St. Paul daily globe., 1895-03-16
Chicago Gambler Thinks Hay
ward Caused the Holmes
Insurance SWindle.
THEY WERE PALS AT FARO.
Lost $4,000 Together One
Night in the PickWick #
Club, Chicago. 81
THEY TALKED INSURANCE.,
Old "Pop" Turner, Of the
Windy City, Tells a Re- q
markable Story. =

Can the gigantic swindling scheme
of H. H. Holmes, the Philadelphia
murderer and crook, be attributed to
suggestion, intentional or other
wise, from Harry Hayward? In
credible as such a thing may seem,
it appears, nevertheless, to be true,
friends, and gambled together at the
faro table. At the Pickwick club,
one Of Curt Gums places in Chi
cago, about eight months ago, they
lost at one sitting the sum of $4,000,
and it was while leaning over the
green cloth and talking with a faro
dealer that the seeds of the colossal
swindle to defraud the Fidelity COM
pany were planted in Holmes mind
by Hayward. At that time the pa
pers were full of the famous Hill
man case of Leavenworth, Kan, and
Hayward exhibited an eXtraordi-
nary interest in the mystery sur
rounding the case. He asked the
dealer so many questions about it
that the man Of cards became dis
gusted with him, and told him he
had better go to Kansas and find out
for himself
The sensational news was learned
last evening from old Pop" Turner,
a well-known faro dealer and all
around sport of the Windy City,
who is stopping in Minneapolis at
present.
According to Mr.. Turner, Holmes
and Hayward dropped in at the
Pickwick club one night and lost
heavily at bank. AS Holmes put it,
went broke" The two came in to-
gether, and the Dealers attention
was Immediately attracted to Hay
ward by the peculiar manner in
which he placed his bets. He paid
particular attention to him because
he played like a man in dream,
and in very original manner. Hay
ward made all the bets, although it
was evident there was some part
nership agreement between him
and Holmes. Mr.. Turner says that
Hayward, after losing something
like $4,000, was urged to leave off
playing until the following day, but
he laughed at Holmes, and asked
him what kind of sport he was,
anyhow.
Il don't suppose it can do either
man any harm to talk about it now,''
said Pop" to a GLOBE reporter
la CT fo,o
l wouldn't say a word, for gamblers,
like doctors, must be careful to do
nothing unprofessional. But I have
thought of the case SO much that it
will do me good to talk about it.
'I had known Holmes for three
years. He was a periodical gam
bier At times he played like a whirl-
wind, and then he would disappear
and not be seen for months. He al
ways told me that he never gam
bled with any one but me. This was
odd, for 1 generally beat him. The
first time he played me, however, he
won about $4,000, and seemed to re-
gard me as a soft mark if he could
catch me in the right mood.
Il never saw Hayward but twice.
The first time was at Curt Gums
Pickwick club in Chicago, and the
next, the day he was found guilty.
| saw him then as he was taken from
the court room to the Jail. He saw
me, 1 think, in the crowd, and half
recognized me, but I don't suppose
he located me.
But to get down 10 the time first
met him. 1t was one night about half
past l o'clock when he and Holmes
dropped in. 1 was just getting ready
to close up, and reluctantly consented
to deal for them. Hayward pulled a
big roll of hundred dollar bills from
his pocket and remarked that it
might be worth my while to stay.
thought so too. and went after it.
Hayward played and kept cases.
Holmes looked on and appeared very
nervous. He bothered Hayward con-
siderably, who wanted a high limit,
and, as l saw luck was against him,
gave him a $100 limit, which satisfied
him. We played until about half-past
in the morning, and I don't think
Hayward spoke dozen words in all
that time. When he did say anything
it was some quiet, joking remark
about Holmes nervousness. l remem-
ber at one point Holmes said:
Where do you expect to eat this
morning?" and Hayward grinned and
said:
There's lots of money in this coun-
try. This man amt got it ALL" but I
had nearly all Of theirs at that time
when Hayward placed his last bet,
and 1 took it in, he smiled at me and
left the table without a word He
came back a moment later and began
talking earnestly with Holmes about
an insurance case in Kansas, where
the company had been swindled out
of large sum. Holmes listened, i'm
patiently at first, but gradually /
could see he was interested. Hay
ward was thoroughly conversant
with the case, and the suggestions in
his talk interested me considerably.
He is peculiar man, and had made
hit with me by the Indifference with
which he lost his money But he per-
sisted in asking me so many funny
questions about insurance and nv
knowledge of the Hillman case that
got disgusted with him finally and
y
part or was not quite right. Holmes
wanted him to go to the hotel, But
Hayward seemed anxious to stay, I
invited them out to lunch, and they
went with me over to Billy BoyIess
restaurant. After. lunch l wanted to
take them out and give them a good
time, but Hayward declined. He said
he had business to attend to. 1 never
saw him again until the day the jury
found him guilty of murder
Such is the story of a well-known
sporting man, whose word, like that of
all thoroughbred gamblers, is as good
as gold among those who know him.
If it is true, what strange signifi-
canoe attaches to Harry Hayward's
statement to Blixt, "I have caused
the death of three people."And how
powerful must have been the hypnotic
suggestion with which the mind of
Harry Hayward was busy. The crimes
OF the two men who had nothing in