Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-10-08
TALK WITH SHEEDY
Best Known Gambler in the
Country Tells How He Be-
came One.
LIFE PICTURE is GRAPHIC
Circumstances Make Man What He
Is, Man of Chance Once Told
Archbishop.

! In a recent interview Pat Shcedy
! the celebrated gambler and lOver ui
art. told now he came TO lead life ui
! chance.
lie told he story of his meeting will
! an old friend of his. Archbishop Ryan
of Philadelphia. AT Saratoga. Though
they had gone to the springs for wide
" different purposes, the bishop and
the gambler instantly struck hands
Come i'll and see my nieces." The
archbishop extended the invitation as
one who would not be refused Well
if you insist But first LET'S have Il
pint of wine. bishop insisted the man
of chance-"'not whisky; that makes
Il man of our nation want TO fight
Make it wine. the only drink that
makes poor freshman feel like Il rich
Jew
His Start as a Gambler.
They Joined the archbiShup's nieces
and the gamblers wife in the dra wing
room. Then came the archbiShop's
premeditated question:
Forgive me. Fat, my boy, but we all
want TO know why such man as you
ever became 4 gambler"
That question I'll answer, your wor-
ship. but you must first let me tell
you how it seems to me. If I'm
wrong. YOU may show me aftcrward.
First let hIe tell you that / believe in
God rs much us you do. Now we're
ready for the start. | claim To he Il
better man than you are. | can't help
being better man than you are.
Now. listen and I'll tell you the rca-
son in Il little story.
"You and had the same start. We
are of the same nation. We were of
families i'll the same circumstances,
who could give us little or no cduca-
ton. SO we trotted the same road I'M
til we were fifteen. There we came to
crossroads. We stopped and haggled
about which road to take. You want
ed to go to the right. l said. NO; the
left's the way You went your road
as you thought best, and l took the
before L knew it was the wrong road.
but my pride. my dirty pride. wouldn't
let me go back and | admit it.
You have gone on and reached a
high place and much honor. You've
looked neither to the right nor the left
but straight ahead. | have looked up
and down and back and every dircc-
ton. and I've scented help me. what
haven't seen: But I've learned more
than You have. bishop. for I've been
to the college of experience. You
never forget what you've learned there.
"Pat Sheedy, the Outlaw"
You are an honored bishop of the
church. | am the man at whom every
finger of scurn is pointed. upon whom
every eye of suspicion is turned. | am
Pat Sheedy, the outlaw
And now. bishop, l am coming to
the point. We had another schoolfe-
low. Wen call him Michael Dillon.
He loved woman with Il worship it
isn't given to you TO understand.
"She married him. but after awhile
she turned him out of her heart and
out of their home. 4 hate YOU she
said to this man who loved her. I
don't want ever to see you again. He
became q drunkard and Il tramp. Years
aftprward she writes him. L was mis-
taken; come back to me- and he
starts to walk back to his home and
his happiness. He has walked for
week. He is footsore and hungry. He
meets you mt this hotel tonight. You
listen 10 him. but it is with IL preju-
diced ear. You look upon him, but it
is not with warm eye. The derelict
drifts on with no help from you. He
staGGcrs out of your presence. and he
rounds the corner of the veranda and
comes upon me, another old schoOlfel-
low. He isn't afraid to speak to me,
the Ishmaelite. He tells me his story,
and what do you think | do?
There can't be the shadow of a
doubt about that, Pat said the bishop.
Better Man Than You"
Your eXcellency, if lie met me he |
would ride the rest of the way home. |
tie would get more than advice. |
That's the reason / claim to be Il bet
er man than you. I've been to the |
College of experience, and l know. |
fuj don't know what has made any |
nan become what he is. That is one |
# the things we learn to ask our
selves in the college of experience. |
Why is this man what he is: What |
sorrow that we never guessed has put |
him where he ISL
The next Gay the archbishop came |
o the gambler and offered his hand. |
I've been thinking over what you
aid. You drew picture of me last
light l believe God directed me here
o learn of you. Pat Sheedy."
Il want to teach you that circum-
tances make man what he is" Pat
;heedy said and has said hundred
ines since. We're not all PAGERS
lor trotterS. We have orr own gait.
nd we 20 that gait and that gait is
ate. Why. even fat is fate. I've