The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1898-11-10
AHEAD OF THE GAME SAG, 700
Result as Usual-Staid In Until He Hadn't
Dollar.

Result as Usual-Staid In Until He Hadn't
a Dollar.
I asked Tom Fitz, who during the
Hopkins administration owned one
of the biggest gambling institutions
in the city, his highest winnings and
losses in a single night at faro. Said
he: "In those days took my meals
at the Boston Oyster House. A GER
tain redheaded waiter served me.
He was kind and attentive, and his
tips were not small ones. Besides,
he received fair salary. But as reg
ularly as Saturday night rolled
around I would find him in front Of
one of my tables, and he never got
away with a cent. l watched him
play for two years, and finally one
night told him that l didn't care
for his money. In other words, 1
barred him from the game. Well,
one Saturday night, while l was
busy in another part of the building,
this waiter bought stack of chips
from a dealer, and by the time l got
back to the table I saw him raking
in the chips as if there was no cell
ing or roofing to the building and
that some cloud from above was
raining them down. Of course l
couldn't then object. So l let him
play along, expecting every minute
to see his luck change. But it didn't.
He couldn't lose. The limit was
800, and he played it. In less than
an hours time l was counting out
white chips to him at so apiece, and
the yellows were $500,
cat daylight estimated that he
had won about $40, 900. His luck
seemed so phenomenal that sent
out for another dealer, hoping in
this way to break the charm. But
he won on. I sent for another, and
still the chips went his way, 1 dealt
myself for a little while, but he
would whipsaw me at every turn. l
quit him and turned him over to one
of the luckiest bank dealers that
could be procured in Chicago. But
we couldn't beat him. He would put
his bets down blindly, and the cards
would come his way. He didn t play
'sodas' nor single outs nor double
outs. He put chips down, and they
went back to him twicefold. He
called the turn half dozen times
for the limit.
about noon Sunday, when all
the dealers were tagged out and it
looked as if he would own the shop
in a little while, called for his
chips. I had had enough. By that
time he was fairly drunk. He tried
to count, but he couldn't. In fun
bling with his chips he knocked
more than $500 on the floor to be
picked up by hangers on He was
ahead of the game $46, 200. took
him aside and explained to him that
if he went out of the building with
that much money he would be rob-
bed. He consented to let me keep it
for him-all but the $500. I gave
him this much in big bills and told
him that any time he wanted the re-
mainder and would come sober he
could get it.
"Three days elapsed, and heard
nothing of him. I became alarmed
and sent one of my men out to hunt
him up. His whereabouts could not
he ascertained. But about closing
time on the following Wednesday
night he walked in. Of course he
was broke. had forgot how much
he had left with me, and when I
counted out SAG, 900 he seemed dazed.
He acted as if sober. He got to the
steps and hesitated. Then he walk
ed back. He bought $500 in chips
and commenced to play. At first his
former luck ran with him, but in
the course of an hour he struck a
wrong streak, and before daylight 1
had every cent of the $46, 900 in the
drawer, and it belonged to me. 1t
is fact that outside of whisky and
a few meals he had bought he
hadn't provided himself with a sin
gle thing. In the way Of personal
apparel he hadn't bought even a
shoestring. AS he arose from the
table he looked at me appealingly,
as good as to say, Won't you buy a
drink?' handed him SO and told
him to go home. The following
night he served me at the restaurant
again. "-Chicago Times-Herald.
MOmmsens observation-disclosures.