The Washington times., 1903-04-24
COL. JOE" RICKEY'S
INTERESTING CAREER
Greatest Plunger That Washington Has
Ever Known

acid, self administered. His wife. Mrs.
sailie Hickey. and his daughter. Mrs
Leslie HaHchett. were with him at the
last
Colonel Hickey had seen many ups and
downs OF fortune since he came to New
York six years ago. and made his home
at the Hoffman House. He was a spec
ulator in stocks and in various other en-
/ terpTises. In the last year he had been
/ in constant hard luck Worry over his
losses made him i'll. Although only six
ty-one years Old and Of powerful ply
sique, Colonel Hickey suffered greatly
from fatty degeneration Of the heart.
Grew Dependent.
A few weeks ago the colonel and his
wife moved into a boarding house at "a
West Twenty-fifth Street 4 trained
nurse was engaged to help care for him,
as Mrs. Hickey is an invalid. The old
man grew respondent and melancholy.
Last Friday he teIegraphed his daUgh-
ter, at East Saginaw, Mich, that he was
i'll. and she arrived in this city on sun
day
Although urged by the physician TO
remain at home, Colonel Hickey insist
ed at 10 a. II Wednesday upon taking
walk alone 10 Broadway He was gons
only a few minutes.
Colonel Hickey bought in a Broad way
drug store two ounces of earboIic acid.
Then he entered the Hoffman House
cafe. where he remained a short time.
He left by the Broadway door and be-
gan to stagger as he turned into Tween
ty-hfth Street. Policeman Riordan
took Colonel Hickey BY the arm and
helped him home. He placed the sick
man On a lounge in the back parlor.
Within few moments the colonel fell
to the floor dead
Doctors Disagree.
Dr. Finch and Dr. Willis. an ambu-
lance surgeon. agreed that the cause Of
death might have been fatty degenera-
ticn Of the heart. but Coroner sehoIer
declared later that this theory was in
correct
Colonel Hickey committed suicIce,"
said Coroner Scholer- The autopsy
settles all doubt on the matter think
he must have taken the acid with whis-
ky. On account Of the condition OF his
heart It would require only a small
quantity of the acid to Kill him
Mrs. Hickey and her daughter started
for Fulton, Mo, at IL .. II. with Colonel
Riekeys body. He left one son, Hyde
Hickey. who is in business in oregon.
A Figure in Washington.
Colonel Hickey was born in Wisconsin
and lived for years in Washington. He
was the greatest gambler the Capital
ever saw He would bet on any propo-
sftion at any odds He won $50, GOO on
the first election OF Cleveland In 1896
he was confident that Bland would be
nominated for President by the Demo-
Gratis He made dozens Of bets on this
proposition. sometimes giving odds Of
500 10 50. The nomination OF Bryan
nearly cleaned him out
The drink known as the Hickey was
named for Joe Hickey, but not BY him.
Hickey had a habit of drinking in the
morning a small hooker" Of Bourbon
whisky into which he had squeezed half
a lime and poured a tumbler of water.
One morning Fred Mussey walked into
the place where Hickey did his drink
ing and said to the bartender: Give
NE a Hickey"
"A which," asked the bartender
'.one OF those things Hickey drinks
The drink was made in long glass
with Bourbon whisky, half lime, a
piece Of ice and carbonic water. Rickey
always contended that the use Of rye
whisky or gin in a rIckey made IT unfit
for a gentleman TO drink
Made Present of a Ship.
Hickey learned TO play cards on the
Mississippi River, and ne had great
fondness for the river captains. One Of
them came to see him in Washington.
The captain of a Potomac River steamer
came in. Hickey asked him: What's
the name of your ship?"
The Arrow, and she s good one"
What will you fake for HERO
The owner of the Arrow said his boat
was worth s27. coo. Hickey handed him
check at once and then made q pres
eut Of the boat to the Mississippi River
caotain-
4 young chap came into Rickey's
place in Washington before the
Dempsey Fftzsfmmons fight and said
Fitzsimmons would win. Everybody
present laughed. The young fellow had
no money. Hickey said Here's $780,
bet that"
Bet With Mclean.
He Won but Hickey would only take
back his stake. Once IN the old willard
Hotel he challenged John r. Mclean
to bet on a certain proposition. and
when Mclean demurTed he asked:
You aren't afraid TO bet, are you?"
Mclean WIS angry. He threw sill
yer quarter on the floor ten feet away
and said: IN bet you $500 that coin is
head u.
This was more than Hickey bargained
for. but he was game, took the bet,
lost and paid.
Hickey would bet a neEsboy whether
he had an odd or even number or
papers. He would bet whether the num-
Der of people in barroom was odd or
even. He would let on the number Of
a street car or the name OF a stray
dog that was Dassiue OF ANYTHING else