Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1893-10-07
GENEROUS BILLY psvrscn.
Dying at Denver, he Burns esi1encss OF
Debt Due by Old Friends.

DENVER, Colo, Oct /. - Billy
Oeutsch. the man who has an interna-
tional reputation as u gambler. Is dyins
IN ST. Luke's hospital in this city, far
away from all the old friends whom he
made by his genial conviviality and tho
!avish use of money. Realizing h a
ais end is near, he has prepared for liz
end by one Of tho most generous acts
If his life. He has destroyed the writ.
ten evidence Of the debts which
he allowed the friends Of his
palmy days to contract. When Billy
Deutsch came to Denver several
months ago, sent here by n few con-
slant friends in the east, it was evident
hat he would have a hard battle even
In this invigorating climate to ward of
ieath from the dread disease, consump-
lion, from which he was suffering, but
he was hopeful and laid rlans for going
nto u brokerage business. lie began
to fail. however. and on Monday he
VAS taken from the Brown Palace hotel
TO st. Luke's hospital. A correspond
ent saw him there today lying with
hollow, sunken cheeks on his death bed.
lie is in an apartment surrounded with
every luxury and is attended by a pri-
vate nurse. As he spoke his words
came i'm measured tones and frequently
ne was obliged to stop and regain his
breath. While his manner indicated
at times that his mind might be wan
dering, he converscd c~ohcrently.
YES" he said, IL am probably not
.ong for this world. IL have a night
rs bad ms the last, and the one before, l
shall live but n short time, two days, pos
sibly n week. ! am being well cared for
here, but | am all worn out l have
Just sent down to the Brown palace
FOR my portfolio. There are a whole
lot of papers hat | want to destroy so
that they cannot be used in case any
thing happens to me. There are notes
there against my old friends aggregat-
ng some $40. 900, money loaned to good
fellows, you know, who were playing
N hard luck. As long us / live these
will be all right, but when / die my
,reditors may not look at the matter in
the same light and may seek to make
them pay up TO square my debts. That
won't do. and ] am going TO see that
oil evidence of Indebtedness To me Is
wiped out when | croak."
Here he paused for n moment and
hen continued: II want my relatives
20 know that / am being well taken
ARE OF. / have n brother in Cincin-
lati connected with the commission
house of McFarlane Il Co., two. broth
.rs in San Francisco, and my mother
md another brother live in New York
,ity.' :
Deutsch Is q very sick man and the
physicians in charge think he may die
1t any moment, though death may not
come for "A week, or even longer. He
,as addressed n letter TO his friend
Harry Nail of the New York Recorder,
which will be delivered in case of tho
writer's demise. The papers Deutsch
had sent for were finally secured
1t the Brown hotel and taken to st.
Luke's hospital. There. in the presence
81 half "a dozen friends, the sick a
had them burned so as to protect the
friends who are interested in them,
and so, in a generous spirit, the fire
was kindled. The great gambler and
all-round good fellow looked on at the
hre with "a nervous and excited manner
!hat shovel his thoughts were with
memories OF past scenes. AS the flames
lied out he sank back exhausted, but
with a look OF contentment. -