The age-herald., 1901-05-04

The announcement that Francis F. Weed died at his home in Washington street, Hartford, on Monday morning, at the age of about 70 years vividly re- calls to the citizens of Newburg, where he formerly lived, a gambling episode of 15 or 20 years ago, which attracted the attention of the world.
 MT. Weed was the son of Harvey tion of being one of the closest-fsted res- idents of the place, and accumulated a fortune estimated at between $500 900 and s750, 600, @ big fortune for any one to have In his day. The son inherited the greater portion of the estate. He not only inherit ed the bulk of his fathers estate but he inherited his ancestors characteristics as a frugal dispenser of his wealth.
 If there was one thing more than an- other he delighted in 1t seemed to be quiet little game" of chance, like poker, or a game of billiards, for considera- tion a corner. He was a hard loser and correspondingly elated over the winning of trif1ing sum. He frequented Billy Buffers Morris Vernays and other bil- Hard rooms then fiourlshing in Newburg, but his keenest pleasure was in ''sitting in with few cronies in a private room or office where the public did not enter For many years he was known by the sports of the town as player, but never until he startled the people of Newburgh and elsewhere by his "big game did it become known that he would stand for heavy stakes.
 He was by no means novice or un- skilled Times without number he so delft ly manipulated the cards when up against good players and strong game that his winnings exceeded those of his competi- tors But the day came when he met a terrible Waterloo. The game was behind the drawn shades and within the locked doors of Doc Hedges Water street dental parlors and the battle royal was a stiff game of poker.
 Hedges had a chum named Will Scott. and these three made the trio who played the great game. Scott who is now dead, was a member of a good family in the place and Hedges was Sporty dentist who had not always lived In Newburgh. All three were alike in their strong pro- pensity to play games, and they were of- ten together engaged in that pastime.
 When these three gathered about the board the big game progressed as do few poker games It went on hour after hour. getting more exciting at every turn of the hands on the clock, and when it came time to stop Weed was in debt to the other players a round s1000O0. It was never thoroughly believed that Weed ex- pected to give up to his antagonists that portion of his fortune. His pride as a player and the goadng he received rom the others kept him in the game, and he continued to chip in with the hope of ul- timately retrieving what he had lost. But it was the old story, and he found that his luck had left him. Try as he would, with an occasional bluff he failed to get back his money.
 At last some one proposed to change the game to see if the luck would also change. No one ever knew, except the players themselves, who proposed the new game, hut it is very probable, under the circum- stances. that 1t was Weed himself At any rate. they set in to play faro. and for hours this game went on. But 1t was no better for Weed than poker. His luck ran against him all through, and the long CT he stayed the deeper in debt he got. At last the time came for a halt, and when it arrived Weed was a loser to the other two men for sum much greater than his entire wealth amounted to. He had not only not won back dollar lost at poker in the faro game. but got up from that table an additional se0o,OOO out of pocket
 It is said that he never did anything toward liquidating his faro indebtedness but to the surprise, probably. of the oth- CT players, as well as to his friends and acquaintances. he began to settle his s10o,- 900 poker debt by putting cash notes and