The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-02
DEATH OF GETTYSBURG PHIL. "
UELL KNOWN TURF PLJNGER
DIES N ASHEVILLE, ". e.
Tuberculosis Of the Lungs Finally Carries
Him On-End Game suddenly -Began
Ills wonderful Career a. Hacetrack
ucttor on aI5-His Betting Methods.

vah Sanitarium of tuberculosis OF the lungs.
smiths death came suddenly at A. VI.
The body will be taken to Pittsburg, his
former home tomorrow.
smith came 10 the sanitarium four months
aro accompanied by his nephew. j. c.
NcGill of Pittsburg He had been con-
fined TO his bed very little since coming
~ Ashevillc. and hopes of his ultimnte
recovery were held out. The chang, for
the worse was sudden.
Followers Of racing in every part of the
country have agreed that "Pittsburg Phil
WAS the most daring and successful race
uacN pmuger that this country has ever
,rcn tie was one Of the very few men
vino operated in the betting ring on large
-rtla year after year with success, and his
uervc and apparent lack Of anxiety over the
result of a contest that meant thousands
NJ dollars to him won for him "A reputation
ti.t extended from the Atlantic 10 the
Pacific
When Smith first turned his attention to
ire horses more than twenty years ago.
h.. total capital amounted 70 only about
S. But with that small foundation he
rsmblcd successfully and a. his bank
ioll grew IN size, he increased the amount
AZ hi- bets until he seemed TO think little
or nothing Of risking thousands on Single
race Since he was mere boy. his only
mems of livelihood was betting on the
tpr-e races and he never went broke
~ 80 many other plungers have after
short and spectacular career.
pttts btirE PM" dled rich man Just
hov much money he left ~ not known;
n can only be guessed at, but the general
op.uion OF sporting men who knew OF hun
and hi, operations is that he had banked
no less than $500 900 when he made his last
let and many persons estimate the amount
a. double that figure
smith was born in Sc VIC kley. Pa, about
1. years ago OF German and Irish parentage
and when he was very young his father
died The family then moved to Allegheny
CITY. and there the boy got what little
education he had in the public schools,
which he attended for only few years.
A. an age when most other youngsters
are still in school Smith went to work
as cork cutter and he did well ut II He
continued at this employment for several
wears and was getting SO week when he
first became Interested in the horses
pittsburg was across the river from
smiths home and there, III the early sos.
poolrooms were plentiful. The biggest OF
them was run by Edward Price, and n was
here ihas the young man got his
kindergarten lessons in playing the horses
With profit He had no knowledge Of the
racing game. but it interested him, and
from the first lie studied every phase OF
the subject As the results OF the races
were called of during their progress. he
made notes Of the positions OF the horses
and embodied these into permanent
form sheet which he studied carefully.
A. first Smiths bets were In proportion
10 bis capital; but he became more and
more successful, he raised his orr ginal s. bets
10 S. and then to $40. Success continued
10 smile on him. and he gave mp his cork
cutting Job TO follow the racing game for
a living In a year he had out grown Prices
room They wouldn't take as big bets
as he wanted 10 make there. so he went
10 Chicago. whore betting in poorooms
WIS running on a bigger scale
At that time Phil" was operating on
the system that he followed all through
his career. He avoided risking his money
on short priced favorites, bat chose, rather,
10 watch the developments Of the horses
and play them when. in his Judgment. they
wern Que 10 win and when they were quoted
o. liberal odds. He didn't win n majority
q the races he played. but as his losses
mounted up. 40 did his winnings. until
fna winner brought back TO him con-
siderably more money than he had parted
with on his unsuccessful choices
L ras In Rley's big poolrOoTn in Chicago
that tie name Pittsburg Phil was bestowed
upon hum He was unknown when he
bought his first choice In an auction pool,
and Riley asked him what his name was.
Smith was the answer.
Owing TO the scarcity OF Smiths here
aror'- I'm have 10 ask you where you
come from said the poolroorn keeper
Pitt~burg replied Smith.
Then u call YOU Pittsburg Phil. de-
osrod Riley That's your name here.
So 30 -pre and don't forget il
Tie name stuck TO him all through life,
In Chicago Phil continued to win large
@'ncln'.. and his reputation a. cool and
Ie'tr phnE"r spread In 1855. he began
20 flclueu, the racetracks instead OF the
p1o.roofn- and then his judgment Of racers
began 90 he recognized. He was able.
aupaleniy. 10 watch every horse in the
rae- and note the gradual improvement
'n hrl-e- that did NOT finish in the money.
NHen he thought that such horse was
rge 20 win he bet on II for a large amount.
an 'aau- Of his largest clean-upS we're made
in thi- way Other racctTack followers
watched ni@ operations and predicted that
no uold 90 broke some day: but he
didn't Those who tried 10 follow his bets
ait however. for they didn't have the bank
roll 20 plunge and Iecoup losses as Phil did
The Dlunger came East in 1887. and his
rrccos- continued for that season. His
reputation preceded him and was increased
when The - Dries Of his big winnings were
repeated. The following year he had the
worst luck Of his career and his bank roll
was considerably diminished at one ume.
but Phil never lost confidence in his
own Judgment He continued his high play
and won hack an that he had lost, and
more Two wears later he started a racing
sable of hj- own and his brother William
trained for him He won $1,000 on
single race with his horse King Cadmus.
end cleaned NJ more than 500 600 on the
success Of Parvenue which was one Of the
best thoroughbreds he ever owned.
With second rate horses Smith continued
until sac when he sold out his string and
replaced them with better horses The
following spring he won the Brooklyn
Handicap With Howard Mann, a horse
which had been trained early in the morn
ing aud vas title thought Of before the race.
Phil won $4,000 on that race, and II came
IN handy He WIS $4,000 behind when
The season Of 1896 closed, and at one time
bis losses amounted TO 100000. but several
cours reduced them. The Brooklyn Of
1927 changed his luck back. and the year
showed profit Of $500 COO, OF which SIS 900
was tho result Of four winners in single
dsv
A. that time Pittsburg Phil Was in tho
height II his Success He had big corps
of checkers watching the racers for him
IN their early morning work and his infor
nation regarding the speed and condition
n horses vas almost mequalled. He said
once that one Of the reasons for his success
IN the betting ring was the fact that he
bad considerable capital back Of him.
Ne kept t225o10 in the bank where IL was
available for use at moments notice, and
"a able 10 bet almost any amount when
losses demanded It. Besides his income