Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-07-13
A RACE WITH DEATH.
a BET THAT WAS MADE BY FOUR
CONSERVATIVE GAMBLERS.
Rejected by Life Insurance Companies,
They Made a Pool of 81. 900 To 60 To the
One Who Survived the other Three-Wen
Known New York Characters.


known New York Characters.
In the year 1881 there were few mcn
better known in the sporting world than
Billy Emerson, Jack Sheridan, Johnny
Pratt and Winnipeg. RIO one over seemed
TO know just what Winnipeg first name
was; but, like the other three, lac was a
man whose nerve when IL came TO max
Ing 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 10
being heavy gamblers, they were men
who had never been in any way identified
with any scheme or deal that was not, to
uso race track 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 ailment among Them
and it was probably this that made them
such fast friends. All four were con-
sumptives, and although at that time the
disease had barely moro 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
tho trouble with them IL was utterly i'm
possible to get any Of them to acknowl-
edge that he had consumption. If 1t was
said to one Of them that he was looking
Ill, he would simply laugh and say: "Nev-
er was better In my life. May have been
drinking bit and staid up too late, but
sicki Not a bit. Never felt so well be.
FORE" and he would slap himself on tho
chest and give vent to hollow cough
Every once in awhile nowadays, when
bookmakers get together and begin telling
stories, the story of the -four cons, - as
they were called, comes up. In the Hoff
man House one evening bookmaker was
telling the story to n number Of acquaint-
ances
q" A peculiar thing about those men, he
said, was that, although mono of them
would ever acknowledge that he was on
the brink OF the grave, they would take
great pleasure In guying one another about
their i'll health. Emerson, pale and enact
ated and emitting hollow coughs, would
walk up to Pratt, who was in u similar
condition. and say; Look here, old boy,
you're q sick man. Go away somewhere
and recuperate. You need rest Then
Pratt would brace up and reply indignant
ly: You go - What do you mean by
telling me I'm 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. What they gasped together.
You don't think any company would take
chance on you, do your Emerson ignored
the insinuation, and the next day had an
examination for life insurance. OF course
he didn't pass. When he gloomily told the
Others about 1t, they gave him tho grand
laugh Then each one in turn quietly in
Ia,
to be insured, They all tried, and all were
rejected.
"Onc 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 5 put up 81 900 apiece, and
tho one who lives the longest takes the
pot.
Why, you poor fool remarked Win
nipcg, who was at that time the worst case
of all, its dead certain will for mel
Oh, you don't say sol put I'm Pratt.
why, one Of your lungs Is missing now,
and don't think you'll live q month.
After an hour of this sort of chatting
the four men agreed TO put up the money.
1t was given TO Billy Elliot, n bookmaller,
and he deposited it in New York bank.
1t was deposited in such way that any
one of dozen bookmakers could draw 1t
out at any time. This was done so as to
he 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 of fire,
ho coughed necessarily, and he could
scarcely totter along, he was so weak.
Yet he would come 10 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
ho'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
that he must go away or he'd die in
week. So Billy took his money and went
to Texas where he bought "a ranch and
tried TO settle down. In six months he
was dead Early in 1887 Sheridan died,
and this left only Pratt and Winnipeg,
who was verify living corpse to contest
for the money. Pratt got worse and
worse, and his condition was soon as bad
M his friends These two used to totter
around the betting ring, and when they
were not betting would tell each other
how bad they looked. Jack and Billy
have gone, said Winnipeg ono day, and
you're next, Johnny. That coins mine
You'll be dead In week, and III collect
that $1,000 Pratt replied, and both
laughed.
1.-THE next week Pratt lost his every dol
lar in an attempt to make enough money
TO leave his wife independent when he
died The week after he was too weak to
get up one morning, and after being con-
fined to his bed for couple of days he
died, leaving his wife penniless. The very
day he died the money was drawn from
the bank by Elliot and given 10 Winni-
peg. Il knew I'd outlivc them, and now
] can't die too soon to suit myself My
living for the past six months has been
mere matter Of pride anyway.
Winnipeg had lost all his money in the
same deal rs Pratt, but he had no need of
the 81, 900, for three days later he died
Just before he breathed his last he drew
the 81, 900 he had won from beneath his
pillow, and with trembling hand passed 1t
over TO Eliot, who sat at his bedside. Give
that TO Johnny's widow he said i
haven't got relative left on this Garth
n 4 a.