Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-05
KENO KING
DIES POOR
ONCE RICH GAMBLER LIES IN A
PAUPER's GRAVE
RUINED BY POLITICS AFTER MAX
ING FORTUNE
Ian" Wakefield of st. Louis, Who
Never Forgot Friend, Ends
His Days a Deserted
ImbeciIe

ST. LOUIS, Sept. 4.-Alanson B. Wake
field, once gambler boss OF St.. Louis. is
dead in an insane asylum in Osawatomie,i
kas. Forty years ago Wakefield owned
the Grand opera house. 1t was known
then as Wakefelds opera house. He
owned several gambling houses. too, and
was Known as the Keno king" He was
a. power in politics and was very rich, but
like majority of gamblers lost his
money Wakefield was known as the
handsomest man in st. Louis.
He was sent to the penitentiary twen-
ty years ago to serve term of two years
for crookedneSs in an election. In the
state prison he became insane and for
twenty years he has been in lunatic
asylums. He died without dollar,
among strangers, charity ward of the
state of Kansas, and he will be buried
in a paupers grave. And yet he was a
man of great human sympathy and in
his prosperous days he gave away thou
sands of dollars.
One of tine old-time gamblers who we'll
remembers Wakefield is Edward Nc
Cue, better known as kelly" McGue.
McGue was rich once himself, but now
he is a charity ward In the city hospital
Nand is very weak. He is so years old.
Remembers Wakefield
know Lam wakefield?' said McGue
IN a QudVeTlnR VOICE. w ell, SnOulQ
say so. Il knew him intimately for thir-
ty years and he was a square man.
met Wakefield first in 1850 at Indepen-
dence, Mo. 1 was crossing to California
and Wakefield went along with us from
there. We learned the gambling trade in
Frisco and afterward returned to st.
Louis and skinned 'em all here. Wake
field was sure thing gambler like my
self. He made barrels of money at keno
and he gave aWay barrels
"Once I was dead broke and Wake
field says to me: Kelly, you're broke,
amt you?
Flat as founder says I.
Here; take this $1,000 and go against
faro he says.
"You know I was the best faro bank
dealer that ever lived. Well, sir, run
that $1,000 up to $4,000 in one play. Yes.
Wakefield never forgot friend I've
often wondered what became of him. So
he died in an asylum? Well, we all die
in about the same way. We win our
money easy and spend 1t easy, and when
we get too old to do any good for our
Was River Man
McGue ran the river for many years
as a steamboat gambler. He owned a
gambling house in New Orleans and one
here. He was one of the early volunteer
flremen IN 81. LOUIS, ndVlHS Joiueu Inc
company IN 1S45.
Once when he was prosperous man
held him up, knocked him in the head
and took $4,000 from his pockets. He
waited six years to meet the man again,
and then he settled with him and there
was funeral afterward.
''Wakefield made his big mistake when
he went into politics and tried to run
the town., said McGue. Erhat got the
big men after him and thty nau MIN ar
rested for some sort of crooked work.
and while he was in trouble he lost
his opera house and all his money. and
the penitentiary sentence turned his
mind. went clear to Jefferson City
once to see him in prison and he was
only an idiot. He didn't know me. But
was always glad I went to see him.
anyway And 1 wish some of the old
timers would feel that way about me-
I've been around the downtown corners
for seventy-two years and 1t does seem
like some one ought to come out here to
see me. know I've got to die here and 1t
gets mighty lonesome"