Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-03-31
A VETERAN GAMBLER GONE,
ELI MARKS. LONG KNOWN TO THE
SPORTING FRATERNITY.
HE WAS DISTINGUISHED FOR ms
uNwAvERING CHAMPIONSHIP
or SQUARE GAMES. AND FOR
HIS 'GENERosIry-woN $4,000 IN
A SINGLE NIGHT

a SINGLE NIGHT.
Louisville dispatch TO the Cincinnati
Commercial Gazette
III Marks, gambler. known xh,
country over. died at 2.S5 o'clock thi
morning at his room In this city. or
gunic disease OF the heart complicated
with chronic liver ana kidney disease
caused his death.
Resides his wife. who was Mrs. Hen
rieua Tinslcy, OF st. Louis. Cant. Mark,
leaves two sons. Harry and Charley
Inc latter Is connected with Macauey's
theater. and the other Is In 81 I.o0is
IN addition 10 Mrs, Metzgcr, he leaves d
sister, who lives III Philadelphia.
squire Ell Marks. as he was known
10 an patrons OF the sports. was born In
Metz France forty-nine Years ago
The tirst ten years of his life was spent
IN that city, ana In 1876 his parents
cmigrated TO this country, coming
urcct To Louisville. rpOn his arrival
mere he was placed IN the public schools
ana attended them until the boginninl,
or the ciNil war Because OF his youth.
he being only in his seventeenth year,
nus parents refused 10 permit him tu
= enter the service, but he overcame their
objection. and. going 10 owensboro.
enlisted In the Confederate army. He
I made good soldier, and fought under
the standard OF Gen. Morgan particl-
pating In the famous raid through
southern Indiana and Ohio. lie was at
dlnerent times under tho command
I OF Ten Basil Duke and Gen. Thomas
! H. Iaylor In the army he learned 10
| gamble. tnd at the same lime ii,
learned that the more profitable side OF
l a gamblers career h behind tho table
and not in front " IL.
Returning 10 Louisville at the close or
/ thr war no obtained posltion a. clerl,
1 IN a Moin-sircct grocery house. hut
I thVt ne was too dulet FOR him. Gamb-
mig mere WINS at IL height, and cam
Marks found In II the life which s,iitei
MIN. HIS ilrst employment IN this linr
was N the late Anderson Waddilrs
palatinl gnmhllng-houHe at 100 Finn
street. He was succeashl from the
start aud as faro dealer he never
had "a superior.
Honesty was his policy. and It Is said
ne dld more to prevent the Introduction
OF "sure-thlng" games ana contrivnnrcs
IN the ghmbithg-houaes here than any
Nther man An Incident IA told Of him
which occurred soon after he bernn
making his living with cards which Viii
Illustrate his houcsty, He was an
pTohchcd by Chicago man one morn.
ine Hiter the nights play had stopped
ana shown u new fnro-boN which tha
stranger had Invented. The hox Ind N
double bottom, and by means OF a CON
cehled spring the dealer was embed
- zeal almost any card he desired
Alurks was working at WHddills house.
anu the stranger wanted to induce
marks TO deal from the new box MD
the Strangers hand the object being
10 break the house and divide thc
stakes on the outside
WHIPPED \ CARD SHARK.
In lHaHl lat..
let the man talk HIS thcmo until he
finished. In the meantime the two had
walScd to the head Of the stairs when
Marks seized q chair and knocked tho
cara sharp down stairs with 1t, He
Kept the Chicago mnn's box for several
for H.
After leaving the gambling house Mt
lO2 Fifth street. Capt Marks was inter
este1 at different tlmcs ai the famous
'6' Third street" the Crockford, and
lastly, the Plckwlck besides at other
less noted places.
During the fourth meeting Of the
Louisville Jockey club Marks partlcl-
pnted In one Of the biggest gamcs ever
Played IN TINS city. Jack llaverly OF
mlnHtrcl fame had won n amnll for
tune ~ the races, and adding 10 IL "a
roll Of hills. he wont 10 60 Third street
20 break the bank" Henry Johnson
was dealing. ana Hnvcrly AZ first be-
gan 10 win His luck turned, however,
and he was soon $4,000 in. Marks then
relieved Johnson at lInNcrly'a request.
and the gnmc proceeded. Mnrks be-
came slightly III. and Johnson took his
place behind the box. llaverly had re-
duced his loss 10 $1,000, and tried Ia
wipe II out by betting 5000 on the acc.
He lost ana then began betting $1,000
on the turn Of n card. When the game
ended the minstrel had parted with
$4,000.
Leaving Louisville about 1877. Marks
went to Chicago. whore he became as
ISOLATED with such noted gamblers as
Mike Mcdonald ana ohm Condor Me.
Donald employed him at his Monroe
street house, and he dealt there for n
year II was while he was IN Chicago
that he made one OF his most success
full PLAYS. a man entered the oAtah-
llslment and lost few thousand dol
lars and quit playing. remarking TINT
the game could not be beaten. Marks
was standing near and heard the re-
mark. and replied. "i'll show you" He
had Just 800 In his pocket when he he
gan to play Three hours later he had
won $4,000. In company with Condor.
Marks went East ana visited all the
famous sporting places. AT Long
Branch he won 10000 IN one night, and
there he formed the acquaintance Of
Pat Shoedy. who wan reported to be-
the wealthlest gambler IN the country,
a warm friendship was the result, aud
when, several months ago Sheedy
learned ~ Marks Illness he came all
the way from New York To see him.
One popularity Of his life wns that
he would have nothing 10 10 with dice
games. when he began gambling there
were no such games, and he often said
that cards were made for white men
and dice for nigRera.'
He never permitted a man to play
against his game when he knew the
player could not afford 10 take a
chance OF deprirlnr his family OF the
money. Many n wife Ind gone 20 him
with the request that he make her
husband stop playing. Such requests
were never fnnde IN vain. a young man
once entered the Crockford ssd Hoou
lost 500, Aa no arose from the table
he remarked to a friend that tho loss
20 stand. He explained that he WIS
soon 10 be mnrrled, and hoped to dDu-
bic his 800 In order that he might fur
nlsh a it'll. home fer himself and
bride. Marks heard the story and
opening the drawer ne placed two 800
bills before tho young man. saying;
.rhero, take that. Go and marry the |
girl. and be happy n you can. bat let |
ne advise you ~ friend would to |
uuit this kind OF buAness."
Another Incident ~ hts kindness Of |
heart was his treatment OF little
Riri whom he did not know. He was
Htanding At Fourth and Jefferson /
"a kfufaF fIpphne tvtau