly reputa.
bic merchants, bankers, business, law
yers, and physicians are ruined; how
many suicides are caused--nonc can tell.
Tho gambling habit begins III betting
on, it may be, pedestrian feats or ball