Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-04-21


swarthy. His personality is wonder
fully attractive when he so desires,
but among his associates he is called a
bulldog.
In spite OF his suavity he Is a man
Of most desperate character, aud never
hesitates to resort TO violence when his
| safety or the success of his schemes
require it. He worked the bunco game
in Chicago and the west for many years
but his ambition increased with his
prosperity and he finally came to New
York. Here he fell in with Hungry
joe the acknowledged leader OF the
| bunco steerers and the became fast
friends. They entered into partnership
and there was no swindlng scheme
which this worthy pair did not attempt
! from the lottery swindle In an obscure
city Office to defrauding the ingenious
farmer on his native ground.
Finally they quarreled and n disco
luton OF the partnership followed
/ Then O'l}rlen fell in with Reed Mad-
Z dell. The latter was brainy and could
evolve new schemes for making money
| where o'Brien could think OF nothing
/ but the old ones.
! o'Brien was frequently arrested but
always got out OF trouble without pun
ishment. Waddelrs money was usually
the channel through which O'Brien es-
capped. In April. 1857, O'Brlen got into
scrape that led to the first trouble
between him and Waddell. He met a
man named Newton Percy Randolph
Tblrty-tirst street n, ~ o on,, oi' W ,,s
caro,,snI No, r,iit,,', " IL NIui ~ VI We
the cashier or tbo 3o,,ir,'rI'' VIZ N M1a
Express cnmpan,- ,itg,,ia,,,, "''u 81 ii ano
biIi Trne IN H., Ji, ,,iti,,i a u. Si'oOV
sHatched the bill and made OF with IL.
re was subsequently arrested but as
i, lailed to appear against him he
the fact that Hatch wos Jega,,it,,. ,,'
the extent Of SIN 00G ~ - 80 -. ~
that he All not apppor as'airsith, b, ,,,,Sn
king was because he T,as a F,,,,I,i,.o
from Justice himself
As O'Brlen wns leaving c,,,rt bo MA,
rearrcsted upon the cbarpa nr ss,i,I
ling the NeWburt, s,,,In,s MI. 9m ,i'u
$4,000 worth of Albany sif,, Ln,,,, 90 49,, -.
through the efforts of Walden tbs csss
was compromised and O,Rricn ,ens
again frpe 10 prey upon gorIptv W.
dell was thoroughly mad nIar, H.,
robbery of the $1,000. To him II "a
Nored too much OF the hlpbwa vr,,n',
tactics. and he toli O,BTian ib 1,at"
repetition OF such an orfenge wo,,I5
sever their friendship.
But OI3rlen could not lone r.,,,rtr
friends with anybody. ON ono occasIon
IN this city he was drunk ana wanted
10 play the bank Waddcl had Si5o0
avs oi'hldl purpose. il'l3rtan do
manded IT, and Waddeu finally pnve
MIN $3.50. He went out and lost tbnt
and returned to the Hotel Aietrop9lr.
where Wdddell was stopping. nud g1f
500 more from him. This was speeilv
blown in,' and then O'Brlen whom
drink and the loss OF $500 mad frenzied
returned and Insisted on having the
other $1,000 Waldell positively rcfussd
To- give It to him. OBrlen at once pull-
ed his gun ana with the butt cnd ar il
knocked his benefactor senselnss
Friends patched IN a RECOMMENDATION a
few days later but It was not long he
fore they had another row.
II arose In this way. O'Brien WINS in
Chicago and he telegraphcd TO "A friend
here to ask Waddell 10 send nm S5TI,
Waddcll refused and the bunco mnn
swore that he would KIN Waldel Inc
first time he met him. They moi a
few weeks later in "a saloon on Sixth
avenue, Instantly O'Brien whippod
out his revolver lie would have shot
to kin but FOR the Interference of
friends, and again a peace was Matched
W.
shortly after this last fight O'Brlen =,
got into Il scrape that made his name
known throughout the world. ono JaN
In january. 1850 he called at the bouse
of John NJ. Peck, an aged and ,yealthy
real estate dealer of Albany. He repre,
scented himself to be n FRIEND OF Mir
Peck's relatives, and said that hp. yvnnt.
ed TO buy a house. The unsuspectInl,
old gentleman fell INTO lie tran ami
after the usual prellmlngrlcs presented
himself at the Office of O'Bricn's ron-
fCdcrHtc with $4,000 in bills AS a "pttnr-