The sun., 1908-04-04
PLUNGER RILEYGUGNNANDEAD.
FAMOUS As 4 HEAVY BETTOR
At THE RACETRACKS.


Credited Win HaVnE Won go. 900 on
single Raee-Beoame . DOOkmaker
After Early Winnings Reported Broke
Many Times, but AlWayS Pulled Out.
Riley Grammar, the gambler, died yester-
day OF pneumonia at Rawhide, New, Gran
nan, whose full name was Charles Edward
Grammar. was born in a suburb Of IsHlng-
ton, KY, In 1888, the exact date being
unknown 10 himself. He attended the
village school for q time and then ran away
10 Lexington and got job a. elevator boy
in the old Phoenix Hotel. The Phoenix
was the stopping place for racing men and
the young elevator boy soon became ac-
auainted with many men Of the turf. He
dhftsd 10 the Lexington track, where he
sold programmes for a short time, until he
was taken up by gambler and system
player, 4. @. Batsy. who taught Grammar
his system. Batsy. however, soon lost
Grammar, who went into the game for him
self In a small way Grammar soon at
tracted attention by his perfect coo'ness
and Col W. r.. Applegate, another plunger,
took him in as a partner.
The partnership did not last long for
Grammar was too reckless for Applegats.
Grammar then deliberately set out to make
a fortune. In the winter Of 1895 he ap-
peared at the meeting at New Orleans and
began to astOnish the turf world by his
plunging. He made money and came
north to buck up against the great Eastern
plungers like Mike Dwyer and Ike Thomp-
son. He got his chance at the Sheepshead
BAY meeting Of 1896, Playing for himself
Grammar was reputed to have won on one
race SO, 900 on Lazzarone and In another
race t5O.OOO. Then he went to making
books with the public as customers. and az
he was apparently willing TO book any sized
bet and gave more liberal odds than the
other bookmakers he soon had all the big
plunRers playing against him.
0rannan's pet horse was Henry OF Ma
varre. He never bet against this horse.
In 1895 at the Sheepshead Bay meeting
Grammar backed Henry Of Navarro against
Domino, Pittsburg Phil and Thompson
being heavy bettors Henry OF Navarro
won and Grammar took in a fortune, Two
weeks later a match race as made between
the two horses and Grammar bet more than
! Os5. 600 on his favoTite. The race was one
| that has become famous in track history
ending in a dead heat, 80 that Grammar
came out only $4,000 10 the good
Grammar was repeatedly reported broke
| but ALWAYS seemed to be prosperous until
| the winter Of 1906, when he lost all IN Cali
! fornia He went TO California after he had
| been ruled on the Eastern tracks by the
| stewards Of the Jockey Club Tor unpro-
| fessional conduct as a bOOkmaker lie
| difted to New Orleans that spring ana
| started in to win again After making big
| killing he instituted suit in the Supreme
! Court for reinstatement and won IN time
| to get in at the meeting OF that year at HOT
| Springs, where h. started In 10y winning
| 3isOOO on the first race he played, Grammar
| played with varying success for several
! years after that aud went broke several
| times on one occasion borrowing at the
| Saratoga meeting S3O which he ran up to
! ti25,O by the time the racing season
! closed.
In 1909 he met disaster at New Orleans,
| and never after that did he come back
| as he had in the former days.
| Grammar came into public notice in 1900
! when he had trouble with his wife. DAISY
| DiVon Grammar, whom he had married IN
| 1898 in Kentucky. Mrs. Grammar had her
! husband arrested for nOn-support at Coney
| Island and various other places, but
! Grammar was invariably discharged. III
! August Of 1897 the Grannans lived in this
city at the Hotel Rand, which WAS run by
| Wilson Mi2ner One night Mrs, Grammar
! threw dishes at her husband in the pubic
| dining room and was arrested and taken "a
Bellevue Hospital, where she remained
! for several days,
Last summer Grammar went West Tor hls
/ health. A few weeks ago he was reported
| in dispatches from Rawhide TO have broker
a big faro bank in that new mining towr
| ginning SiO On