The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-27
GREATEST OF CONFIDENCE MEN.
Recollections of the Very Remarkable
Career OF Canada Bill.

From the Detroit Free Press.
when arrived in Detroit last Satur-
day evening"" said 8. V. Vail of Elmira,
N. Y, II met Mason Long of Fort Wayne,
Ind, in the depot, and the sight OF his WE'LL
remembered face recalled many interesting
recollections to my mind. Long has been
for number Of years ole OF the best-known
evangeliste in the country, is "a thorough
Christian and active leader in all good
movements, but there was "a time when he
was as hard a citizen as you could meet in
a months journey. He was a gambler and
three-card monte man, and travelled for
quite a time with the notorious Canada
Bill, who was undoubtedly the cleverest
monte man that ever operated in the
United States. Sixteen or eighteen
years ago, when Canada Bill was
at his best, l saw considerable of
him, and despite the fellows roguery and
crookedness there was something about
him that | couldn't help but admire He
was a large-formed man, with a clearly
shaven face, square jaw, deep-set eyes
and the expression of a sphinx His favor
ite disguise was the makeup OF Il cattle
drover, and as there were more members of
that class on the road in the days referred
TO than now Canada Bill had no difficulty
in passing himself off as one OF them. He
always carried two or three confederates or
'cappers' with him, and the money he won
with his three little cards during
half dozen years, chiefly on the Lake
Shore railroad, would buy a bank
and pay officers salaries for twenty
years. Whenever arrested Bill would plead
guilty when arraigned, and no matter how
large fine might bel imposed on him he
would flash up al bundle of greenbacks,
count out the amount Of the fine, thank the
court for doing its duty and bow himself
into the street. As an example of his
andaCitU / ri the Instance Of bia
Offering the Union Pacific Railroad Com
pany $4,000 year for the exclusive right
of operating his game on their road, and
furthermore, he said lie would agree OF to
fleece any one but ministers OF the gospel.
Needless to say his generous offer was not
accepted by the railroad company.
In the spring of 1874 l was on a Lake
Shore train, between Toledo and Chicago,
bound west. when Canada Bilp suddenly
appeared in the smoking car where / was
sitting, and after few desultory remarks
produced his three cards and began care
lessly throwing them around on the seat
facing him. In few minutes he had q
| crowd around him. and after two Of his
'cappers' had won Sl5 or $50 apiece pick
| ing the right cards, q rustic-looking fellow
with pipe in his mouth. who had been In
tently watching the game, produced fat
pocket book, from which he took $40 and
bet that amount he could pick the right
card. He doubled his money in less
time than fit takes to count five, and vent
ured again. He kept on winning and evil
IDENTIFY thought luck was with him, whereas
'BllP was merely stringing him, and in a few
minutes he had won six bets. Flushed with
success he became reckless, increased the
size of his bets, and in less than a quarter OF
an hour Canada Bill had drained him Of
every cent he had, something over 5000
The greenhorn reeled out of the car COM
nlptPlU haZad forward IN xvh
wife was and told her he bad lost all the
money they possessed. The woman fastened
back TO the smoking car, and with tears
streaming down her cheeks told 'Canade
BilP that her husband, herself and their two
small children had sold out everything they
had down in Mercer county. Pennsylvania,
and were on their way to Kansas to start
anew in life. All the money they had was
the six hundred and some odd dollars that
her husband had just lost at three-card
monte, and concluding, the heart
broken creature exclaimed as she
sank on her knees in the aisle beside Bits
seat, the children and must starve, mister,
| just because my man was FOOL Canada
! Bills' stoical expression never changed a
particle, but he put his hapd in his pocket,
drew forth big wad of a one yscounted out
| just the amount the man had lost and
handed ii to the forlorn woman by his side,
saying: Here's your money, madame.
never rob women and children, but want
you to keep 1t to yourself in the future, as
that husband Of yours doesn't know enough
to go out without a guardian Then giving
her 500 more he continued: Here's pres
ent for the babies. Now run back to them
and stop your crying So you see, swindler
and scoundrel that be was. the king of monte
men had some redeeming qualities, and
maybe they will be remembered when bis
final account is made up Canada Bilrs'
full name was William Jones, he came
originally from down Montreal way, and
has been dead ten years or more"