The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-10-04
ON GAM BLING.


"Oh! How lovely Is Zion" sang the
choir OF st. Paurs N. Il. Church in the
Grand Opera House Sunday. at 4 o.
clock p. III. Charles Baird, President
OF the Y. NJ. G. A., presided. Rev. I. l..
Terry prayed. Rev. VIM. p. Swartz
read Prov. 2S at the 18th verse. The
choir and large congregation of men
sang "All Hail the Power of Jesus
Name" MIR. Baird said the meeting
was under the auspices Of the Y. NJ. @.
A., who desired not only to save men
but to enlighten boys and men and
keep them from ever falling Into ruin.
The speaker, he would introduce, had
a slight chronic. nervous twitch OF the
neck caused by blow from O gambler
years ago, which he mentioned so that
IL might not annoy them. He was en-
dorsed by high Christian authorities.
John Phillip Quinn. a native OF Mis-
souri,, 40 years of age, has for five
years been q converted Christian, re-
formed from % years of practical
gambling. Formerly sentenced for
three yeare to thu State penitentiary
OF Jefferson, Indiana, for crime he
did not commit. he was pardoned in
ID months on account OF the guilty
man being found'and convicted.
Meanwhile, he was converted and
helped operate Y. M. @. A. In prison,
at which murderer was converted
and obtained the pardon OF God.
With burning shame and profound
humility he narrated his gambling
career, exhibited the tools and tricks
OF his former profession OF heartless
fraud and thievery and the striped
prison jacket, declaring he had found
pardon and salvation in Jesus Christ.
and been free from all those sins for
the past five years. ---
As to his early boyhood, his mother
was Christian, but his father sport
ing farmer who liked horse racing and
card playing with the result OF seeing
five Of his six sons become gamblers.
When he became young man he
took one of his fathers horses, rode 70
miles away, sold the animal and be-
gan gambling career with the re-
suit of losing S75 before breakfast
next morning at three card monte"
A conductor gave him pass homo.
Gambling ID not a game of science
and skill but Systematic robbery.
Every gambler Is a thief. He dupes
young men by appealing to their van.
ity and self conceit, by excitement and
by their hope OF gain.
Roulette, tato bank and cards were
exhibited. A card-holder that cost
turn out either red or black on every
third card as the operator desired.
There were 20 red and rs black cards.
Gamblers had offered him money a
number OF times to refrain from ex-
planning these things to audiences in
their town. He had been prosecuted
and his large roulette table had been
stolen by gamblers.
A gambler WAS gentleman" go
called, that would rob the man he
called brother. A brace" is gam
bling den In which the guest never
wins. A ''capper" Is an accomplish or
''plucker' who is allowed to win what
he secretly afterwards pays back to
the gambler. He operates so as to
encourage bystanders to ''play."
Sometimes runners" are paid 45 per
cent. to get young men in.
A worse class Of thieves than gam
blers is OF those who swear to execute
the law and then take the money of
gambl to keep silence and let them
escape ARREST. 1t is not wise to en-
ploy wolves to guard the sheep,
The speaker rejoiced on having been
told that our Mayor was doing all he
could to run the thieves and gamblers
out of Wilmington. He considered it
proof positive that when the gam bling
officer OF the law had been bought by
the gamblers. =....-
Private clubs are made up of men
who like drinking and gluttony. They
are high livetR who have everything
they want except honor.
The great trouble Is the idolatry OF
tho dollar. In the career OF crime the
speaker had lost everything that was
most precious except his soul. He
thouH..S there were Obstacles in the
way of his salvation that were insur-
mountable but God had removed them
all.
He Intervene many amusing anec-
dotes in his lecture. On one occasion
he had cleaned out" o gambling den
by threatening to shoot. A Texan
met him next day who told him he
had q reputation for shooting. Yea"
said he. Pm better at shooting than
at gambling" well, stranger, you
walk OF 20 PAGES that way while /
walk 30 In the opposite direction, and
we will then about face and fire at
each other Certainly, SIR" We
then turned back to back and started.
But while he walked 90 PAGES l won't
over 200. and have never seen him
since.
Mr.. Quinn is now citizen of Chica-
go, Ill, and spoke in nplimentary
terms OF their city government in
cleaning out gamblers,
The choir Sung, "rhe Lord is my
life and salvation" while a collection
was taken.
4 he audience was exceedingly inter
ested and we'll entertained. Although
the speaker had been brief and not in
the least tiresome, many men, who
ought to be ashamed OF themselves,
for being so much like hogs hurrylng
to get their ''swill," could not sit still
five minutes and listen to the good
singing OF st. Pau's choir, while their
more decent fellow citizens paid their
respects to the collection hats which
were passed around.
President Baird gave notice that
contributions to the cause OF evan
gelizing against gambling may be
made through the pastors Of our city
churches.
The Y, NJ. C. A. was we'll represented
by officers and members,