The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-19
ANACONDA NEWS.
KING Of GAMBLERS DEAD
Ben. D. Markham Made His Mil
lions in Montana.
HE DIED A GOOD DEACON
His Gaming"Table Winnings Devoted to
Church Wori-"Was Square and
Generous" Says Jew Ike"
Crymons, the Gambler.
HE DIED A GOOD DEACON

Benjamin .. Markham. formerly the
monarch of gamblers. is dead He died
last week at Nineland, N. j. Markham
amassed a fortune al the gaming table
out West, went East, reformed. became
a bank president and church worker
and used his fortune to aid the worthy
AT his death he left an estate valued
at IS, 900 900.
Markham was very we'll known in
Montana, but his days were many
years ago, and doubtless there are few
present residents of this state who
knew Markham at the time when his
appearance at faro table was the
signal for the dealer to get nervous.
Nevertheless there are few old tim
ers who were acquainted with Ben
Markham, as he was then known.
Among these are Dan FURRY of Helena,
Cy Murphy, Jew Ike" Crymons, Dick
Dickinson and DR.. Hardenbrook of
Anaconda. The last named knew Max
ham intimately and is authority for
the statement that squarer and more
generous man was never bonn than
"Old Ben
Crymons was seen yesterday after
noon by a Standard reporter. He said:
1t will be a great surprise to the
gamblers of Montana when they hear
of Maxham's death, for although there
are very few in this state who were
going around in the old mans time, all
of them have heard of him. And what
they did hear was nothing but praise.
for Ben was as square a dealer as ever
dealt the cards and ever banked at a
faro table.
Il was personally acquainted with
Markham and l tell you that he was
the most generous man ] ever met in
all my life. man never went hungry
while he was around. and many a time
] have seen him give a fellow an X
and tell him to go and eat and then
try and make stake.
when Markham dealt the cards there
was no limit. and often when some guy
would stick down A half dollar and
say, We'll, Ben, it's my last one that
fellow did not have to worry about a
meal, because Markham would make it
right with him.
Markham was a great gambling
plunger. He would stake his money
on any kind of a proposition Spanish
monte was the popular game in his day
and Markham was a monte tiend.
"One day he entered Jeff Hankins'
place at Virginia City and said: Say,
purse against $500 that the Jack comes
feet foremost The bet was made
Markham lost, and when the purse was
opened it was found to contain S.. 200"
The New York Journal of last Friday
prints the following in regard to Max
hams death:
"Pious people, to whom the story of
his wicked past has always seemed
apocryphal. stood about the grave of
Benjamin d. Markham at Nineland. n.
j.. yesterday and prayed for his soul
while the clods tumbled down on his
coffin.
Death was not the first metamor-
phosis that had come to Markham, nor
the greatest. A more complete more
unexpected, more incredible one was
when, years ago, he came with millions
out of that wild West. where he was
king of gamblers, and began to buy
and win his way, first into the esteem
of the Ninelanders, then into the king
dom of heaven.
In the first he was plainly success
full. and the Einelanders believe in their
hearts that by his years of upright liv-
ing. church work and unassumine
charity he had blotted out past trans
gressions.
"At the last Markham was trustee of
the Presbyterian church. He helped
found the New Jersey training school
for feeble minded children. He had
learned to distinguish shams. as men
never learn it in the cloister.
From his boyhood home in Wood
stock, VT, Markham ran away to sea,
deserted the ship in Brazil, worked his
way home, learned photography, wan
dered up and down the Pacific slope.
coming money from his picture TAX
ing
Road agents robbed him of $S5. O0n
and every rag of clothing. Shouting
through the woods he was heard by a
German, who with his wife and another
woman were journeying about with a
gin mill on wheels.
Markham waited. wrapped in ban-
llet. while the women made him suit
out of old sacking
His chemistry enabled him to Clari-
fy the peddler's bad whiskey. and he
Joined the firm. One morning the wife
in jealousy, shot her husband and fed,
and Markham owned the horse, wagon
whiskey and good will of the outfit.
That was the nucleus of the $1,000
O0O he left the other day.
Reaching Virginia City he trans
ferred the Chattels from wheels to a
lean-to. and called it The Miners Sup
ply House He handled dust for the
miners and kept part of it as commits.
sion. Then he started a faro bank
where they might stake the rest ant
lose it. He throve and his den was
famous.
Markham conducted a freight ant
stage line between Virginia City ant
Cheyenne, and under his employ wa!
an army of men and horses.
I'm 1852 he broke every faro bank il
Frisco and then established faro bank
of his own there. From that time oil
he was green baize monarch. At on
time he was sole creditor and owne
of the entire bonded Indebtedness 20
the state of Montana"