The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-04-22


~ Robert Augustus Riley. He ran
through $4,000 In eleven months-was
swindled out of most of it-and has since
for years, In various climes. been living
the life of the social outcast, the man
for whom the world has no use There is
lots of blue blood in him. His father
was Capt Frederick Augustus Riley, who
served with distinction through the Girl
mean war. His uncle is Lord Stafford.
The Earl of Muncaster stood godfather
for him at his christening. A few days
ago he appeared in Bow street police
court, charged with stealing an overcoat.
He was released. as the evidence made
it clear that some other fellow really
stole the garment and unloaded upon
Riley the proof of his guilt
found him the day after his release
at the address he had given in the po-
lice court. 1t was a dingy lodging house
in a slum street, and he occupied a
wretched room on the top floor. He was
stability clad and-but there is no need
to describe him in detail. Everybody is
familiar with the type of human wreck
age which he representative man who
might have been something decidedly diff
ferent. He talked freely after we had ad-
journed to some place more conducive to
free exchange Of conversation.
80 you want my story" he said. You
think 1 would look we'll in type, as a sort
of human document illustrating the ruin
that follows the sins of the smart set
which Father Vaughan keeps hammering
at? Well, don't mind. I've got rid of
most things I started life with, including
I suppose, a sense of shame. To begin
with, then, I must have been born a
sucker"
But you weren't born in American l
nterposed. startled by his glib usage of
American slang.
mo, 1 wasn't, but I've been there and
picked up some of their lingo. Good place,
America for the man who has lots of go
in him; bad place for the man who hasn't.
I'm one who hasn't. That Is why America
didn't agree with me. Perhaps if I had
been born there | might have turned out
differently because they have different
notions there of the right way to train a
fellow in the way he should go.
But to make fresh start" he went
on. II was born a sucker at Twicken-
ham. Historic place. you know. Ameri-
cans go there to see Pope's Villa. My
dad died when l was 10. That was bad
for me, because he might have straight
ened me out before I had gone so far
on the wrong road couldn't turn back.
l was sent to Belmont college, Windsor,
and afterward to sandhurst where they
train young swells for the army. That
was bad for me, too. for there 1 got the
notion that swells are a privileged class.
that hard work is derogatory to their
dignity and that to go the pace should
be the chief aim of their life.
II put that idea into execution as soon
as 1 got out of Sandhurst. 1 went to
Brighton for holiday. There 1 met the
kind of chaps that have since learned
are always looking out for suckers They
showed me how to get good time and
shared it-at my expense. But the ex-
pense was greater than 1 could meet on
the allowance my mother made me. My
new friends, though, soon showed me a
way out of that difficulty. They intro
duced me to a London money lender.
signed some documents by which / repre-
scented myself to be of age, which l
wasn't, and acknowledged the receipt of
loan of $500. But all 1 got in cash was
e150. The rest was In shares in something
or other in some outlandish place I had
never heard of. They turned out to be
worth nothing, of course. With the
friends who had introduced me to the
money lender went that night to the old
Pelican club We played cards. When
we left the club they had the whole of
the G150.
'"rhey suggested another visit to Shy
lock- He advanced me more money on
the same terms. 1t went the same way
wine and cards. In the course of a few
weeks / had borrowed e70oO on my ex-
pectations and lost ii all Then ShyloclS
said he could let me have no money on
my own name My friends suggested
that l could use my mothers name.
did. The only excuse 1 can make for my
self is that my condition was such that 1
did not realize what I was doing That
money went the same way.
"Shylock would not let me have any
more. My jolly companion let me have
enough to keep me going until 1 came of