The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-06
OLD SPORT WHO DIED GAME
ONCE NOTED GAMBLER PAS sED AWAY IN PHILADELPHIA

comic opera house for some years, run
ming "The Little Tycoon for a whole
season.
When Slngerly got tired of the theatre,
Brotherton moved to New York. but the
major stayed in Philadelphia to have it
out with Lawyer Giboney, head of the
Law and Order society. The society got
the final fall, He kept faro and poker
rooms when he could, and closed them
when he had to, and when recently the
wave of reform in politics swept over
the Quaker City the major was washed
high and dry on the shore of insolvency.
He kept up a good front, however, but
fell dead in the street from pure STAR
walton at last and without a penny in
his pocket
Anderson was we'll known all over the
country to sporting men. Once when he
made large winning he went to Chicago
and broke McDonald's faro bank. He
crossed Clark street to jeff Hankin's
place and dropped 1t all. He borrowed
stake from Hawkins and the next night
played at McDonald's and won again; but
second visit to Hankins' left him poor
as before. Five times the major beat
the game in McDonald's and five times
the game in Hankins beat the major.
Then Mcdonald got a friend to take the
major back to Philadelphia.
Anderson was a friend of Matthew
Quay, of Chris" Magee, of Bull An
drews and many prominent and wealthy
men. In fact, he was friend of nearly
everybody except himself. Had his con-
dition been known he would not have
been permitted to die in the street hungry
and penniless. For a time has was a
friend of pope" Perry the SAMSON
street sport. but one night, when both
of them had been drinking heavily in
pIan ot Co r;.rt1t y
streets, Perry said: Major, I'll bet you |
can shoot an apple off your head from
the length of this barroom." The bar
room was IS feet in length, Frank Frayne.
the actor, had just shot his wife dead
on the stage while performing the same
trick and this tragedy started the con-
versation.
You're on.' said the major. You win,
whether you hit me or the apple"
Perry took his place with a pistol. and
just as he was ready to fire Louis Megar-
gee, the city editor of the Times. entered
the room at door near where the major
stood. At that instant Perry fired, and
Megargee with a flesh wound in his
shoulder walked over to the bar and
said Pope, you never could shoot
straight. It's on me.''
Yes" said the major. that's so; but
he never wastes a shot nor plays a false
card
The Times was then engaged in war
upon the SAMSON street gamblers.
A few days before his death Anderson
went into the Continental hotel and, call
ing Lu Maltby. the proprietor aside, said
to him: "Lu, want you to give $40 for
monument. or at least for a stone, to put
over old Billy Emersons grave" And Lu
gave 1t. After the majors death the $40
was found in his lodgings, in letter adj
dressed to George Silver, in Chicago a
saloon keeper and friends of the negro
minstrel, who had undertaken to get some
money together for this purpose There
was nothing else Of value In the room, not
even an article that was pawnable. The
major was an Elk, and they buried him.
The flowers on his grave would have kept
him alive for months.