The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-03-27
"PAT" SHEEDY, THE SPORT
How He Stood by His Friends in
Time of Need.

The boldest and best known profess
sioral sporting man in the world sat
in the lobby of the Arlington last even
ing a big, pleasant-looking man, with
an air about him of quiet dignity and
force of character. says the Washing
ton Post. The big man was none other
than Pat Sheedy, Irish-born, American
reared, and If ever the narrative of his
life is written in full, it viii be of rare
interest. for he has been in many lands
and many curious episodes have de-
veloped under his eyes
In 1880" said Mr.. Sheedy, 7 was
playing against a-faro bank in Chicago.
Luck was running against me hard, and
was getting ready to leave, after
having parted with $4,000. I acknowl-
edged myself broke, whereupon an or
dinary-looxing fellow, a total stranger
and under the influence somewhat of
the ardent who had been playing with
drunken mans luck, threw me over
$4,000 in big bills, telling me to go on,
and if l lost that I could come 10 him
for more I told him ] didn't want his
money, that I did not accept help from
people 1 didn't know. He said that
was all right and begged that, as a
favor, l should play half of it for him
So persistent was he that I finally
took the money and began again You
know what happens to man when he
is up against an adverse streak. To
cut it short, l lost the $1,000, and, de-
out, accompanied by the stranger.
Out, accompanied DN the stranger
We went and had a bite to eat. I
owe you 81. OO0, said 1 to the man,
Whereupon he laughed. Rest easy
about that he said You will have
money when / am broke, and some of
these days you may do something for
me. He would give me no address and
left me wondering greatly as to his
identity. Certainly he was singular
Individual
In 1898. just eighteen years after
~,
in ConstantinOple where gentlemen of
sporting procliVities. mostly well fixed
English and American tourists, could
get diversion at baccarat or the wheel
One day a Turk in my employ told me
that countryman of mine, who claim
ed to know me, was lying in prison for
some sharp trick, and might call on me
for aid The next day the man brought
me a card on which was scrubbed the
words Chicago, 1880, faro, S2,O0O-
There was no signature, but I knew in
a second who the writer was. Sure
enough, it was my turn to do the
friendly act.
wei. I saw the prisoner and recog-
nized him as my creditor. It took more
than 81 900 to square the authorities,
but never mind about that. The man
was the perSonifica ton Of gratitude. It
would be too long a story to tell in all
the details. but before I got him out
of the country I knew his entire rec
ord. The man was Adam Worth the
greatest criminal in his line of the cen
fury. and who had during career of
rascality covering a period of fifty
years stolen not less than s2,0OO,O00, or
proba bly, twice that
Here comes the next extraordinary
part of the affair. Worth confessed to
me that it was he who had stolen the
famed Duchess of Devonshire portrait
from the Agnew gallery in London
twenty-five years before. How, in as
sociation with the Pinkertonsa l got
rim to restore ii to the son of the own
er would take too long to tell. and, be
sides. that is another story