The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-12-22
THE PASSING OF PAT SHEEDY
MOST WIDELY KNOWN GAMBLER
IN THE WORLD is DEAD.

Regarded Himself Business Man,
and Was Never Accused of Crook
edness or Criminality.
The most widely known gambler
in the world died in New York a few
days ago. 1t is almost superf1uous
to say he was Pat Sheedy, whose
face and fame were familiar wherever
horses ran, dice are thrown, wheels
are turned or cards shuf1ed and
dealt In Carlo or Chicago, Malta
or New Orleans, Monte Carlo or
French Lick Springs, Palm Beach or
| Boston, New York or San Francisco
mention of the name of Pat Sheedy
would, and will open up a conversa-
tion in any of the resorts where
sporting men assemble, and in each
of them there will be found men
who knew Sheedy and have reminis-
| cences to tell about him.
/ Sheedy was a cosmopolitan. He
went everywhere and played every
where-that they would let him; for
it fell out that Sheedy's marvellous
luck at faro and other games was
such that after time practically all
Iproprietors barred him from their
games. For years he was a proprie-
! tor himself, in which capacity his
luck remained with him until he es-
sayed a splendid palace of fortune
at Carlo, in Egypt. He ran this re-
sort for five years, and the balls that
he gave surprised even the luxurious
half-world in which he lived. But
in the end Sheedy gave up the Cairo
place, because he said business
wasn't good enough" He came out
of the venture, however, with a
large bank roll which he had accum-
ulated elsewhere and which he was
too shrewd to dissipate
Sheedy regarded himself as bus
mess man and gambling as bust
ness. Il am a good and successful
business man. he used to say, be
cause | am a good gambler. | play
to win, just as broker or merchant
does" Sheedy had a sustained rep
utation for honesty. His word need
ed no bond. Whatever he promised
he performed, and he made no prom
ises that he couldn't keep He was
never accused in court of criminality
~ OAEJ AAiCS0A OSbS IAiOuSn HIS DIOISS-
siOn-his business brought him
into contact with 'high-fiyers" of
various sorts. He patronized the
rich young men who wanted to bet
money for the excitement of it, and
won from them as if he were doing
them favOr-and they felt grateful
to him for it, Swell crooks" such
as bank burglars and dishonest cash
iers gladly lost their money to
Sheedy.
1t was by reason of his knowledge
of the under world that Sheedy was
enabled to aid in the recovery of
the famous painting of the Duchess
Of Devonshire by Gainsborough,
which Adam Worth had stolen:
Newspaper readers are familiar with
that incident, which is only a few
years old
Sheedy's acquaintance, however,
were not limited to the sporting fra
ternity. After he retired from 'busi-
ness gambling-se years ago
The set up as art connoisseur and
opened a picture importing shop in
New York, where the newly-rich and
even some of the old-rich were his
eager customers. 1t has been limited
good many times that Sheedy
Judged a number of spurious "old
masters" on his customefs, but moth
ing of the sort was ever proved.
Such charges were probably founded
upon jealousy.
The death of Sheedy removes the
last of the famous gamblers of a
quarter of a century ago. The
gambling business" is not now
looked upon as it once was 1t has
become disreputable everywhere and
! illegal almost everywhere in the
United States to operate public
gambling room, so that most of the
gambling is now carried on in pri-
vate clubs and residences between
! friends"