New-York tribune., 1899-07-14
NEW JERSEY NEWS.
FARO KING AND PIOUS NAN
BENJAMIN D. MAxHAMs LONG CAREER
CLOSES AT vINELANp.
CAME EAST AND ENGAGED IN CHURCH
AND CHARITABLE WORK

vineland, ~ j.. July Il lspsciaD. .-Benjamin d.
haxhsm. the wealthy 3ha anthropist who died 1t
yineland Sunday from injuries received BY fall
buried to-day. Mr. Maxham was prominent In
the West ia the exciting times incident TO the gold
fever OF the early sixties and HIS reckless but
eessfu pluuges at faro famed him one Of the
greatest gamblers Of the day. The gain or loss Of
S0.o1s at cards in night was trine to him. and
at one time he owned over nifty faro banks in San
Francisco and Virginia city. Mont.
Though in later years this faro king OF the West
came East to Vlneland TO seek retired, respecta-
Bile IIfe he rather enjoyed TO the last telling Of
his great winnings. while giving literally TO the
poor and needy He became trustee In the First
president OF the Yineland National Bank. Mr.:
Maxham was one OF the founders and directors OF
Children at Vineland 10 which II is said a lega,y
Of Of $4,000 has heen made in his will The new
training school was named In his honor. and MT.
Maxham had many times expressed his Intention or
endo"ing woodstock. VI. his native town. Win
AS told 6y himself Mr. Maxham was born at
70 sea He deserted the ship in Brazil and WORKED
his way back home After learning photography
toward the Far West finally locating at San Fran
cisco Making fortune in the PHOTOGRAPHIC bust
ness there Maxham sold out and started for the
gold fields While travelling in Montana he was
lobbed Of about So 600 in cash. Maxham sunse-
auehtly established a miners supply house In VIZ
sina City handling gold dust for miners CONDUCT
ed cd banking business and ran faro bank ,ars dne
came from all parts Of the State Of Montana to
Il handled millions OF dollars worth Of gold
then" said Naxham. when relating his experiences.
and frequently won or lost S0eO at nights ait
ting" Ii at Virginia City that the most hor-
rible tragedy with which Markham ever had 10
deal occurred Here is the story as told In his own
words:
One evening noticed that ny watch dog put
his head to the brick flooring Of my establish
ment and growled. He did again. and on the
third night grew suspicious and put my ear 70
me me spot where the dog had repeatedly gs, gro~ien
CHICK. click. click the sounds tnat reacned
me. Robbers tunneIling for my bank thought !.
Then ] figured upon a scheme 10 nx them MY
river about two hundred yards distant. The next
day walked along the river bank ana dlscoVefea
the opening to the tunnel Early that evening |
entrance and about midway between bored several
holes about ten feet deep with long suger: These
filed with powder. At about midnight. when the
sounds OF digging again heard beneath my
house touched or the fuse and a tremendous ex-
plosion followed. | never heard that clicking noise
again under my house. Those robbers who would
undoubtedly have murdered me, dug tunnel
which turned he their grave. couple OF
men missed from the town but nobody In the
State Of Montana ever knew their fate except my
Markham conducted freight and stage line be-
tween Virginia City and Cheyenne. and In his eu-
P0y mas S@e army o men r and n sa Francco and
then established faro banks Of his own HIS
heavy winnings gained him great notoristy
ownen Of the entire bonded irdebtedness of Mon
tana. Capitalists believe that the Markham fortune,
which consists mostly Of municipal bonds. cannot
be much less than 10000 now. Mr Maxhan
PRESIDENT OF Of the First National Bank OF vinesnd
some that he could run & faro & banks much m
time II he had ever conducted faro banks. he re-
piled: Yes ! made nearly all my fortune in that
Maxham had a tall powerful physique. we'll aols
TO cope with the wild rough life in the West dur
years old and leaves a widow and brother. Daniel
S. Markham, Of strawberry Point Iowa.