The sun., 1902-10-19
FOUND FORTUNE In The ARMY
RECORD or 4 GAMBLER VINO
WAS DOM on MS LtCk.
They Play High In the Army. and when He
Was Down TO Ills Last $500 He I'm.
list eSi-A Notable Campaign on the
Pacific Coast-W on s2O, ,O<O In n Year.

list eti-A Notable Campaign on the
Pacific CoaN-WOn s2O, ,OOD In n Year.
When one of the army transports got into
San Francisco harbor from the Philippines
the other day word got around that the
play among the men had been pretty high
from the beginning oil the voyage. One
man is said to have cleaned up IA matter Of
5000. while another panned out 5000
bundle That is an illustration of the way
both soldiers and sailors will gamble when
they have the money and have nothing
else 10 do
Professional gamblers have been known
to enlist and ship in the American army
and navy with the cut-and-dred purpose
of making killings among the men, and on
several occasions they have succeeded in
their purpose.
About eight years ago Boston Irishman,
with Nc" tackled in front of his surname,
took on with the artillery branch of the
army and was sent TO Alcatraz Island in
San Francisco harbor Mack had the
physique Of a piano-mover and the good
humor of a member of Fat Mems club.
just why a man with $500 in cash should
enlist as a buck private in the army was
something that only Mack himself could
have explained. and he didn't have to.
But he had the $500, all right
When the first post payday after Mack's
advent on Alcatraz rolled around the soldiers
attached to the two Alcatraz heavy bat
teres discovered that Mack was running
a neat stud game down in the sally port
close to the level of .the purling Pacific.
For those members of the two outfits who
didn't care for the intricacics Of stud poker
there was the blander game of mustang
played with the big dice out of the tin cup
This game too, was Mack's. although he
didn't conduct it. He presided in person
over the stud game, delegating To an assist
ant the management of the mustang cloth.
Three days after that first payday Mack
had all the enlisted money on Alcatraz
Island. The mon didn't resent Mack's
having il. He was lik, able fellow. and
they were willing enough that he should
have the money. Somebody had to take
it away from thcm-,hcy felt that.
The two-hattery outfit Of Alcatraz wasn't
quite big enough for Mack on his second
payday in the service. and 50 he went across
the Bay on that payday night 10 the Pres
iiio, where there wcic many batteries Of ar
tillery, light and heavy. and several troops
of cavalry besides.
Mack found competition there Other
fellows belonging to the Presid, werc
running payday stud and mustang games
and they were inclined to regard Mack
a. a lutter-in. The Presiiip PLAYERS, how
ever, liked Mack's iovial ways and so they
gave him all their trade
For three nights after tha, second paw
day Of his Mack crossed over from Alca.
traz on the Government 'us, tho Gen
Mcdowell 20 the PresiLi, When he folded
up his Iayou' on the third night he had the
Prosidio pretty well trimmed up and sliChed
of
He had not only corralled the money os
the players b,t he had jolted large surs
from the frames Of the Chaus who had ho.n
running games e their own at the presidi,
before he turned up. They had c,mbined
their bankrols for the purpose of wiping
Mack out Of the picture. and when il was
all over they didn't have "a do any casb;,c
in.
Angel Island, the rcgimcntal infantry
post. n few mics mp the harbor il wa
then under command Of Col Shafter- wqs
the neat OF the group of san Francisco post,
tn At rae, IN" IriShman from Boston He
Went over there on tho tug on his third nav
"" "'lh W. NhN lN'NN tilousll 20 'lll'l about
dozen soldiers whose time had iu.t ev-
rirei, who, after being paid on wor,
abou to qui the island. and some Of them
h. service.
They had an average of 500 apiece
Macs doalt stud for them, and al the finish
they all had To go 10 their COMPANY com
mand"ls and announce. rather shcepishlv
that they had concluded TO enlist again
and not To loav" III" island Not A man or
tho crowd got % rnrrh 4 r a two,,iav,' , i,,
- NM - H..
year,.
In one way, Mack va, "A good propositin,
for the American army, for his game forced
lots Of good soldiers TO AXE on again whan
they had made mp heir minds to c,rrv
their savings into civilized life with th.n
Mack got the rest Of the Angel Island am
II, lined up in front of his game, TOO. and
when he left there after hi., third pavday
fiesta there wasn't much cantccn ,nonoy
left in Cot Shafter's command
Tho next month he went over ia For,
Mason, which is.not far from tho pre-idi,
and. getting tho boys over thor, herll,d
up. he fixed them out so that they wnl.lj
have to stay wit hin the post limit, fnI
another month, any way, for lack Of car
fare 10 make their way to the B,rhary
coast Of Sar Francisco. Everything camc
MRck's wav
Tho Captain Of his battery wanted ia
make Mack non-com. af,cr he'd been
IN the outfit five months, hut the Irish
man from 'he town Of the east winds OBJ
jected. He thought that the duties of
a neon. would Interfere with his pay-
day business, The Captain insisted, ~