Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-04
SHEEDY ON GAMBLING
The Greatest American Gambler Says
ALI Gamblers Are Fools.
CROOKED GAMES do NOT PAY.
He Gives Pittsburg Phil Credit Of the
Longest Head on Horses.
FARO BANKS SHOULD BE LICENSED
IwRrrrzx FOB TIE D1sPArcH. ]

The speaker was Pat Sheedy, whom met
In New York the other day. Now, it will
be universally admitted that if there is in
who knows about gambling that man Is
Sheedy. He is known from New York to
San Francisco, and from New Orleans to
Minneapolis, no only as a square sporting
man. whose word would, and often has been,
accepted as quickly as spot cash in any
gambling house in the United States, but as
one of the ''highest rollers" and most ter
rifle betters in North America.
The tremendous winnings which he has
made at faro can be numbered by the score.
Many faro bank has been forced to sus-
pend business, having lost its entire capital
to Sheedy in nights play. Whenever he
enters a gambling house on business, the
proprietors know that there is strong like
lihood that before many hours their pet
tiger will have had his tail pulled out, and
that they will be Obliged to turn over the
dealing box, which is one way of announc-
ing that the bank is broken.
MIGHT PASS FOR A PRIEST.
In appearance Sheedy might well be taken
for shrewd, quiet business man by those
not familiar with his looks, and if dressed
in gown and cassock might easily pass for
priest. His clothing, made by the most ex-
penslve tailor in New York, is of the O uiet-
est and most subdued pattern, while IN his
speech and general address he is quiet but
fOrcible, unobtrusive yet with a certain
magnetism which attracts men and enforees
their attention, for when he speaks he al
ways has something to say.
"a popular idea exists that gamblers are
smart or fly men," continued Sheedy.
people see Pat Sheedy and another
gambler walking down the street. and say:
There goes a couple of gamblers; they must
be sharp, shrewd, and fy.' Nonsense. Do
you see any gamblers owning business
blocks, large buildings, or other solid evi-
dences of prosperity? Its the suckers who
own them. The suckers are in reality the
shrewd and smart people. There have been
mighty few gamblers, no matter how
wealthy in their lifetime, who didn't have to
be buried by subscriptions raised among
their friends when they died. Did they
prove themselves smart men? No man is
shrewd or clever who enters and follows q
pursuit in which everything is against him
the law, society, and the hand of the rest
of mankind.
THE woULD-BE GAMBLERS.
81 have never met more than Is gamblers
in my liie-all the others were 'would-bes.'
As soon as they get clean collar, dia-
mond and fly cane they call themselves
gamblers. Then their ambition is satisfied;
they never look higher. Lots of this sort Of
fellows become gamblers through playing
the races and making books Why, they
haven't the first idea of gambling. Many
such people who call themselves sporting
men were short time ago selling suspend
and iaaE VOC IN Rroad buk -
eyes OF the general public they are GAM
blers. These gamblers are like cork,
they're light and need weights to hold then
down. Ninety-nine out of every hundred
of them are elevated to their positions; they
used to be walters or door-mat thieves, and
now they think they're full-fedged sports
and know it all.
ITO show you the ignorance which exists
among a large part OF the uninitiated public
about gambling generally, let me refer to
the belief that all gamblers are crooked
and that such thing as square game of
faro does not exist. That idea is the great
est nonsense Does wise man kill the
goose that lays the golden egg? Do you
suppose that square gambler would counte-
nance crooked game in his house for the
purpose OF winning few hundred or even
. thousand dollars, after which the nature of
the game would become publicly known to
players and they would avoid it as they
would a smallpox hospital, when by con-
Quoting only an honest game the patronage
of players can be retained for an indefinite
length OF time?
DON'T HAVE TO BE CROOKED.
"There is no legitimate necessity for
crooked work. Players do not stop TO
think what a great percentage is against
them. For instance, a man will sit down to
play faro with capital of 500 and try to
win, say 81, 900, and often much more; or
take correspondingly smaller sums. Now,
there he is trying to increase his capital
with ten chances against him, even if he
confines himself exclusively to playing
cases, instead of playing doubles as we'll,
where he runs the chance of getting split
making the chance OF his winning more diff
fcult STILL
my judgment is that gambling should
be regulated by law, where it can be easily
controlled, instead Of driving it to secluded
places where the opportunity for robbery is
increased. Gambling does not hurt any
body if it is confined to those who can afford
to lose; but as Tor those men who run din
ner pail games, winning from the working
man his weekly wages of Sf2 or SIS, why, I
think that such gamblers are worse than
stage robbers, for they not only take from
man who can't afford to lose, but bring
want and misery upon women and children
who expect to have their father, husband or
brother buy them bread with his weeks
wages.
FARO BANK PLAYING DECREASING.
"But while there is less faro bank play
ing in New York now by 40 per cent. than
ever before, there is more general gambling,
but it's been driven to the clubs, big and
little. Indeed, the amount of faro bank
playing is decreasing all over the country.
Horse racing and pool rooms are RESPONSE
BILE for this. Men Won't sit down to play
bank DOW when they can go out to the track
and win $40, 900 or $50, 900 in an afternoon.
This state OF affairs has been going on for
five or six years, and it's getting more like
England and Australia in this respect every
year.
Bookmakers don't make as much as peo-
pie suppose; in fact, not one in twenty makes
money nowadays Such players as Pitts
burg Phil, for instance, cut down their
profits nightly. Inever in my life saw q man
win more money than he does. / have seen
men win bigger money in one single day than
he, but they don't make such steady winnings as
Phil. HIS Judgment Is phenomenal. and his
memory something wonderful He is the only
man ever knew who eau name the horses as
they ran, one. two, three in every Important
race that has ever taken place. Phil knows
what he is about, and Whatever he tells you,
you can 20 to sleeD on.
THE LOSSES OF THE KICKERs.
"One thing more under the head of 'kiclkA,
Not one-half of the money said by 'kickers' 10
have been lost at gambling is really lost In that
way. For instance. a cashier or confidential
man in an office acquires expensive habits He
penses Of last life IN q private fat uptown.
owning a fast horse. and in buying diamonds.
80 he helps himself TO the firms money.