The age-herald., 1897-11-21
SAMPLES OF BLUE BLOOD.
"Hi' Pierce, Nephew of President Pierce, Tells
 of His Old Days.
From the New York World.


 Nobody would think who sees him pass Houston street, walking down the Bow cry with heavy stick, a slouch hat over his eyes, his coat threadbare, that he is the nephew of Franklin Pierce, president of the United States.
 The Bowery knows him as "Hi" Pierce; they call him "has-been," but his keen eyes. his refined face and fine forehead show an intelligence much higher than that of those who deride him
 "Hi' Pierce lives at the Majestic lodging house. and his daily walk is from his rooms to the saloon on the cor ner He seldom talks, but yes erday he ohatted freely with a World reporter about the old days.
 He was born in Northampton. Mass. His father. who was a master builder, belonged to one of the best families in the town.
 'There's fine American blood in me If I am getting old" said the little old man as he wiped his spectacles. My uncle, 1 want you to understand, was Franklin Pierce. president of the United States. John D. Long. score tary of the navy; Senator Hoar and the Adamses are all mixed up in my genealogy. It was fine game blood, that's what 1t was.
 Well, my father gave me a fine edu- cation. Not one of these fancy eduea- tionS that they give man nowadays, but genuine. old-fashioned New Eng land education that helps 8 man in any thing hea goes into. It's that educa- tion that made me a success in the gam bling business.
 q was the Gamily's black sheep. I used to knock around New England with my brother Fra rlS. We wer' both shoe makers. spent one winter in Man chester. N. H.. where Uncle Prank Pierce lived. He was kind to me, and I lived at his house for time.
 "Then I came to New York. mar ried and went to live just two blocks away from where I am today I had five children. Four of them died years ago. So did my wife. Only one. a son. is living. He is a gentleman. He is re- Spected
 q have never done real hard work in all my life. am opposed to work on gen. eral principles. But always had money. Sporting life in New York was easier in those days than it Is now. I played the races and played cards. won. too.
 "With three other men started a faro bank at No. 19 Houston street. Everybody played faro and keno in those days. Men In our place often made as much as 5000 and $4000 in a nothing but gambling houses then. "Reddy. the Blacksmith's" place was near ours.
 'And the sports and swell crooks that us1a" to Tt ot our o'hle thon' Gentle men. every one. Why sometimes as I sit by the stove in the Majestic those old times come back to me and think how much harder it is to earn a living now than it was then.
 There was Dan Noble. The reason that Knapp and Griffin, his confeder- ates, turned states evidence against him lbpkg9lIEn ha StO1o 410n them out of the proceeds of the Royal insurance robbery. He spent a large part of the S100000 In our gambling house. Knapp and Griffin were Doth fine men. They dressed we'll and had money to burn.
 ''The Dalvfs boys were regular players at our tables. Tom Davis was killed in Nassau street by a man from Texas whom he was trying to get into the green goods game. "Red" Leary. of the Northampton bank robbery, used to come in very often of an evening.
 ''The crooks of New York in those days were men to be proud of They were all we'll educated and well dressed. They were game. They livd at up- town hotels. and used to walk on Fifth avenue. They were not like the dips and petty larceny men of today.
 Well, l haven't many more years to live, I suppose I guess T5i' Pierce's finish is coming before long. have just come back from Bellevue, where I wal confined for two months. It was A close call. If I hadn't been game I would have finished then"