The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-07-06
CROOKED OVERL AND JACK
He Had Considerable Fun With Party of Sharp
New Workers.

was published by the New York Sun
The. statement that John w. YOUNG
was feeced in this city by the hero OF
the yarn, is pure fabrication:
I don't know how far local pride
NAV color the judgment" said the
gray-haired, young-looking man. but
1 am satisfied that very few New York
ers would be willing to admit that an
all-'round sport could come here from
the west and clean up the town, met
aphorically speaking. That is. tackle
the experts of the city at their own
different games and win money from
one after another without losing to any
of them. and finally depart after a sea-
son of riotouS success with his pockets
laden with spoils. Such a thing does
not seem likely. Yet l remember one
case in the '70's, when just that thing
was done by one of the best known
gamblers in the United States. over
land Jack was the name by which he
was usually called, but his real name
was John Mccormick. He cut a very
wide swath when he first came to New
York, but he made a good many friends
here. too, not only among the sporting
fraternity, but among actors and men
about town generally.
The fact of his having a eoodlv
number of friends was manifest when
he came TO die afterward in Chicago.
He knew, toward the last, that his
death was near, but, instead of weak
ening, he recalled the incidents of his
career with the utmost satisfaction and
declared that ne had no regrets for the
way he had spent his life; but, on the
contrary, considered that he had done
excellently well with it. As a token of
his feelings. he expressed the wish that
his friends should go to his funeral, not
with religious ceremonies, but with
champagne galore, and that in place CT
praying for his future, they should
drink to his memory over his ere-l
grave.
1T was just such a crowd as he would
have selected that went to his grave
and carried out his wishes. Tony Pas
tor. Jack Studley, Pat Sheedy, Johnny
Blaisdell. Mike Mcdonald, and many
others were there. There were enough,
at all events. to get away with FIVE
baskets of wine before the grave was
filed in, and the empty bottles We're
thrown in on the coffin. 1t was a mem
orable occasion, even for Chicago, and
it occurred only a few years ago. Six
or seven years, if l remember right.
The time l speak of, however, was
before he was known on this side of the
continent, excepting by reputation.
Overland Jack, the sport, came from
San Francisco. Where John McCor-
mick, the man, came from originally
no one seemed to know. The first that
could be definitely stated was that he
was private in a California cavalry
regiment at the time of the civil war;
He never rose from the ranks, but he
was always well supplied with money,
even when on duty, for he was far and
away the best poker player in the regi-
ment- After the war he never did any
thing but gamble for a living.
He was a quiet man, who was so
about himself that
his best friends could not even say with
Gated man or not, but he was always
smiling and extremely pleasant in his
manner. 1t was said of him that he
was never known to be angry, but
have heard this disputed. Certainly he
had no reputation as a fighter, though
he took his life in his hands often
enough in his play, for he was, beyond
question, 2 crook, which makes the
fact of his having so many friends all
the more remarkable.
He became we'll known on the Pa
cific coast soon after the war, but it
was not until '73 or IA that he started
east, and then he didn't come straight
but stopped at various places. !
The first l heard of him was at Salt
I heard the story from a
man who stood in with him in his faro
game and helped him to get away with
bic Mormon capital. He trav-
eled with a faro outfit and dealt
brace game always. OF course he had !
to be skilful to do that, but he was
particularly skIlful. When he reached !
Salt Lake he put up at the Townsend +
House and set up his faro layout in /
n
enough to arouse no antagonisn on |
.heA part of the landlord, but manag
ing, with the aid of an informant who |
was an actor then playing in Brig 1
ham YOung's theatre, to rope in sew |
eral of the widest sports in the city.
Among others. Brigham Young's /
son, John Young, was informed of the |
chance to play, and, being eager to do |
so. was accommodated TO the tune of |
500 or $500 the first night The actor /
went with him and played with him, /
and was a loser to less amount. He 1
was. therefore, in a proper position to
urge Young to try it the second night
hat they might both get even. Over
and Jack, however, let nobody get
wen when he was manipulating the
box, and Young lost about $4,000 the
second night. He was not good
oser. as was shown long afterward
when he came TO Chicago and killed a
nan there in a quarrel in a gambling
louse-a matter by the way, for which
he was never tried-and he was fu-
'ious at his losses this time. Overland
lack was shrewd enough to foresee
rouble and that night he packed his
AFRO layout in the trunk of his friend
he actor and early in the morning
started out for d walk. The walk was
/ long one. and Tot caring about walk
ne back. he took way train at the
leXt station. and after changing cars
nee or twice was well on his way to
laramie before John Young went back
o the Townsend House with a police
orce large enough to take in four faro
,anks and all their attendants.
THE actor tarried in Salt Lake for
discreet interval and then went to
laramie himself For some reason il
vas not thought wise to deal faro
here and they lay around idle till they
-ot chance 10 play together in a
'retty heavy poker game that was
,oing on. They had not spoken to
ach other there until they met at the
able. and supposed no one in the place
new that they were acquainted, so
he chance seemed a good one to play
q the way they had arranged, which
vas for Overland Jack 10 do the deal
ng and the other man to hold the
ards. Among the other players was
rich plainSman VINO mad come to
own for a racket and was having it to
is complete satisfaction. He was not
particularly good player and the
anne looked like a good thing.
1t came Overland Jacks deal and
is confederate looked confidently at
Is cards, expecting TO find winners,
ut instead he found nothing at all
overland Jack had seen what he had I
ot-that the landlord Of the hotel, who
as in the room. but was not in the
n me was MaIchinc- the acInr.s MAY !