The Washington herald., 1908-05-24
THE. ALLEN, GAMBLER
Strange Career of Man Who
Thought He Was Right.
BATTLE AGAINST RACE TRACKS
Fifty Years One OF the Most NOtOri-
Gus Characters i'm New York City.
Taught Game Mt Age of Eight
Interchangeable Raids and In
dictments of HIS POOIEOOm.


New York day or two ago. there pass
es a man who for nearly seventy years
lived under the reputation Of the most
notorious crook in the city Being sew
erty-seven years old when he died. that
means that THE" Allen began at eight
life that is rarely equaled for its spec
tacular contrasts.
He kept a gambling den for years:
and was loved BY hts family. lie was
arrested nearly 80 times: and poor
people blessed him for the good that he
did. He was once famous as a cham
pion fighter IN saloon brawls; and he
served out the war OF the rebellion
with honor
For years he defed the law OF New
York with his poolroom; and at the
same time he was buying coal for Mrs
MCCarty whom he did not know. was
decenuy buryng Dennis O'SulIlvan
who was not dear TO him, and per-
forming a thousand acts Of modest
kindness. And peppered over those
striking moral contrasts were events
OF more or less dramatic character.
that made his life. from one end 10 the
other. n curious spectacle.
Aliens InnumernbIe Arrests.
Something Of Aliens relations with
the authorities can be gained from the
records. which show he had been in
dicted time and again: that he had been
arraigned in the police court nearly
$50 times: that he had been in the APP
pellate division Of. the Supreme Court
three times; that he had been in the
Court OF Appeals twice. and that he had
been In the Federal courts twice.
Then Two years ago he was forced 20
give up. and told District Attorney Jerome
that he was through forever with his par
ticular trade. Two years before that he
was hammering the table and declaring
he would keep Up the fight as long as
there was breath in his body
Allen always protested that he hated
gambling, and that his form Of # broke
no law.
The day came when he said 70 Jerome:
II am through. I would have ouit
long ago. as l have made all the money
need-more than I will ever have need
for-but I didn't feel like backing down
under fire
I always though the Percy Gray law
was unconstitutional and that 90 fine
or imprison me for violating it while
other gamblers were violating it every
day under the protection of the authori-
ties was the rankest kind of injustice
That was why I hung on
MY family begged me for years 40
give up the business. The shame end
worry Of seeing me continually exploited
L.,
in New York drove my wife TO her
grave
They say that am a lawbreaker, and
suppose we will have 10 let il go at
tnat. You will never hear again of
raid on The. Aliens"
BEGINNING of His Career.
Allen himself told the story Of his intro
duction TO gambling-at the age Of eight
in this wise:
AT that time" he once told an inter-
viewer. Il was put TO work with Jacob
Vanderbilt. the leading tailor Of the city
One day was sent to deliver a uniform
to Gen. Winfield Scott. who was staying
at the Astor House. He intended TO wear
Il in parade next day.
when 1 arrived in front OF the Astor
House with the big parcel saw a con-
fectioner's stand at the corner and went
there to spend a penny. On the corner. I
got into a quarrel with a newsboy and
we went at II. In the course of our
struggle my package fell into the mud
and was run over by a passing carriage
The uniform was ruined and 1 knew
would catch ii. But man who had
been standing on the curb told me not 10
worry. He said he had seen the whole
thing and that l was in the right. and
he went with me TO Vanderbilts to ex-
plain matters.
He paid for the damage. and 1 could
have kept my place but I liked him so
well that / jumped at the chance he
offered me 70 come to Barclay street
the next day. There was a gambling
house there then. as there has been ever
since The man who hired me turned out
to be William Dancer, then the richest
gambler in the United States I remained
with him until I was a man-grew up In
the business.
Il might have been a tailor instead Of
the notorious The Allen If II had not
been for that accident TO Gen. Scott s
uniform"
BnrrOOm Scrapper.
Besides being known to the police as
gambler, The had the reputation Of
being one of the most successful bar
room scrappers in New York He was
described as having the trick OF poking
lighted cigar butt into the eyes of hrs
opponent before the other fellow could
get in a blow. and as using glasses.
chairs. or any other barroom furniture
that was handy when he was attacked
He was a small man and wiry. but
all who knew him agree he never was
afraid of anything that stool in shoe
leather. He never drank and was alvvaN,s