The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-27

]
Certainly no one can speak with more
| authority on behalf of the Catholic church
in New York than he.
DAVID WEcHstER.
FOUR CoNsUMPTIvE GAMBLERS
The Bet They Made as to Which Would
Live the Longest.
From the New York Sun.
In the year 1881 there were few men
better known in the sporting world than
| Billy Emerson, Jack Sheridan, Johnny
! Pratt and Winnipeg No one ever seemed
/ TO know just what Winnipeg's
hrst name was, but, like the
other three, he was man
heavy wager on card or horse, was never
! questioned Among racing people in the
| east and west these four men were known
and respected, for, in addition to being
! heavy gamblers, they we're men who had
! never been in any way identified with
any scheme or deal that was not, to use a
! racetrack expression, ION the level 1t
was during the year 1886 that they were
at the top notch of prosperity.
| Although different In many ways, there
! was one common aiiment among them,
! and 1t was probably this that made them
! such fast friends. All four were consump-
lives, and, although at that time the dis
! ease had barely more than shown itself,
! they got worse and worse as the years
rolled by, until one by one they died. Al
though they must have known what was
the trouble with them, it was utterly i'm
! possible to get any of them to aclSnowl-
| edge that he had consumption. If IL was
said to one of them that he was looking
i'll, he would simply laugh and say
"Never was better in my life. May have
been drinking a bit and stayed up too
l late ht1f Ciglf9 Not a hff. a1 Gu
well before, and he would slap him
self on the chest and give vent TO a hollow
cough.
Emerson kept swell gambling house
in New York at one time, but gave it up
after he became interested in the turf.
Sheridan and Pratt had been gamblers
all their lives, and Winnipeg was young
man Of good family and good education,
who had had little money left him, and
had happened TO strike luck by investing
1t in horse races.
Every once in a while nowadays, when
bookmakers get together over cold bottle
and begin telling stories, the story Of the
-four cons" as they were called, comes
up. In the Hoffman house bar one even.
ing last week, hookmaker was telling
the story TO number of acquaintances.
"A peculiar thing about those men, he
said twas that although none of them
the brink of the grave, they would take
great pleasure in guying one another
about their i'll health. Emerson, pale
and emaciated and emitting hollow
coughs, would walk up to Pratt who was
in a similar condition, and say: Lool
here, old boy, you're sick man. Go away
somewhere and recuperate, You need
rest Then Pratt would brace up and
reply, Indignantly you go 10 -
What do you mean by telling me Pm
sick and then he would stride away
mad clear through.
This sort of thing went on for some
time, until one day Emerson remarked to
the others that he was going to have his
life insured. 'Whatp they gasped to
gether, you don't think any company
would take chance on you, do you2
Emerson ignored the insinuation, and the
next day had an examination for life in
surance. OF course he didn't pass When
he gloomily told the others about it they
gave him the grand laugh Then each
one in turn quietly Informed Emerson
that he himself was going to be insured
They all tried, and all were rejected.
Zone day they met at the race track
and Emerson remarked: Say, boys, we
couldn't get insured, but I've got better
game than that Let's put up a thousand
apiece, and the one who lives the longest
takes the pot
"'Why, you poor fool = remarked Win.
nipeg. who was at that time the worst
case of all, it's a dead certain will foI
me-
"'Oh, you don't say so, put in Pratt
why, one of your lungs is missing now
and don't think you'll live month
After an hour of this sort of chatting
the four men agreed to put W
the money. 1t was given tc
Billy Elliot, bookmaker, and
he deposited it in New York bank II
was deposited in such way that any one
of dozen bookmakers could draw II out
at any time. This was done so as to be
sure that the last man would be able TO
get the money without any trouble.
AT this time poor Winnipeg was an
awful sight, and people thought he would
die any minute His cheeks were pale
and sunken, his eyes shone like balls oil
fire. he coughed necessarily, and he could
scarcely tOtter along, he was so weak
Yet he would come to the track every
day, and whenever he'd run across one OF
the other three he'd guy him about the
money they had put up. You fellows
will be dead and gone before they put me
in bed, he'd say Those who knew him
used TO smile pityingly on him whenever
he made this boast,
'Two months after the money had been
deposited Emerson's physician told him
JndL ne must 10 away Ut ne ule IN
week So Billy took his money and went
to Texas, where he bought ranch and
tried TO settle down. In six months he
was dead. Early in 1897 Sheridan died
and this left only Pratt and Winnipeg,
who was verify a living corpse, to contest
for the money. Pratt got worse and
worse, and his condition was soon as bad
as his friends. These two used to totter
around the betting ring, aud when they
were not betting would tell each other
how bad they looked. Jack and Billy
have gone, said Winnipeg one day, and
you're next, Johnny. That coins mine,
You'll be dead in a week, and rll collect
that four thousand, Pratt replied, and
both laughed.
The next week Pratt lost his every
dollar in an attempt TO make enough to
leave1his wife independent when he died.
The week after he was too weak TO get up
one morning, and after being confined to
his bed for a couple Of days he died leav-
ing his wife penniless. The very day he
died the money was drawn from the bank
by Elliot and given 10 Winnipeg. j
knew I'd win it., said the latter. Il knew
I'd outlive them, and now can't die too
soon to suit myself My living for the
past six months has been mere matter