The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-24
THOUSANDS LOST AT a SETTING.
Fortune crowned on Him as Banker
and Followed Him as Player.
From the Chicago Herald,

From the Chicago Herald
Thirty-two thousand dollars is not much
of winning for a gambling house per-
haps, but that is the record made by one
Chicago house in thirty-six hours. 1t was
Tuesday and Wednesday of last week
The place was 20 jackson street.
Up to last Monday the house had been
conducted for some time by "Hughey'
Maher who is also interested with Bill"
Skakel in the house at 40 Madison
street. "Hughey" had been in ha I'd luck
so far as the business of the jackson
street place was concerned. 1t is declared
by sporting men supposed to know what is
going on that the house had lost between
S25, 900 and $50, 900 in little more than a
year.
So "Hughey" decided to sell out and
get rid of the "hoodoo." He went to Hot
Springs to find purchaser r. S. Cham
bers, the heaviest owner of the Southern
Club at that place, was induced to invest
few thousands of his hard-earned dol
lars IN the jackson street house, his part
ner, Dugan, also taking an interest.
Chambers Il Dugan assumed control
last Monday. William Riley, the veteran
pool seller, was installed as manager.
The next day Washer, who still retained
a small interest in the house, casually
dropped in to see how business was. To
show his good will he had come with his
pockets full of greenbacks, and he at once
invested in few stacks of blues
The usual limit of the house is $50 to
ceases" and Sl00 to doubles" but when
"high-roller" like Maher ''sits i'm the.
limit is raised to 500 and 5000.
AS the play proceeded it was soon evil
dent that Makers luck was still on the
wane. If he could not win when running
the "bank'' his ill-fortune was even more
signal when sitting at the other side Of
the table. Maher has played against a
good many of the games in the city, and
stories of how he has been as much as
$4,000 or $1,000 lin" and has then con-
! trived to recoup the loss are common.
Maher was not alone, for Wesley Schim-
mel had brought over from the west side
a big wad of bills of large denominations
He sat down at the same table and was
likewise accorded the privilege of wager
ing 800 TO cases" and $500 to doubles. !"
Maher and Schimmel took turns in keep
ing cases" A man named Greenwood, of
Memphis, Tenn, possessed also of the
spirit of speculation, tried TO guess how
the cards would come out of the same
deal box.
1t was little after l o'clock Tuesday
afternoon, when the big play began. 1t
vas 1890 O'Clock Wednesday night, when
the big trio arose from the table. They
ndu bdheI no resi- anu no T6lTbSuulbubS,
except now and then. a cup of coffee and
sandwich and few hundred cigars
worth 81 a piece. Most of the time
Chambers himself pulled the cards out
of the box.
When the play was over, Maher had
lost $14,00 He had lost before as pro-
prietor and again while "bucking' the
same game.
You're whipsawed at every stage"
said an acquaintance.
Schmmel had lost only IS 900, while
| Greenwood had contributed $4,000 to the
''bank roll"
AS the weary sports arose they noticed
for the first time that they were the cen
ter of wondering and admiring throng
Hollow-eyed and half dead from the ex-
citement and nervous strain they had I'M
dergone, they walked out and ordered
three frozen absinthes.
The participants in the big game were
not the only players in the house during
that thirty-six hours. A few men, whose
play would on ordinary days be termed
high, had managed TO drop nearly $1,000
more at another table. The house at 70
jackson street is called the Merchants
Club p" Mr.. Chambers thinks the ''hoo-
doo' has been moved from the place, but
Maher says it is still Jonah" to him.
One feature of the Merchants Club"
is its poker games. No one is allowed to
buy less than 500 worth of checks to
start with Ten days ago player in this
game allowed the others to divide among
themselves IS, 900 of his money before he
thought he had enough Of the excitement
for enc night