The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-11-18


Of all the gentlemen gamblers of the
close Of the eighteenth century in England
a single one is noted for the immensely and
the regularity of his winnings. This was
John Scott who, beginning as a penniless
cautan wound up his career as a mil
uanaire general. on the subject of the
camnaigns he conducted history is silent
bit contemporary London was full of
talk Of his marvellous luck with dice and
cards. and the marital misfortunes of
his later life gave more material for the
go-sips.
Writing to Richard Bentley. from Ar
liugton street, on Feb. %, 1865, Horace
WaIpole says:
THE great event is the catastrophe of
Sir John Bland, who has fiirted away his
whole fortune at hazard. He tother night
exceeded what was lost by the late Duke
of Bedford, having at one period Of the
NIGHT Though he recovered the greatest
part of IT'D lost 1921 900. The citizens put on
their double-channelled pumps and trudge
TO ST. James street in expectation of see
jrg Judgment on Whites-angels, with
flaming swords and devils flying away
with dice boxes. like the prints in Sadler's
Hermits Sir John lost this immense sum
10 a. Capt Scott who at present has moth
ing but q few debts and his commission
Sir John Bland, to conclude here the
history of that luckless dicer, shot him
self dead. after losing the last Of his Tor
tune i'm KippaN park.
Can't John Scott was of that branch Of
the numerous Scott family Of which Sir
Walter was a member and his ances-
tor i'm the thirteenth century was that IA
NOUS chemist. Michael Scott, who won
the name of Wizard. A later Scott dis
tinguished himself in the time of Charles
IL by marrying when he was himself
only IA years old, lady who was three
wears his junior. The bride was Mary,
Countess OF BuCcleueh, in her own right
the richest heiress in Scotland. The mar
rage was secret one, and none of the
friends and few of the family were in
formed Of it until the day after. The
youthful bridegroom did not profit greatly
by this match, for his bride died at IL.
Her sister Anne, who succeeded to her
Il titles and estates, made a marriage with
The pet son of Charles H., Monmouth,
and had a numerous family.
IL was sixty years later, or 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 reckless
set OF SItuUlHElllSs IdhtS anu = ciAllDeNNAsf
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 historic loser of that
era was Charles James Fox Pitts rival
FOX gambled away, all told, no less than
S5pl0O0O Scott was the very anupOdes OF
Fox When he died, at a ripe old age he
left a fortune as great as that with
which Fox had begun, and every penny
of it had been won at the gaming table.
Fox was a ripe scholar; Scott was almost
iliterate. Fox said that losing was the
next greatest pleasure to winning. Scott
never lost. or so rarely that it did not
affect the serenity of his career as win
ucr. Fox would 20 home in the morning
after a night in which he had gambled
away 10000 or go 600 and Immediately lose
himself in a study of Sophocles Of Aeschy-
lus Scott like the sensible fellow he was,
would button his coat over the port
monnaie in which he carried away WIN
uiuga Of an equal or even greater amount
and Immediately go to bed so as to De
fresh for play in the evening.
When Scott found himself in London
and amid the wild young men of his era
he determined that gaming was his only
chance of getting money. When he en-
gagged himself to throw "a series OF MAINS
with Sir John Bland, he had, as Horace
Nalpole puts it, nothing but few debts
and his commission" His shrewdness
taught him that there was nothing in nc
ing. at which a stupid man has as good
81 chance as a bright one, and so ne
speedily gave up hazard and applied MN
self to whist at which game heaven hghts
ON the side of the skillful player Never
ln the history of play did men gaMble
for such high stakes as Scott ana ms
victims did at Whites between lf25 ana
l7sl. Scotts system was an exceedingly
simple one He gave himself the best
OF it in every possible way. lie never
went to the gaming table unless his head
and his stomach were in the very pest
order He never lost his composuIe OF
his good nature for an instant. He played
perfectly fair and honorable game, ana
~ first he made it a rule never 10 play
10r more than a fixed sum which he could
afford to lose. He won so steadily thaJ lI
wasn't long before he was prepared 10
risk any sum which even the wealthiest
or the most reckless of his adVersarles
would venture to propose.
story which illustrates capllally
Fo9trs patience in the face Of hard luck
had been preserved. one night, WINE
he was at the card table news was
brought to him that his wife, the htSl
AIRS. Scott, had given birth to girl
'Ah,' he said, Il shall have 70 double
my stakes to make fortune for this
Young lady"
Hut in "A few hours he was $1,000 to the
bad. Retaining his Invariably serenity
.e said he was sure Of his luck return
IHH and al a. m he went home the win
DEEP OF 5000 That's the sort Of play thar
went on an Whites night after night dur-
IH tho years that John Scott was WIN
ping the largest fortune ever accuWuihl-
sI hy gentleman gambler
Lucky 40 cards. unlucky ln love- ia an
..Ea which frs exempnhed iu The oNpefl-
..n of John Scott His first wife dled
tfius only daughters. Scott at mar
.1a general. determined 20 take "a see-
l wife. DO the hope that she might bear
H sou Tine lady he married was
HHtIfu and only ~ years OF age. She
Indy Mary Hay daughter OF ihat
...r1 Enroll who was reputed the admir-
ND" 'n.uf0n of the eighteenth century ln
.I '9 induce Lord Enroll who W3H
y peer. to consent ~ the mat Do, Cen
offered 40 settle ~ gI a year upon
bride. and E11O0 upon his pom SHOULD
De- born. They were Hu U.mHIn1
I' Scott was old puueulouf. rpIH.
Lady Mary WaH-l 1000 beauty
bone WHn haleomIe DaffI.. fN.