The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-06-02
ROMANTIC STORY
An Ex.Ragman Of Boston is
Heir to a Fortune.
"ColoneI" Blanchard and big
Bill Leggett" We're Same Person
By Qseer Turn Of the Wheel the Fortune Of .
Noted Gambler Goes 70 Ms Brother.

Boston. June 1.-The Affairs OF WILL
lam l.. Blanchard. known In Boston,
Portland and New York az Colonel Blan-
chard, the gambler and faro man, and IN
South Braintree, az big Bill Leggett."
the shovel welder In the Ames foundry
many years ago, will be settled by Ref
cree Rastus III. Ransom In New York
today, and his estate will 60 to his broth
er, ThomasNegget who Is also known
In Boston and has relatives In South
Braintree, but who up to the time OF
his good fortune pushed cart around
the streets OF New. York az q collector
OF old rags.
Blanchard died about year ago OF
Oceanic, N. Y. leaving IN estate OF be-
tween $4,000 and $50, 900. but 1t was only
last February that Lawyer George A.
Smith succeeded In finding the heirs.
The dead gambler left no will. but ne
provided for a number OF people In such
q way that they received large sums of
money as soon as his death was an
nounced. Among these were several
friends Of Blanchard living In the vici-
nifty Of Boston. one OF them q woman
living q few miles out In the suburbs.
whom Blanchard at one time wanted to
marry. but who threw him on when she
learned he was q gambler.
He was a most remarkable man. He
was known In Boston by all the old sports
and gamblers as William L. Blanchard,
and was usually referred to as the col
onel whenene died he was 81 years old.
In South Braintree, where the colonel"
was an occasional visitor, people greeted
him as big Bill Leggett." 1t was
H. hat p.
Joined company c of the Fourth Mas
Eachusetts infantry and went to the front
three-months' man. He never lived
there again, but he visited his friends
often and they welcomed him as sue
cessful business man, member OF the
New York Consolidated Stock and Petro-
leum Exchange, 33rd degree Mason and
hail fellow well met They did not
know he. was Colonel Blanchard, the
gambler ard that the money he dis
played so lavishly was earned at night.
much of II from wealthy men whom he
met at their summer homes and fashion
able clubs, and with whom he would not
play cards until they coaxed him and
apparently shamed him into it.
Then Blanchard would play. He al
ways entered the game when the pot
erything in sight invariably received
telegram from somewhere which made
It necessary for him to depart on urgent
business. He made thousands of dol
lars in this way, and those from whom
he won never suspected that he was any
thing more than he pretended to be--a
wealthy man, who played for the fun
there was In 1t.
1<S<S1 rtvSor rvv,sa
of striking personality, feet inches In
: height, Weighing about $50 pounds. He
dressed plainly, but with the best the
tailor could give him. He was proud OF
his appearance. his physique and man.
ners, and he took every precaution to
keep from the public, and even some of
his most intimate friends, his real char
acter and business.
This Is the only reason known for his
change OF name. He tried to make peo-
pie believe that he was the scapegoat
OF an aristocratic family, and, while
his brother was pushing ragman's
cart through the streets Of New York,
Blanchard told his friends stories about
a sister who married, he said, million
aire, living on Fifth avenue, New York.
She would not recognize him. her scape-
goat brother, he was wont to remark.
His was n double life such as we read
about in novels, and when death came
to him at Oceanic. where he had gone
to get over the effects Of long de-
bauch the plot had developed 20 such
point that 1t seemed II would require a
Dickens to unravel it. This work. how
ever. fell to Lawyer George A. Smythe
OF Boston, and yesterday he saw the end
Of his labors. matters having been
Strengthened out so that the property
will. come into the possession Of It's legal
owners