Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-10
FLEEgED THE GUESTS

Il
thousands of travellers In this country
and Europe viii wen remember Henry v.
Bamts, the famous Chicago hotel man. who
/ killed himself in Chicago. presumably on
account Of business reverses, on Tuesday
last" said one Of tho Chicago correspond
ents- Everybody in Chicago knew him
for many years as Cardinal Bemis. He
was called Cardinal because for many
years he waa tho proprietor OF the ceIe-
DRAFTED iake-front hotel. the Richelieu. and
because barring the goatee. he bore a strik-
ing resemblance to the portraits OF Cardinal
Rieheiieu. His hosiery was. In its day and
Tor it, size one Of the most luxurious In the
world, and 1t was headquarters for most of
the famous foreigners who passed through
Chicago for several decades. for the fame
of Cardinal Bemis' head chef. as we'll as
OF the Rtchelieu's magnificent wine cellar.
went all over the world Cardinal Bemis
was one OF the best connoisseurs In wines
IN the United States, and Judges of vintaEes
used TO make long pilgrimages to his Richie
leu ceilar TO fondle Bemis' extraordinary
eoileotaons OF all but priceless Wines
The Richelieu was the scene of some re-
markable banquets. and it's crystal banquet
room was always In demand for banquet
-, ing ,5 PURPOSES. attended banquet there
IN lo92 given by the Cardinal himself in
nonor OF Nine. Sarah Bernhard Daniel
Dougnerty. the silyer-tongued orator OF
FnHadeiphia; Robert G. Ingersoll and. IL
remember correctly, 'Marse' Henry Waiter
son were present at that banquet which
lasted from midnight till the sunlight was
streaktng through the stained-glass win
COWS and the now of wit and eloquence
were sucn as have never heard equaled
Cardinal Bemis was noted for his
aMiaoiiiy, out there were times when he
coald be hard as nails. The flinty manner
Win WHO he handled one of his employees
on certain occasion in 1893, while the Chit
cage fair was In progress. Is still harked
incident. NV oS'1' @i'e
p,os ne empioye was the manager of the
nlcheiieu, an extremely fne-lookinr smooth
ana oily young chap of thirty or SO. This
IIlan nad been attached in some canacftv or
o o 70 the Richelieu since his boyhood.
inS h3 nunns nao made him protege. SHOW
aug MN along from place to place until he
many settled him In the managers billet q
PARTICULARLY fine and profitable position.
h,, - ne manaser. however. was natural
SO bad If he had been an on-tha-ieyai
gambler. nor would 1t have resulted 90
disa strousiy for him and others had he oan-
n nthe ms gambling activities to scenes
graceiess habit of teaching rich foreiensrs
stopping at the Richelieu the noble game
Oh draw. and of thoroughly pluckine them
WI m,it s SO instructing them. This thing went
on Tor long while before Cardinal be-
mis- learned anything about it II fhe
manager hadn't been profigate he'd have
been able to tuck away in a bank MANY
ss IN . not to say tens of thousands
VI uoiiars which he scientifically picked up
while short-carding foreigners with whom
ne played. but the racing bug had him be-
sloes, and he was a spendthrift generally,
so lhat when the finish came he wasn't
much to the good.
Cardinal Bemis learned of the swind-
ing penchant of his manager through an
accidental remark let fall by famous
English capitalist and writer on financial
iGf OF III
during the worlds fair. The manager
graciously offered to teach the ,Englishman
how to play poker one night. The manager
had couple of swell-lookIng dummies in
the game, and at the finish of the seance
the rich Englishman was to the bad the
astounding sum of $4,000. The Britisher
wasn't kicker, but In casual CONVERSE
ton with Cardinals Bemis on the following
day he happened to mention that the Amer
lean game Of draw was mighty expensive
game to master.
"How's that?' asked Bemis
Well, 1t cost me ten thousand pounds
to learn the difference between an ace
high and king-high flush last night re-
piled the Englishman
"'Whew!' exclaimed Bemis Who was
suit? '
why. your young man-that clever
young manager of yours answered the
Engiishman. Uncommonly lucky young
chap, that-he beat me every time at draw
ing M
"'Do you mean to tell me that he won
fifty thousand dollars from you last night?'
asked Bemfs. perfectly dumfounded.
why, certainly he did, replied the
Englishman. Rather a stiff drop. wasn't
it?'
Where was the game played? asked
Bemis
why, In my rooms replied the Eng
lishman. oh, I say. L didn't mention this
to you to have you make a row about 1t,
you know. 1 don't want You to do that.
I'm not complaining, you understand
-" In what form did you pay him your
losses?' asked Benis.
why, in checks upon my New York
bank replied the Engiishman. Now, look
here old chap. don't want any bally talk
or row over this thing, and II had known
you were going to become worked up over
1t I'd never have
But Cardinal Bemis was already out oil
earshot. First he went behind the hotel
desk and took pistol out of the hotel safe.
Then he went upstairs to the managers lux
urious suite of rooms. The manager was
still abed. after the long poker seance. His
employer raped on his door and the man,
ager got up In his pajamas and let the Car
dinal' in Bemis was perfectly cool, but
he was there for business
Hello, governor, said the manager, adj
dressing his employer in the usual way,
what's up?'
"swelL you're not, for one thing, 1 OBJ
serve said Bemis, although It's about
| noon. Son, when did you first begin to skin
my guests in this house at the game of
pokerT
1.-The suddenness of that question knocked
the smooth young manager pretty much in
a heap, but 1t Is probable that he had an
inisiing that he might be found out after
taking down such huge winning. 1t is
likely, too, that he had determined to stand
pat under accusation and to refuse to dis
gorge under pressure, probably making up
his mind that he had a sufficient bank roll
to enable him to accept all consequences.
He put up fine imitation of a man fam
ing under unjust accusation. Bemis had
correctly figured on the young mans men
tai attitude in the matter when he stuffed
the gun into his pocket
II never skinned anybody, as you call
IT, sulkfly replied the oily manager. I got
the money on the level
No, you didn't quietly replied Bemis.
No man on the level would take that
amount of money away from a guest of
the hotel to which he was attached in the
capacity of manager. You have been
PLAYING the horses for some time, and the
horse game has in all likelihood made q
crook of you, as l knew 1T to make of
other men before you were born Now.
want you TO hand over to me those checks
given to you by Mr.. --, naming the
Englishman.
'T'II do nothing of the sort governor