The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-12-30
BEST SHOES FOR SOLDIERS.
Uncle Sam Takes Good Care Of His
Army's Footgear.

From the New York Herald
Amedeo Bassi, an Italian tenor, who ar
rived here on December 2 to become a
member OF the Manhattan Opera COM
pany. lost $4,000 in currency and $1,000
diamond ring at baccarat on the voyage
here from Colon, on the Colon, of the
Panama line.
Bassi reported his loss to the captain of
the Colon, adding that two other men,
whose names he could not give, had, too,
lost heavily The singer added that he
suspected two Americans of sharp prac-
tice with the cards
At any rate the tenor when he reached
New York had only a few cents in his
pockets, but he had saved one diamond
ring, which he at once placed in the GUS
tody of Oscar Hammerstein, his impre-
sario. with the remark:
Take this, please, quickly for I do not
want to be robbed"
According to Mr. Hammersten, the
ring weighs "a IL carats, and is valued at
more than 81 1000.
Bassi is wealthy, and owns a castle in
Italy. He had been singing in South
America, and came from Chile around
the Horn by easy stages to Colon, where
he rested few days prior to leaving for
New York on the Colon. 1t was during
his last day in the Panama city that he
met the Americans, together with a Ger
man merchant and a Frenchman, who
were travelling for amusement
On the first day out these men met in
the smoking room. The Americans spoke
Spanish fuently. and as Bassl speaks
German. French and Spanish, he was
able to understand the invitation to pass
away the hours at cards.
I'VE will play small limit poker" one
/ L
discussion of gambling, but Bassi voted
for baccarat, as he could play it, but not
poker.
That Bassi understood the game was
soon evident. On the first day he won
about $500 and was delighted. On the fol-
lowing day he was also successful, and
the French traveller and the German
merchant also retired at night with an
appreciable sum to their credit.
Then came change in Bassis fortune.
He began to lose steadily, small sums Mt
| first but at the request of one of the
Americans the stakes were doubled and
| then trebled.
Still the i'll luck of the Italian singer
continued to follow him. For three days
after that the stakes ran exceedingly
| high. He had lost all his winnings and
was $1,000 behind when it was suggested
| that his bad luck could not continue for
On Saturday afternoon Omorieatmr1fl
! ever.
| Bassi said that on the fourth day he
| lost a considerable amount of money and
| that 1t was always when one of two men
| dealt the cards.
| He arose from the table on the fifth
night more than $1,000 loser, and early
the next day started to play to lose all
or retrieve his fortunes.
| When he finally quit, after passing over
| the diamond ring. he had only few dol
| lars left. He said he had been advised
| by member of the ships company early
in the journey that the play was too high
and looked suspicious. Bassi said he
went to the captain and complained that
he suspected the Americans of usirg
! tricks in manipulating the cards. Later
! 10 Mr.. Hammerstein he declared that
when the vessel arrived the two Ameri-
| cans hurried ashore.
| Mr. HammersteiE placed the case in
! the hands of private detective agency
yesterday with instructions to look up
! the names of the men and obtain a COM
] plete record of their business. He fears
| however that there is small chance that
4 Bassi will recover any part of the $4,000
He adds that the singer should be thank
| full his acquaintance did not get the
! other diamond ring.