Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1913-10-30

grew and grew, the pile Of poor men s
pennies rose and rose about him, and
though he had them changed again
and again to gold, the piles rose high
er and higher until they oppressed
and all but suffocated him.
Enticed Boys to Gamble.
That's the man that steals from
little children" said his neighbors,
and AL Adams shrugged his shoulders.
| The shoulders were covered with q
fur overcoat earned by what were
known as his kindergarten games"
He sent his agents to the boys in the
public schools and enticed them into
roulette games. He backed psolrooms
where horse-car drivers and longshore-
men played the ponies at rs cents a
chance. At one time he was the con-
trolling spirit in 100 cheap gambling
places in New York
AS he grew richer he built block
of apartments. Their origin becom-
ing known, some one dubbed them
THE Policy Flats" He moved farther
uptown and bought splendid house
in Eighty-fifth street, but daily pla-
cards, Here Lives King AL of the
Policy Shops and Down With the
Policy King" were plastered over its
walls. Adams never had the ma
RAIDERS arrested, because he did not
wish to advertise his infamous bust
ness.
At last this Napoleon of the power
ty-stricken and credulous met his
Waterloo. Capt. Norton Goddard, dis
covering that the poor of the city
were being drawn into evil habits by
the wide-reaching policy shop net;
that they neglected their work to be
at the daily lottery drawings; that
they drank more and worse whisky
after each loss that went to swell the
revenue in the kings" eXchequer,
called on Adams, and, showing him
the wrong he was doing, begged him
to cease his wholesale depredations.
Adams laughed at him.
"Meanest Man In New York"
Then ! shall fight you,' said Cap
tain Goddard, taking his departure,
land when fight l generally WIN"
Adams, secure in his paid protec-
tion," went on with his policy bust
ness. But some time, somewhere,
such protection" fails. He found
himself facing Captain Goddard over
a police station desk.
"I'll move my policy shops out of
your district" Adams said, facing his
enemy, his face pailid
'I'll move you off the Island of
Manhattan into Sing Sing" said Cap
tain Goddard. In the trial that fol-
lowed, Captain Goddard, looking at
the craven old gambler from his place
on the witness stand, said, "Al Adams
Is the meanest man in New York"
Judge Scott, when he sentenced him
to hard labor at Sing Sing for year,
the branding sentence.
Adams came out of Jail defiant, but
MS heart was filled with hatred He
went to the Hotel Ansonia to live, ut
.ering his curse upon his family.
At the offices he maintained at
'NSSt lHIly-lOuIlu street, WHICH
seemed to be the office suite of a
broker, there were bitter
Iuarrels with his family. Once there
vas a rumor, after high words and
thrill voices within penetrated the
handsome ground-glass doors and
eaching to the street, that his son
lad treated him in the maner for
which a clergyman in the west was
ecently indicted. The rumor was
hat in heat of a quarrel the young
r man had struck the elder In this
magnificent suite at the Ansonia there
we're other scenes and angry voices.
Rumors of Murder. ;
It did not surprise other guests
7hen they heard that AL Adams was
cad. Rumors Of murder pressed
lose upon the news. Sheriff Har- t
urger boldly said: Il believe he t
ras murdered. and that the murderer
] in this ROOM" But the coroner t
,und a verdict of suici6e. The
leanest mao IN New York" had tired h
I life. that official said, there's moth b
lg more to it," /
The curse of the Adams millions ex. Z
,nded from their creator to his elder
ld favorite daughter Evelyn Adams t
arried Robert Armic, Mexican min a
g operator. 1t was thought the am a
tion of the Adams girls and of their {,