The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-09-08
KELLY THE KING.
RecKuESsNess OF THE BIG HEARTED
BASEBALL PLAYER.

n
RecKlESSNess OF THE BIG HEARTED
BASEBALL PLAYER.
His Little System That Won q Nice Sum
at Guttenberg-A Case of ''cOme Easy,
Go Easy--what He Did with the Last
81 Of Thas Particular Pot.
The late Mike Kelly probably made
md spent more money during his career
as ball player than anybody else in
his profession Kelly was an inveterate
gambler, and, like John l. Sullivan,
be had q heart which constantly led
him to do acts of Charity. Kelly was
in his element when at the race track
He got bold of more ''good things" that
went wrong than the average bettOr,
but he was always cheerful whether
winner or loser. Ono day Mike went
over TO Gutenberg, when the hilltop
track was fiourishing, and after two
races had been ruL be had Just $50 and
enough change with which to get back
TO the city As Kel walked into the
betting ring preparatory to the third
race be saw on Bookmaker Ike Thomp-
sons slate:
Play or Rsy....-....-..--..-.------- o. 10
Meedows-- --..-.----------..------.---- o. !"
Bhtzen .--.......-.....--.-.------... oto
Boey .----....------------------ $40
''I've got a system, me boy" said
the king" TO a friend land it's peach.
I'm going 10 put fiver on each O. them
plugs, and then can't lose, see? got
20 get some dough back, no matter how
they run"
THAT'S no system. Mike. said Kel's
friend
Its as good as the average, sport,
was the quick retcrt, and Mike pushed
his way mp 20 Tho>npson's book.
Say, there. Ike. old boyi" yelled
Mike Here's four green fvers- Put
one on each of them .ponies, keep the
change, and gimme the tickets quick. "
The bookmaker laughed us he handed
Kel four tickets. each calling for Play
or Pay 800 20 5, Meadows $50 TO 8,
Bitten 20 8. Hoey 4 TO respective
ly.
That's quite chance you re taking,
Mike" said Thompson, with a laugh.
sit is, if one O. them long guys comes
walkin in with the yellow boys in his
stockin. replied the ball player.
Then the bell rang telling the crowd
that the horses were at the post.
They're off" yelled Kelly, as Start
er Caldwell dropped his flag. What's
that guy away out in front, running as
If he saw a square meal somewhere!"
"It's Play or Payi" screamed hun
dreds And so it proved to be. The
horse had been the recipient of one of
those celebrated Gutenberg injections,
and he won in a romp.
Kelly never ran bases faster than he
ran up to Ike Thompson's book, brand
ishing his ticket calling for S3O5.
''Give us the green goods, Ikel' he
roared, while the crowd gathered
around breathlessly.
There's your money" said Thomp-
son pleasantly, as he took big roll Of
bills from the cashier Kelly didn' t stop
to count it. but made a rush for the bar
room, crying out:
IF t..c-e's dust in any guys throat
around here, let him come in with me
and wash 10 out. Everybody have
drinkP' The bar looked like bargain
counter as the sports lined up They
called for everything from wine TO
cigarettes, and when all had had enough
Kel said TO the drink mixer:
How much, sport?"
Fifteen dollars, Kelr'
There's twenty. Have bot your
selfr'
''Say, Mr. Kelly" whispered tout,
could you stake me 20 e few bucks?
I've got cinch.
There's ten of them, me boy. Go
and break up the betting ring" was
Kelly's response as be forked out a $40
bill Other impecunious persons sue
cessfully touched" him for various
amounts until Mike decided 10 plunge
again. Going up to a bookmaker who
had 100 70 1 against the horse Dake
John, Mike cried out, "I'll put hun
dred on that oner' and quickly produced
century, for which be received tick
CO calling for so. 900 TO 500.
eff Duke John wins" said Mike.
"I'll buy the track Duke John was
last in a field of l2, but Kelly only
laughed. And so he continued 10 specu-
late until the races were over. Then he
had $40 bill and some change. He
paid the car and ferry fares of at least
so unfortunates loaned 80 cents here
and a quarter there. and by the time he
left the boat at the foot of Forty-second
street he had few pennies over 60 AS
Kelly crossed Tenth avenue he caught
sight of a little girl about years old
who was crying as if her heart would
break He picked her mp in his arms
and said gently:
Whats the matter, little one?"
Mammals s sick in bed and I'm hun
cry" sobbed the little girl Kel gulped
down a lump in his throat, put the
child on the sidewalk, pressed IS into
her hand and said soothingly:
There, give that TO your mother, lit
tie one, and may God bless you.
"Come on, sport" Kel said 10 his
friend then. We're broke, but let's
hunt up some more green goods" He
soon borrowed $50 from his namesake,
Honest John Kelly. That was at Z
O'Clock in the evening. At IL O'Clock
that same night he had won 81, 600 at
faro. The next day be caught the noon
boat for Gutenberg. and he had but
$50 When Mike died, he didn't leave a
dollar.-New York Sun.
The ROYAL yIctorfas.