The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1893-04-27
/ WON AND LOST FORTUNES,
Some Experiences OF lilly Detltsch.
Whe Is Now III and PenniIess. o

i some Experiences OF BILLY Deutscl,.
! Who Is Now Ill and Penniless. a
a few years ago everybody knew
Billy Deutscll, the man who was the
talk OF Paris and New York and the
star handler Of cards and coin the
world over: The man about town re-
cahAs him WREN he came, back to New
York from Paris with his horses, his
carriages and hiss money. 'Fhe wonder
full clothes he them wore are, supplant-
ed by a suit off black. the niustache
droops hopelessly. the black eyes have
lost their, fire and the face is tlifF and
pale. The money!. too;, was a distinc-s
tive feature Of the old figure. It is
almost a, stranger. to, the present For
six weeks Deutsch; has; been ILL in the
Empire sanita1iumi at 1O3 West, Harty
seventh street.. New York: He Isl SUIT
felng> FROM nhthisis, and his physicians
say that an, immediate. change, Of eli
mate is. his one hope for nrolongings his
life: He complains that many of hiss
friends seem to, have forgotten tilntt /
they are using: money he lent themg.
for only four have answered his let--E
tiers reminding them of their indebted
ness to him: Two, Of the four. merely
said they were sorry for him.:
II was born in: the old First ward;,::''
he said to- a Gobe-Democrati man the
other day, forty eight years ago In:
1873 1 went into the theatrical: business;
with my cousin, Maurice Grau. I stayed;
with him for two years, whenlI bought
The Mighty Dollar l ran the play
for five years. Then I got out and
went to Europe again. with more than
$125,OOO clear profit 1t was in 1884,
while intParis, that had an inspiration
that | could win at baccarat I felt
this inspiration becase my small stakes
invariably brought me large winnings.
I began to risk all my winnings, play
ing the dealers money and taking out
my own after the first winning. Luck
was with me. I won every time [
played. In three months won $125,-
OOO With that money I Travelled
through Europe. ! took my horses
and servants with me, buying every
thing in sight One night in Vienna I
bought half the seating space in a
music hall Then I invited the whole
house to drink with me. They drank.
I paid $1,000 for my fun I got back
to Paris in the spring of 1885 on Dor
rowed money An American had a
railroad scheme. and l floated $4,000
900 worth of bonds Of the railroad.
Ny commission put me on my feet.
l. dAiA ACoC LILY AiOAA>y'
"Or July % 1865, I went into the
Tranco-American club with $50, all l
had / got dinner, and with the re-
naming $50 l tried my chance at the
game. In an hour I lost every penny.
| Just as I quit Lorillard Spencer, John
Garcia and another man came IT.. We
sat down to a game Of whist. l won
| 30 francs from them, playing on credit.
T owed for drinks and cigars and threw
down a 1O-franc piece. [ put the D
franc piece change in my overcoat
pocket. I threw down the remaining
20 francs on the table and lost it. /
went out, broke, to go home. In but
| toning UP my overcoat =! felt a piece Of
| money in my side pocket. 1t was Il
! 5-franc piece. 7 went and threw it on
! the table; won; let it lie: won again.
! Sometimes I would let two deals go
| by Every time I played [ won, and
generally I played my whole pile. l
! quit $4,000 winner. / sailed for
America and got here on Sept. 10, 1856
I brought my horses. carriages and
servants with me. I lived at the Hoff-
man house, and stayed here until Nov
| H.: I brought over with me about
| 100000 and took back $4OO, 900. / lost
| the difference in Wall street and on
| friends. I was broke again in France
| in less than six months I owe in Paris
| now about 600, 900 francs. Gambling
| is disease, the hardest in the world
cure, harder than consumption" t#