The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-06-12
WON AND LOST
A FORTUNE.
His Racing Luck Gone He Is
Backto0|d Stand Po|ishingShoes
UPS AhD DOWNS OF BOOTBLACK
Made Big Winnings on TammanJ Tips at
Race Track Only 10 0rsp Them Later
In Pool Rooms

New York, June l2.-'Herman," the
mayors bootblack-nobody knows his last
name--having lost $4,000 since the racing
season opened. Is back In the city Hal
park polishing shoes at five cents shine
Herman has been allotted stand py
George Brown. the mayors marshal.
near Joe" Chesterfield. the dumb negro.
who stands by the wire fence, almost op-
posite the Nathan Hale statue. and holds
I'D his FIVE fingers In mute appeal TO those
crossing the plaza.
1t was Joe" Chesterfield who gave
Herman his brushes. They've been part
ners for nearly twenty years-that is. they
were partners. until Herman began his
wonderful run or winnings last summer.
He started on July s. On July he had
won $500 In 4 crap game. He had en-
tered this game with $50 saved from
shines. Tammany racing tips were plen-
tiful. They were generally OF the real
thing" variety. too. FOR Herman knows
all the politicians.
"Td been right with Commissioner
Lantry on the 100 to IL I'd been at the
track yesterday. but didn't have even
carfare." said Herman yesterday.
HAD $4,000 IN CASH.
I'm about thirty years old-just how
old / don't know. and. TO tell the truth. l
couldn't swear to my last name, but /
don't want my last name TO be published,
for the old woman would get on TO that.
She don't know that had all that money.
She thought L was a stable boy at the
track That's what i was. l lived IN
the stables, and when this season opened
l was worth $4,000 In cash. ii.
"I feel better right here at the olc
stand than / did when l had enough
money to build q home for all the boot
blacks In New York ! didn't feel COM
bank7 Not on your life. hung on TO IL. s
~ had $4,000 In a bath house with me
last summer at Coney. When l took on
my clothes put the bundle In my shoes
and left 'fiver' i'm my pocket for blind,
but nobody got hold OF X. Sometimes /
had a wad under the house where / live
$50, 600 before took any to the bank.
HOW HE GOT HIS START.
You see, got my start this way.
That's not the first run I've had. ] got a
few hundred ahead the year before. and
when Mr. Clark-they call him Billy
Clark-he was corporate counsel when
Mayor Van wyck first came to the hall,
when Boss Billy was in the business
cleaned up a pile. But I dropped II
quick. Then ! struck TO my trade after
''T got good tips. not racing tips. but
fees from the commissioners at the hall.
Sometimes the mayor pitched me hair
dollar and Commissioner Nagle-he was a
100 to shot all the time. / had about
$3.50 on Fourth OF last July. II was a
holiday and the hall was closed. and |
shot craps In n joint all day. Next
day 7 went 10 the track with 1853
struck a run. and every day for week |
got on n good thing. When the season
closed here I had cleaned M $4,000.
THEN TRIED THE PooLRooMs.
"Thev wanted me TO stop. Billy Ken
nel-he's Mayor Lows sergeant and body
guard now--tried 10 call me of. but after
the tracks closed here went 20 the pool
rooms
"Mv biggest winning was on Nov 8
last wear. 7 was on Morokanta all across
the board at 90 2 and 8 7 got away
with $1,000 on that day.
"Then a little before that I picked up
seooo on Latson the horse that 'T'ittsburg
phil owned. 7 got on The play Of his
betting commission. and followed his
agents all along the line
''T was one NJ the stable bovs then. and
sometimes Client IN the straw with mv
wsh urder nv head. had the same run
with the pcolrooms. ana when the sea
son opened no here this year I was s2i 0on
10 the good In clean cash.
HIS LARGEST LOSING
INV i.rRest losing was on Animositv
IN Aprfi ~ at Anueduct dropped
sin non shea was IN. end J thoughf We
had the thing cinched The books opened
her un ut 20 I. hut WHOM nv Law
snd Some others came In she went to
''r,nckv s-sr with Tommv Burns IN the
saddle did the trick bv half nose and
more than half my wad was zane, for I