The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-30
HE GAMBLED AND DIED RICH.
Jack Dowusg and His Success In Chicago's
GnJest ID vs.

OayCot Dey
ct ace that Pat Sheedv has been philosophiz.
tho ahout The eviIa NJ oa,nblin1 and that he
asked a sr-S r.norter IN show him n gambler
ubo had anv r,aI estate"
So hogan The old faro dealer who has dealt
fr,r, soda N hock in every town and mining
camn bc,xrcn New York and SAN Francisco.
.I rrclo, NO ma wbo has to,,ov.d rho frc-
.,at,ns hrs,ncss viii ADMIT that II ia a great biz
success from start to finish. I reckon that no
man who is in the business would ever advise
- -
his son or his friend. II he mad either, TO follow
It for a livelihood. But Sheedy must have over
looked soue OF his bets in saving that he knows
-srasr
OF no gambler VINO nao reai esta'e. l reckon ne
,bat has no,bjnv 70 do With ,hs fact He had
r.aI 80. at lot. ., II Ione hsfo-. az A .,d
Feei estate anu io's ot / .ons oetoFe nc q aho
vbon, T am talking about ~ T call him John
~ ~. - 80 ~ ~.
most consistent churchmen in the whatyou-
mav-car.ft class-yes. the laity.
Jack was a hish-roler in his e1riy days in
Chicago when he and Mike Mcdonald were
rivals for the leadership. Their houses were in
the samo 90. l. ana inc dinners they USED 70
serve to their patrons and visitors were as
in this day OF high living. The dinners were
tahlss never ,bopobt of working down the food
-
with less than a quart each OF 4 farorite brand
ali, oros .vorv ,wo n - tb-ee uo,.bs bv bIovir-
in from S1.ooo to 81. 600 a might, buyine out
some Of the houses elsewhere. l remember one
NIGHT after he had been notified nv III. nolire
n4sH' ~" 49,
that gambling mad 10 smut down. JACK started
out with a few friends who had been tried. and:
To make q long and hot tory short, he succeeded
in getting every policeman in the section OF his
gaming house fuller than a goat and in bed. and
The Captain Of w the pr precinct idn stood in the game
tt order to shut down had come through
Mike Mcp9naId who vas close TO the municipal
troll OF Mcdonald. and the scheme was to make
Bowling shut down. and then Nike McDonald's
Il ttfiSeSassjk noWia hat jazz DowIins had ai' CAPTURED
the police, something had to be done. and two
men in citizens dress were detailed to watch
DoWlinS's place was not allowed to run. For a
long time that special detail lived high. Dow
WASH, a day that one or both OF the special
large Quantities. do not know how much cold
cash the detail got from Jack, but the back door
the game went on. although the dinners were
cut out. The special detail was on the crest OF
his fis p sNsneihS When hey w were Cd 'd duty SAi they
dressed like sports in the flush Of success.
One night they came around TO Jacks place
when he was not feeling very we'll. and one of
them hit him for a barrel of the best Minnesota
hour and the other wanted a 5o-case. Jack had
his Irish in pickle. and ordered the detail to get
place was raided, and the whole layout was
loaded up and carried away. Jack painted the
on tbe other side Of the street. When the Chief
of Police started in to follow up the raid Jack
turned in the grocery orders OF the special de-
tail as an Offset, and the special detail was sent
to travel beat in the stock yards district. One OF
them went crazy. and The other was discharged.
1.-THE business huctuate Tor several years.
Sometimes il was protected, and sometimes it
was run 10 cover. Jack Downing clearly foresaw
that there would never be a return OF the old
days, and while he had an interest in the pool
rooms and stud poker games for a WHILE, he
the north side. right among the bloods. He
owned one block OF modern apartment houses
Charles q. Farweli. The location is to-day the
most slightly in the city.
Jacks children were sent to schools in the
East and he became u quiet citizen. For several
years before he died he drank nothing stronger