The Springfield herald., 1912-07-26
CHAN wooLEYs STORY.

81 WAS the principal figure" said
Chan Wooley. "in what was known as
the Dobbs Ferry mystery. and II had
not good strain of blood in me
somewhere. an innocent man would
have suffered q severe penalty. and
there were certain circumstances
connected with the case which might
have resulted In his being put to
death.
THE man who makes his living out
of thlevery, II he wants to be sue
cessful. must always have his eyes
and ears open for tips. The tips that
he gets may sometimes be like the
tip from the race track tout, but to
get the most out OF the business
everything must be followed to the
end, My old side partner was Andy
Spangler, who was the son of a
preacher and well educated. and we
went Into trade together as card
sharps. AT one time there was no
better game than this. provided al
ways that you did not so against pro-
fess!onals, who were ready to scrap
at the slightest sign of crookedness.
We went about the country as gentle
men of wealth, and were in any kind
Of business that would be likely to
gain the confidence of our neighbors
and lead them into a game with an
idea that they would get a fair
chance.
1t was Andys proud boast that we
never skinned a man who could not
afford to lose the money. and 1t has
of In oil n
transactions that | was ever in to
divide only the wealth of men who
would not miss a few dollars. This
shows you the effect of example and
sound teaching. 1t is the petty crook.
the mean thief. who would take the
last dollar from a poor man. who is
iespised and brings discredit upon
all classes OF thieves.
Andy and had many 4 trip on the
Mississippi in the days when the
high rollers used to put up cotton
crop on a single deal. and with all
our cleverness We sometimes got the
wrong end of the stick. The longest
trip that we ever made was around
the world. and a pack of cards paid
our expenses everywhere. We played
about all the games known in the DIFF
ferent places we visited. and often
lost money. but when we got chance
with our little pack there was moth
Ing that any one could do to touch
us. When we became too well known
all over the country to do business
with hotel guests, we dropped the
cards and went In with big Jim
Shandley and his gang OF bank
wreckers on the famous tour which
they made in this country and Can
ada. We went everywhere. and
cleaned out safes with a rapidity that
set everybodys tongue a-wagging.
and made people take their money
from banks and lock 1t up in a stock
ing at home.
1T got tired of beIpg a sport with
an income. and when | got a good
show | drifted back to New York and
went in with Andy and Billy Peters
in the gambling business There
wasn't any protection from the po-
lice then. All you had to do was to
throw open the shutters and begin
business. We started two places;
one at the corner of Sixth avenue
and 2sth street, to catch the hotel
and Houston street to cater to the
dead game sports. who were ready to
shoot at moments notice. We made
money fast. and Andy and left the
running of the houses to Peters, who
had the reputation of going on the
level, while we tried the Wall street
game. This was a game, and the
first one we had ever struck. where
We were the suckers They got our
coin as fast as we put it i'll. and when
our luck was the worst, Peters gave
US a ripping dig, by skipping away
with the bank-roll, which was a big
one. because the games then were
run without limit.
while | was trying to pick up
something out of the wreck. and kept
the game going on borrowed capital,
met young fellow named Robert
Temple, the son of a banker. He
came to me with complaint that
the house owed him $500 He
claimed that he had won that amount
while Peters was in charge. and did
not dare dispute 1t. for we had not
made 1t known that Peters had given
us a cold shake, as. If we had done
that. we would have lost our custo-
mers in a night. Gamblers are a sti-
perstitious lot, and none of them will
play in a house where the bank-roll
has been stolen. Temple seemed to
me a pretty good fellow, and paid
him his money. He played steadily
for a couple OF days, and | got the
money back and more with It. | had
many a talk with Temple, and found
that he lived in Dobbs Ferry. in a
splendid mansion. | Judged that he
was the black sheep in the family.
for his brothers were all in business,
he told me. and he did nothing but
blow in an allowance which he re-
ceived from his father
During one of our chats he told