Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-12-19
A FORTUNE ATCARDs.
II WAS WON ~ JOHN SCOTT. THE
"GENTlEMAN GAMBLER"

GtNTleMAN GAMBLER"
His Winnings u whiteas. IN Ls.aos. \,
the Last Century Excssssa os,ooo,ooo,
Though nliterass, He We lGs. q the
Most Precise Arsthods.
VI all the gentlemen gamblers Of the
close OF tho eighteenth century in Eng.
land single one is noted for the inn.
mensity and the regularity Of his win
nings. This was John Scott, who. be.
ginning a. q penniless captain, wound
mp his career ~ millionaire general.
On the subject Of the campaigns he con-
Quoted history is silent, but contempo.
raiy London was full Of talk Of his mar
Vicious luck with dice and cards, and
the marital misfortunes Of his later life
gave more material for the gossipa
Writing to Richard Bentley, from
Arlington street, ON Feb. rs, 1855.
Horace Walpole says:
The great event is the catastrophe
OF Sir John Bland, who has fiirted sWsy
his whole fortune at hazard He t'other
night exceeded what was lost by the
late Duke Of Bedford, having at one pe-
riod Of the night (though he recovered
the greatest part Of it, lost esq, 900.
The citizens put ON their double chan
neled pumps and trudge to st. James
street In expectation Of seeing Judgment
ON Whites - angels, with flaming
swords. and devils flying away with
dioeboxes, like the prints in Sadler's
hermits. Sir John lost this immense
sum to Captain Scott, who ct present
has nothing but few debts and his
commission"
Sir John Bland, to conclude here the
history o6 that luokless dicer, shot him.
sal dead after losing the last Of his for
tune in Kippax park.
Captain John Scott was Of that branch
OF the numerous Scott family Of which
Sir Walter was . member, and his an
cestor in the thirteenth century was that
famous chemist, Michael Scott, who
won the name of Wizard A later Scott
distinguished himself in the time Of
Charles II by marrying, when be was
himself only IL years old, . lady who
was three years his Junior. The bride
was Mary, countess Of Buccleuch, in
her own right the richest heiress in Scot
land. The marriage was . secret one,
and none Of the friends and few of her
family were informed Of 1t until the
day after. The youthful bridegroom did
not profit greatly by this match, for his
bride died at IS. Her sister Anne, who
succeeded to her titles and estates, made
q marriage with the pet son Of Charles
II, Monmouth, and had q numerous
family.
1t was 60 years later, OF about 1850,
that young John Scott, son of the Laird
of Scots Tarvet, entered King Georges
army. Two years later he was in Lon
don and in the midst of the most reck-
less set Of spendthrifts, rakes and game
sters that English society has ever
known. Sir John Bland was only one
Of thousand rich young Englishmen
who threw away his fortune over the
gaming table at Whites. The one his
toric loser Of that era was Charles James
Fox, Pitts rival. Fox gambled away,
all told, no less than $5, 900, 900. Scott
was the very antipodes Of Fox. When
he died, at q ripe old age, he left for
tune rs great as that with which Fox
had begun. and every penny Of it had
been won ut the gaming table Fox was
q ripe scholar. Scott was almost illit-
crate. Fox said that losing was the next
greatest pleasure to winning. Scott
never lost, or 80 rarely that it did not
affect the serenity Of his career Is .
winner. Fox would go home in the
morning after . night in which he had
gamhled away ie1D. 900 or $40, 600 ana
Immediately lcse himself in , study Il
Sophooles or Aschylus. Scott, like the
sensible fellow he wa. would button
his coat over the portemonnaie in which
he carried away winnings Of an equal
or even greater amount and immediate
~ go to bed 80 - 70 be fresh for play
in the evening.
When Scott found himself in Tendon,
and amid the wild yunng men Of his
era. he determined that gaming was
his only chance Of getting money. When
he engaged himself to throw . series Of
mains with Sir John Bland, he had, a.
Horace Walpole puts it, nothing "but
q few debts and his commission. His
shrewdness taught him that there was
nothing in dicins. ct which . stupid
man has as good . chapce = . might
one, and 20 he speedily gave up hazard
and applied himself 70 whist, q which
game heaven fights ON the side a the
skillfui player. Newer in the hisesty Of
play did men gamble for sunh high
stakes as Scott and his victims did at
Whites between 1853 - l7e0. Soott's
system was an exoesdin6ly simple one
He gave himself tho Ut q Il In ev-
cry possible way. He newer went to the
gaming tsble qnlen his lhead and his
stomach wore In the vssy bsbt -oe0er.
He never lost his oomposaEe OF his good
nature for "a instant. He played Per.
fectly fair and honorable game, and 1t
first hc nsde II rule nsvee 70 pl6y for
more than . li1sd sum. which he could
afford % losa He won Is sesedily that
It wasn't hong befoee y W. preqared
to risk sny sum which oven the wsolth-
lest or the most reckless Ct his a0ver-
saries would venture toreeposa