The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-13
Still Pat Shesdy, tho Gamester, Says
all Professional Gamblers
arc Fools.
Where tho Money OF Some Of the
Big Defaulters
Goes.
Horse Racing Has Affected Faro Playing
In New York City-Cr0oked Games
Not Encouraged.

In this country one man more than another
who knows more about gambling, that man
IL 6heedy, says the New York Sun. He 10
known from New York to San Francisco
and from Nav Orleans to Minneapolis, mot
only ~ \ square sporting man, whose word
would, and often has been accepted ~
quickly A. spot cash in any gambling house
in the United States, but ~ one OF the
highest rollers and most terrific bettors
in North America. The tremendous win
nings which he has made at faro can be
numbered by the score. Many a faro bank
has been forced to suspend business, hav-
ing lost ito entire capital to Sheedy in q
nights play. Whenever no enters q gam
bling house On business the proprietor
knows that there ID q strong likelihood that
before mnny hours their pet tiger will have
had his tail pulled out, and that they will
be obliged to turn over the dealing box,
which 10 one way + announcing that the
bank 10 broken.
In appearance Shsedy might we'll be
taken for = shrewd, quiet business man by
dressed in gown and cassock might easily
PASS for . priest. His clothing, made by
the most expensive tailor in New York, is OF
the quietest and most subdued pattern,
while In his speech and general address, he
ID quiet but forcibie, unobtrusive yet with
and enforces their attention, for when he
speaks he always has something to say.
"A popular idea exists that gamblers are
smart or 'fv' men," continued 6heedy.
People sec Pat Sheedy and another gam
b!sr walking down the street, and saw:
be sharp, shrewd n fly Nonsense.
DO you see any gamblers owning
business blocks, large buildings or
other solid evidences of prosperity?
Its the suckers who own them. The suck
ers' are in reality the shrswd and smart
people. There's been mighty few gam
blers, no matter how wealthy in their life
time. who didn't have to be buried by SUBJ
scriptions raised among their friends when
they died. Did they provo themselves
smart menu No man is shrewd or clever
who enters and follows a pursuit in which
and the hand Of the rest of mankind. A
gambler, of course. forfeits all chance of
ever getting into society, although there
are many gamblers living to-day who would
be more of an ornament in society than
SOME Of those among it's shining lights.
gamblers in my life-all the others were
'would-be's.' As soon as they get a clean
collar, q diamond and a mistress they call
themselves gamblers. Then their ambition
ID satisfied; they never look higher than
the roof Of a house Of ilI-repute. Lots
blers' 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 a short
time ago selling suspenders and j%ackknives
on Broadway; but in the eyes of the general
are like a cork. they're light. and need
weights to hold them down. Ninety nine
out of every hundred of them are elevated
to their positions; they used to be walters
or door-mat thieves, and o they thInk
they're f~ull-dedged sports n know it all.
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 a thing as a square game of
faro does not exist. That idea is the
greatest nonsense. Does a wise man kill
the goose that lays the golden egg? Do you
suppose that a square gambler would coun-
tenance a crooked game in his house for the
purpose OF winning q few hundred or even
thousand dollars, after which the ma
ture of the game would become publicly
known to players, and they YOU avoid it
as they would a smallpox hospital; when by
conducting only an honest Rarae the patron
age of players can be retained for an indef-
mite length of time? Why should a game
be run crooked for a few weeks when by
conducting it fairly the patronage of play
ers can be held for years., and when, under
are so tremendous? 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 q capital of 500 and
try to win, say, $1,000. and often much
more; or take correspondingly smaller sums.
Now there he is trying to increase his CAPT
tai With tan nkapcea RUainat him IVAN ~ ho
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
difficult still.
las far as New York is concerned, there
are no crooked games running here. for two
reasons, one being that the square gam
blers would quickly take means to have
them closed mp, we'll knowing how their
existence would hurt the business standing
of the square games, while another and
stronger reason is that the police won't let
square games arc mighty few in New York
now. Ut course, bank is dealt in this city
all the year round, for it will be on house
tops il no other place can be had, but it is
30 difficult for players to gain access to a
game here now that the amount of faro
psrtment of this city, / firmly believe. is
the best in the world. Byrnes' men are the
shrewuest and cleverest lot of detectives
living. in my opinion, and thew have the
measure of every gambler in town. As soon
as q gambler shows up in New York they
get onto his gait at once, particularly if he
is crooked
my Judgment is that gambling should be
regulated by law, whore 1t can be easily con-
trolled, instead of driving it to secluded
places where the opportunity for robbery is
increased. Gambling does not hurt any,
body il it is confined to those who can az
o to lose: but az for those who run din
ner-pair games, winning from the working
man his weekly wages Of Sl2 or $l5, why, /
think that such gamblers are worse than
stage robbers, for they not only take from a
man who can't afford to lose. but bring
want and misery pom women and children
who expect to have their father, husband or
brother buy them bread with his weeks
wages.
But while there is less faro-bank playing
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-bapk playing is decreasing all
over the country. Horse-racing and pool
rooms are responsible for this. Men
won't sit down to play bank now when
they can 60 out to the track and win $4,000
or $4,000 in an afternoon. This state of