Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-08-27

"
Hawkins says the transfer is bona 1ide and
that he is penniless.
Race tracks, it is said. have been the
most unfortunate investmentsof the one
time leader of the Chicago sporting fra
ternity. He has lost heavily In every race
track venture he engaged in and dates the
beginning Of his fall III 1891, when he be-
came one of the founders Of the Garfield
race track. He estimates his loss on the
Garfield track at S., 600, the amount for
which he stood gIarantor on the lease
with Mr.. Mcdonald. Mr.. Hankins puts
his loss on the Harlem venture at $40. 900
and counted up s55,000 that had been
sunk in the sands at the Sheffield track
Strictly speaking, Mr.. Hankins said his
troubles were caused by the hostility of
the state legislators of Illinois and Indiana.
Previous to these unfortunate expert
ences he had suffered severe revcrses
through the systematic and successful eff
forts of the city officials to shut off gam
bling in Chicago. His two lighthouses. "
as he called his gambling places at 1874
and ia Clark street, put 81 900, 900 in
circulation annually. and la lost heavily
when the doors were closed, for he had
spent money lavishly in improvements
Since gambling has been stopped he has
lost 81, 500 a month on his two saloons.
The three Hankins boys-Al JEFF and
George-caIne from respectable parcntagc.
George is at least so years oh and not the
oldest of the trio. His boyhood home was
on a farm near Aurora. Ills, where he
was born. AT one time in his early life he
learned the harness trade, and with his
brothers absorbed n great deal of knowl-
edge about stock farming and the care OF
horses.
After the war they became gamblers,
and experts at that. Al Hankins was the
leader, the business man, the cool calcu-
lator and the hardheaded keeper of his own
money. JEFF was lame. He had been in
jurcd in a stage coach accident, which
shortened one leg. He died in Chicago
some two years ago George, according to
the estimates of the many acquaintance
he has, was the least capable of the three
in business affairs aIsl they point to his
alleged failure as an evidence of how quick
ly he was parted with he money made off
the Tin bucket brigade He has been
known far and wide as an old woman"
gaInbler-a superstitious, crafty gambler
who shuddered every time his house
lost. 1t is told of him that after he opened
at 1874 Clark street he had above the gam
bling apartments a private room Of his
own. When the games were in full blast.
he came down stairs and watched their
progress. As soon as he noticed that the
tables were losing any considerable sum OF
money for him he would at once go UP
stairs and change his clothes. This act, it
was supposed, would change the luck OF
| the place.
The three brothers were big men phys
| ically, atfable, quiet and ayerse to a phys
| ical encounter with any one. In starting
their gambling operations IN Chicago, and
| by which they are popularity supposed to
have realized in the gross ut least $1,000
| 600, the three brothers divided. Al and
| JEFF opened at / ~ Clark street, the resort
which afterward became Narnell's a gam
bling house for business men and the up
per ten of society. The appointments OF
| the rooms were fine, the bar was well
| equipped and no money was spared in
| providing for the comfort of patrons.
George Hankins opened in Madison
street IA common resort for the tin bucket
brigade" and the ''piEers.' Up the stairs
to these plainly furnished rooms, where
comfort was comparatively unknown,
| went the bricklayer, the young clerk the
carpenter, the teamster and the boy Just
out of the high school. Little money was re
quired To play, and the chances of winning
were few. 1t has been charged for years,
and not successfully denied. that while
kfdEhlIls THIS hiDu game there ana
| afterward at 1874 Clark street no man
who ever won $50 or 800 in the places
was permitted TO play again He was sim.
ply barred " such system as this made
the profits enormous, despite the treren
dous expenses incurred. These expense.
in the main. it has been generally believed
went to various city administrations and
police officials of the carly days. who
winked at gambling when the blinking
was well paid for. IL was the policy of Al
Hankins and George V. never To have
trouble with the police.
: They had another policy which also com
mended them to occasional gamblers, and
! that was of settling with a loser who com.
I planned to them. They tried To- avoid law
suits for the recovery of money lost in their
places, and If they could not compromise
the claim with the victim paid him the
full amount
During the first administration Of Mayor
Harrison their richest harvest is said to
have been and the incss of tie money 10
have some in. which enabled George 10 be-
| come one Of the heayies. real estate owners
Of the city and Al to open . stock farm in