davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-12
The Cashing In of Ritz
A True Story Of New York Life

They were poolroom men out OF Job
by the grace of one Jerome, and while
sitting around table in an uptown hotel
their talk drifted from a discussion OF the
chances u Mr.. Jerome's reelection as Dis
triot Attorney and days OF future idleness
in their graft 10 the death OF Ritz
Everybody downtown knew Ritz-gam-
bers and politicians, That wasn't his
name, but 1t sounds enough like it. Ritz
was product Of Cherry Hill.
Back IN the days Of the Gutenberg and
Gloucester racetracks Ritz began to play
the races There are few racetrack fol-
lowers who do not remember the iron horse,
and that was how Ritz got his name.
Every time the iron horse ran he carried
Ritz's money and hopes. Even when the
ron horse became rusty and worn, his
speed springs weakened by severe cam
paigns Ritz bet on him with the same en-
thusiasm and confidence as when the iron
horse was young and strong. SO Rltz's
friends called him by an abbreviation OF
the name the iron horse carried, and was
never known by anything else.
Ritz knew all the ms and ouLs OF the
poolroom game. He was also familiar with
ward politics, which made him valuable
to the district leader. Whenever Ritz had
money enough he appeared in the Yoolroon
as betton His money gone. be appeared
In the poolroom In a new role-an employee.
So it was seldom that he wasn't in one or
another Of the downtown poolrooms.
u was q little over a week before Mr.
Jerome started his gambling crusade that
Rits quit the poolroom game. never TO
return. Late hours, dissipation and the
Kamblerss round Of pleasure had sapped
his strength. All his money was gone,
amuch having been given with open hearted
generosity 20 some one in need.
: finn down and out, boss, said Ritz to
tie poolroom owner. I'm pretty siok-
> yYou look TO- said the bose grufly. but
not unkindly. YOU'D better go home,
sidpS
] An holUfatep.the. boss-wandered into
rttls room with u oarpeted floor and few
chstrB. The room was for privileged bet
tors-xnen who made good sized bets. The
email players or pikers were herded IN
ilofalike room outaide.
Ritz was sittipg all lone, his head droop-
Mg 20 his Ghost.
II thought told you to 90 home said
che boss Il think you're DYING
That may be no kid. said Ritz.
"Qwan, stop your jokin',' oheerily TO-
and serious. All you need Is little rest
and few days on continued the boss,
patting him on the shoulder. Go right
home and you'll be all right.
Its good bet that I'm dying
Ritz paused. Then he looked up. Boss,
II die what will become Of the old lady
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-12

OF his down and-out friend and slipped
him $40 900 besides All OF the money was
repaid in less than year but when he
held out the helping hand the plunger was
not thinking Of when, if ever, the loan was
going TO be made good.
He did not like TO be touched on the
racetraok, although he was never known
10 turn the TOUGHER" down il the man
was one of his friends. He particularly
story Of why he needed the coin.
George" a friend once said to him,
rushing up to the plunger on the lawn,
zone OF Sol'sNnen just met me and told Inc
that I'm "A thousand to the bad in Soils
book from yesterday, although / bad for
got all about IT and didn't fetch the stun
down with me. and"
For Gods sake Jack. why can't you
bite all that and just say that you want
the thousandl' and he passed the explain
ing friend the money.
The plunger's objection ia being
touched" on the track was due more 10
the fact that such inoidents distracted
his attentio from the business in hand-the
racng-than to any unwllingness TO give
up. He lost less through lending money,
perhaps, than any Of the moneyed men
around the tracks The "touchersT had
too keen an appreciation OF the value OF
the friendship Of so openhBnded a man as
Pittsburg Phil to take chances on losing 1t.
One forenoon, four or five years ago,
during the summer racing, Pttsburg PM
met betting friend. now very prosperous,
al one OF the Broadway hotels The friend
WAS taking breakfast. and when he saw the
plunRer he looked oreatfallen
Pittsburg Phil walked over TO his table
with cordial greeting.
Joe said the plunger. whats the
matter with you? | haven't seen you at
the track for a long time--ten days or 80.
I'm staying away for a hit, George,
REPLIED the friend
What for2" inquired the plunger
"ThroughP Cold feet?"
The other man tossed down his napkin
NO. I'm not through. and haven't
got cold feet. But I'm into you for four
thousand il you remember, and ] didn't
intend to meet up with you till | had the
kale to hand TO you. That's all.
The plunger grinned.
YOU'RE an ass. joe. he said pleased.
all the same. over the conscientiousness
shown by his friend. Picking anything
upf- I
In two-bit lots" was the reply OF his
friend.
Well let's start. he said, and the two
went to the track together
That was the day Pittsburg Phil put over
his famous Lord Turoo killing He got
S. 600 down at 7 to for his conscientious
friend, without the latter knowing any
thing about it.
On the following morning the plunger
again walked into the hotel where his friend
was breakfasting.
Count it and see il it's right, pal, he
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-12

you know. the mother?'
Tut, tut, said the boss sternly. you
know that's all right. She goes on the
payroll
Ritz understood. He knew the makeup
OF the man he was talking to. He also
knew that the poolroom man had several
pensioners They were men who were
disabled or the families of men who had
died in his service. Ritz knew that IL he
died his weekly salary would be turned
over to his mother while che lived-at least
as long as the gambler had money
These Wall Street men are gamblers,
only on a bigger scale than | am, was
the poolroom mans explanation. They
pension tho men who are worn out in their
employ. Why shouldn't ~
He didn't consider it charity no matter
what others thought of it. As for Ritz, his
face perceptibly Frightened.
That's bet, - he said to the boss.
Sure" replied the boss lightly, and they
shook hands
Ritz went to his home, one Of the old
fashioned houses on Cherry Hill. He
came OF the old Irish stock that settled on
the hill long ago.
Ritz went to bed and became delirious
from severe attack of pneumonia. Some
to the house Ritz was gone.
In his delirium he had wandered out
OF the house to the nearest saloon. The
priest ak footer and used to the ways
of Cherry Hill, found him. He picked Ritz
up in his arTns and carried him home
Ritz's mother was advised to send him
70 hospital. She wouldn't. The Cherry
Hill superstition that hospital was step
ping OF place 70 the Morgue was strong in
her; She would look after her son, she
said though she was old and feeble
That night the political boss OF the dis
trict, not forgetful Of many Of Ritz's services
on doubtful election days, and judicial
officer Of the district went to Ritz's home
They had carriage. Ritz's mother was
very much impressed with her visitors
their. power and influence. but her son
wasn't going TO a hospital if she could stop
il.
She was gently pushed aside protesting
Ritz was picked up in the district leaders
strong arms and carried 70 the carriage
waiting in the street
Ritz was two days IN the hospital Nurses
stayed by his bed day and night He
recognized no one, not until far into the
second day, when the poolrOom boss walked
in, Ritz lifted himself from the pillow.
You meant that when you said the old
lady was on the PAYROLL gasped Ritz.
Sure said the boss
IAN right" whispered Ritz with suspi
clon OF a smile as he sank back on the pillow.
The old lady's number Ia up first and I'm
ready to cash in. And Ritz had cashed in.
One OF the poolroom men had told the
story. In a few minutes another man
walked in and dropped into chair at the
table.
Boys, we seem to be up against il. said
the newcomer, Looks pretty tough for
the boys with slim bank rolls. BY the way.
this would have been Rtz's pay day. MusrSt
forget to send his salary down to the old
lady
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-12

in the pocket indicated that II belonged TO
Chauncey Hough Of Batavia. week
later Mr. Hough's body was taken from the
whirlpool
Because OF the number OF suicides al
Niagara, people have attempted to mislead
the world by pretending to have committed
suicide. No case Of this kind is more nota-
bic than that of Bryant b. Crandal.
1t was on April l. $50, that an officer Of
the State reservation found hat under
an overturned seat back Of the Cataract
House. On the lining OF the hat was the
name s. b. B. Crandal No. u74 West avenue,
Buffalo. n. +"
On that day Mrs. Crandall and George T..
Newman of Buffalo, Crandal's brother,
received letters saying that Crandall in
tended to throw himself into the Niagara.
To his wife he wrote:
i am sick and tired of life. You will be
better of with the insurance money than
with me. Good-by and God bless you
The letter TO Mr.. Newman Crandalps
family name is Newman, he having received
the name Crandall by edoption-was TO
the same effect.
Suspicion arose that Crandall had not
gone down to death in the river and as he
had total Of slo5oo insurance on his life
the insurance companies wanted to see his
body taken from the river before paying
the policies A reward was offered
On July %, 1ls days after Crandall dis
appeared at Niagara Falls, a fisherman
picked up a body a Youngstown. lts
Identification as that Of Crandall was made,
apparently, by scar on one OF the insteps,
and by the shape of the skull. Mrs. Gran
dali was honest in the matter.
Il think, said she Bryant wore boots
the day he left, though he had a pair of
CATERS" ~
The corpse had shoes on the feet Still,
the body was taken to Buffalo and inferred
as Crandall's in the family burial plot in
the old Indian burial ground ON Seneca
street Affldavits followed. and a claim
was made for the insurance.
Some of the interested companies ac-
cepted the alleged proofs, and paid the
policies. But Nelson o. Tiffany. secretary
Of the Masonic Life Association of Western
New York, chung to the opinion that Gran
dali was alive. The directors of Mr.. Tiff
fany's company gave him a months time
to investigate. and he visited the lower
Niagara. where he talked with the fisher
man who found the body. Nothing new
was developed. More of the insurance
was paid.
In the fall Of 1885 William B. STREET. Of
Buffalo saw a man he believed to be Gran
dali on the streets OF Los Angeles, Cal.
He wired his suspicious TO Mr.. Tiffany,
who took up the clue.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-12

Il be nothing more than a paper OF pins.
he ia polite almost to a fault Whenever
he receives a favor he is lavish with his
reward. IL he puts up for the night at a
farmhouse, which he usually does. he IA
sure TO leave enough of his stock the next
morning to repay his host In this respect
he Is somewhat different from his city
brother in the trade.
Then, too he differs from the pushcart
man OF the street, in that he always pursues
some ultimate goal. He doesn't start out
with pack intending to carry II always.
IL is his aim and ambition some day 10 set
up an independent business OF his own,
either in the city or on the farm
SO he is continually striving, He is con-
stantly educating himself to American ways
and methods, getting most OF his inforna-
ton and instruction from the farmers.
with whom he soon becomes acquainted
on his peddling tours, which are always
made in a certain district He works in
circuit
He generally makes the rounds once in
three or four months After he has been
travelling under a pack for n year or more
through dust and mud and snow, you NAV
expect him TO appear with a horse and
wagon. This is another step toward his
end
AZ this iuncture he lays in a larger stock.
composed Of nearly all kinds OF articles
found IN country dry goods or grocery
store. Then profits gradually increase.
his may continue for two or three years
and finally, some day, when he comes at
shutdown 10 stay with you overnight, you
will notice that peculiar joy is written all
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-12

said tossing a yellow bundle beside his
friends plate
The roll consisted Of thirty-one $1,000
bills.
THAT'S your bit Of the Lord Turco thing
with the 5000 you owed me deducted,
explained the plunger. and hustled out
10 escape listening to the other man
thanks.
He hated TO be followed about in the
betting ring in the days when he was doing
his own betting, by chaps eager TO find out
what Phil was playing This sort OF
thing eventually became such a nuisance
to him that he quit putting his money down
altogether, employing shifting crews Of
commissioners TO do his betting.
One afternoon. at Gravesend, Pittsb burg
Phil was executing one OF those little betting
tricks, OF which he was the originator,
known making price
He rushed down the main bookinakers
line betting $500 at a crack on the favorite
The weight of his money forced the prices
OF the other COntenders up. When the real
horse that the punger intended To get the
big money down on touched to ] on the
states his commissioners appeared at all
Of the big books simultaneously and took
that one for gobs.
While the plunger was shaping the $500
bets down on the one that he dldn't mean,
motley gang of pikers followed closely
in his wake They, of course didn't know
the trick that was coming on, and when
they heard him call of the name Of the
favorite they rushed to get their small
bets down.
The plunger didn't have any sympathy
with this tribe, but, just as he was turning
away from the mob at the last stool on the
line, he espied shabby. poor devil with
two-doAar bill tightly outched in his hand
Something in the keen. worried look IN the
chaps face touched the plunger.
Well, he said, Choppily. facing the
anxious looking chap with the visible two
dollar note. you've been treadng on my
heels for about half mile now are you
sure youv We got the oneyT
Well, replied the shabby chap, humbly.
Il was trying to listen, MIR Smith because
haven't oashed bet in a long time, and
they've got me down to my last two bucks,
and
Here come over here. said the plunger.
taking the man by the arm and hauling
him over 10 a ring stanchion Are you a
gabber or can you keep your tongue be-
tween your teeth"
The detected looking chap replied that he
didn't know any one around the track TO
talk to.
All right" said the plunger hurriedly
skinning a 500 bill from his roll Take
this and get II down on Lehman for your
self-don't pinch any OF il out but get IL
down as II stands-theres 5 TO l. and he
rushed of 10 see that his commissioners
we're attending to their business OF ating
up the to against Lehman.
The shabby looking chap obeyed the
plunger's Injunction and made the biggest
bet of has life with a plungers money on a
plunRer's selection, but for his own profit.
Lehman walked in.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-12
PERSONS
The Late Charles LOCkhdrt
Like Rich Father in a Book

young clerk had run through the list, he
said:
Is that the best you've got?'
THE young clerk remembered then that
the firm had begun the manufacture Of
specially designed, extra heavy sci of plate
for a rich New York family The order
had been cancelled, but some Of the pieces
had been finished for show He trotted
out that set.
The old man figured out on the back Of
an envelope every firth which could be
added TO set Of silver plate. showed his
list al the clerk. and asked how much it
would cost. The clerk consulted the
manager, and answered that it would be
fifty thousand and some odd dollars and
cents.
IAN right, have it made for me said
the old man.
How much do you want to deposit?
asked the clerk.
Oh said the customer. III pay the
whole thing and get it of my mind 30
he drew a check for the amount
The clerk didn't recognize the sigma
ture. he'd never heard Of Charles Lock-
hart, so he took il to the mana ger and askel
if the latter thought that it was good
Good for thousand times fifty thou
sand, said the manager.
4Lockhart came back TO that store in the
Christmas season that year. The clerks
knew him that time, for the $50 coo pur-
chase had become tradition of tho store.
He went past them ALL though, and asked
for the clerk who had sold him the silver
plate. When he found his man, Locktart
bought $50 600 worth Of Christmas presents.
This story ends the way il ought TO end
for the Sunday school library The cer,
with an $4,000 year customer on h,
string attracted the attention of the firm
and now he's big man in the silverwarr
business
Sounds like a chapter from Thrift 10y
Samuel Smiles doesn't tf"
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-12
the following story:

The young man who shot himself through
the heart on Tuesday on the Ice bridge just
below Niagara Falls on the American side
was Charles Weilbacher. second son OF Paul
Weilbacher OF Webacher 4 Loewi. hop
merchants at 81 Pearl str Get. New York.
lie was 81 years old and was his fathers
bookkeeper and nearly everybody In the hop
trade in the city knew him, He disappeared
from the city last Sunday night and on Tues
day afternoon his body was found on an Ice
mound close TO the cataract
Mr.. Weilbacher and his eldest son returned
on Friday from Niagara Falls. where they
went TO identify the body. They had the
body sealed mp in metallic casket and put In
vault In tho cemetery. Mr.. Welbacher
said last evening.
Il know no reason Charlie had for taking
his life. He had not been well for over a
year. and was troubled with dependency
and insomnia. once or twice he spoke OF his
III health and said he could rest for a while
ON sunday afternoon he played billiards
at home. and In the evening he went out
lie did not return. his absence caused us
great anxiety as his habits had always been
exemplary. ! believed in the morning that
he was not coming back and employed the
Pinkerton detectives to look for him. The
search Was conducted everywhere On Tues
day morning advertised, hoping 10 attract
his attention in that way. On Wednesday
morning when | reAd OF the suicide OF C. W.
at Niagara Falls. ] became convinced that he
was Charlie, Nv wife who was on her way
home from California. where she had been
attending a sick daughter. read in the Buffalo
papers Of the suicide. but had no suspicion
that II was her son. She arrived home yes
terday soon after l got back from Niagara
Falls, and is now sick from the shock"
Occasionally, hotel beat leaves some
thing on the river bank to indicate that he
thought life not worth living, but hotel
men do not always accept the testimony
Of the cast -off articles.
There have been suicides at night as
well az by day. c. V. Sweet Of Jersey City.
on Aug. 81 1885, stroled out from his hotel
TO enjoy Niagara by moonlight. At Pros
pect Point he found mans coat, and papers
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-12

NIAGARA FALLS. Feb. livery year
people end their lives in the rapid running
waters OF Niagara and the record Of years
shows many strange cases The record
goes far back Over fifty years ago IL was
recorded that Ann Hall, "a years old, had
committed suicide by going over the water
fall She was a bride OF but week.
On July 49, 1885, the territory about the
cataract on the New York side was thrown
open free 10 the public by the creation Of
the State reservation, while on the Canadian
side a similar step was taken on May "a,
1888 The new control was intended TO
redeem Niagara, In some respects there
has been Improvement. but the suicides
20 on as before
Each suicide appears to have a different
idea as to how best to jaunt to eternity.
In the long list of Niagara suicides there
have been many remarkable incidents.
On Sunday, Aug. 10. 1884, party OF Wis
itors were enjoying the scene from the
third Sister Island. when they were startled
by man who emerged from the bushes.
clad only in light underwear. Tossing
articles OF jewelry to them, he leaped into
the boiling waters close by. lie was Her
man wuttke OF Buffalo, respondent man.
All the self-destruotion at Niagara does
not occur in summer. Thus. on the after
noon OF Tuesday, Feb. 90, 1885, Il young
man descended tho incline railway, walked
out TO a mound OF Wilderness toward the
upper suspension bridge which then spanned
the gorge and, after stamping down a
level place ON the icy hillock deliberately
shot himself
There was great mystery about the sui
-. H.. NJ a
identified the body and had it shipped to
New York The mystery was broken when
o. Garfield. chief Of police of Niagara Falls,
received the following telegram:
NEW YORK. March 1. 1885
Further concealment OF name unnecessary.
ss to-day's Sun gives fun description VIII
write PAUL WBILBAcHER.
The Sun cleared the mystery by telling
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-12

A friend of the missing manVolunteereo
10 swim out and make an effort TO capture
the human form being dashed about by the
currents Of the maelstrom. lie leit the
shore and was soon plunging toward the
body. He seized it and after struggle
succeeded in landing IL.
The body was not that Of the man they
sought but of Fred Udell, Of Niagara Fails
who had been missing since July T. while
the date of the rescue was July 10, 1891
Udel was thought TO be in Maryland HIS
pockets were inside out and IL was sus-
peoted he had been thrown from the upper
suspension bridge Sherman's body was
found in the Whirlpool July 20.
On Thursday Sept, 10, 1891, Niagara was
startled bys double suicide but the in
oidents had no relation to each other Walter
Haywood of Buffalo leaped into the river
from Luna Island, while Mrs. Bessie Luders
Of New York entered the river from Pros
pect Park Haywood was financially UNI
fortunate. He left this verse:
Here poor. unfortunate Haywood lies:
Nobody laughs, nobody cries
Where he's gone and how he fares
Nobody knows and nobody cares
In her trip to eternity Mrs. Bessie Luders
had a helping hand outstretohed to her at
the very brink Of the Falls, the incident
being one OF the most tragic ever known
at Niagara
r. l. Helm of Philadelphia saw the woman
come floating down the river. without
thought of the danger, he climbed over
the wall and waded out six feet to point
only ten feet back from the brink of the
American Fall
Three times he grabbed her clothing
but as many times did she pull away. She
was swept over the brink, 1t was with
difficulty that Helm regnined the shore.
Clerks in the Niagara Falls post Office
and express offices occasionally have
strange experiences with people bent on
suicide. In the latter part OF 1901, a man
called at the American Express Office and
sent his watch and money to Louisville,
Ky The agent suspected the man, and the
police arrested him. He admitted he was
bent on going over the Falls
On Monday, May 10, 1892, the body
of woman found floating in the lower
river was identified as Miss Emma c. Aup-
perle Of Philadelphia. Her friends said that
once while chatting she said
IF / ever commit suicide | will go to
Niagara. l selected the spot two years ago
when was there"
1T is all for that woman wrote Noble
Kenny of Buffalo, before he went to death
from Prospect Point
1t is home trouble" called hfteen-year-
old Ethel Lynman to Policeman Burch
rs she was wsding out in the river at Luna