The herald., 1913-01-23
A Gambler S
Waning
By EVERETT ATWATER

age he opened gam DlluS uOuSe III d
large city, taking care TO hand over
proportion of his winnings 10 the po-
lice. If he had had only the police to
trouble him he would be running his
place yet. 1t wasn't the police. but
something that shook up his nerves far
more than a raid from them and drove
him out of gambling altogether.
A number OF persons had been ruined
playing in CrOker's rooms, but the!
hadn't bothered Croker. What they
did with themselves he didn't know
and didn't care. At Monte Carlo every
now and then a pistol shot IS heard In
the grounds and the body of some sui
eide is found who had lost fortune at
the tables. Cookers place was on u
thoroughfare, and If any one wished I"
commit suicide on account OF losses al
his place he would go where he was
less likely to be observed. At any rate
there were no diSagreeable happenings
whatever till that one occurred which
drove him out OF the gambling bust
ness.
4 young ScOtchman. Donald Adair.
on coming of age came over the water
TO see America before settling down on
his estate and marrying the daughter
of a neighboring laird. He was very
much In love with the girl and was
contemplating a happy life. On reach
ing New York he found friend to
show him the town, and. among other
places. this friend took him into Gro
ker's gambling rooms. They were
sumptuously furnished. and an elab-
crate supper with choice wines was on
buffet Adair. to pay for his sup
per, concluded to lose a dollar or two
and lost a hundred before leaving the
place.
The next day he went back to get
return of sos and lost a thousand. And
so it went on. losing, winning, losing,
winning. till all his letter of credit
called for was used up. Then he drew
all the cash that could be raised on
his estate and one night walked away
from the den Of iniQuity without a
shilling in the world. But before leav
ing he said to Croker:
Look out for me tomorrow night.
have an idea that 1 may win all this
money back"
Croker says that when he said this
he looked at him in way that froze
the marrow In his bones.
By this time the telephone had come
into use, and Croker conceived the idea
of doing some business over it with
persons too timid or too eminently
respectable to come to his rooms. OF
course whoever played over the wire
sent a person to see to his interests.
About an hour after Adair had left
Croker a ruined man messenger
came into the place with $50 in gold
and left it with the proprietor. mo-
ment later the latter received word by
telephone that the person who had sent
the gold would like to play roulette
over the phone. Croker went into the
private room and asked who the party
was. The answer came back that II
was Adalr. Croker shrugged his shout.
ders. Having won everything Adair
had, he had hoped that be had got
through with him. But he couldn't re-
fuse to play and asked Adair who
would represent him. Adair named one
Of the employees, Riley. adding that
he would give him 10 per cent Of any
winnings he might make Riley was
lnd In hn
Adair won from the start True, he
would occasionally lose, but his losses
were so small In proportion to his win
nings that the preponderance was very
largely in his favor. Every time he
gained good sum he gave directions
that his representative should deduct
10 per cent of it. This kept Riley in
his interest and insured his getting his
winnings. But after awhile those win
nings accumulated so largely that
Croker asked Riley, taking care to
speak in a whisper, that he might not
be heard over the wire. to go back
on his principal and report losses in
stead Of winnings. offering him large
percentage to do so. Riley consented.
and the next large sum Adair won he
wired that it had been a loss.
For that lie l will make you pay
dearly" came over the wire in a voice
that struck both men with terror.
The game went on, and presently
Adair left his winnings on a number
that paid 3 for 1, and every time the
ball spun 1t won for him. Croker play
ed until he dared go no further, then
telephoned that be had finished for
that night. No reply came to this, and
he asked what he should do with
Adair's winnings. Adair must have
left the phone. for not a whisper came
back
II don't like this business" Croker
said to Riley. "You take his pile and
turn it all over to him when he calls
for it"
Riley scooped up the winnings, and
Croker went home very much ratified.
The next morning when he took up the
paper he saw an account of the suicide
Of Donald Adair. He had gone direct,
ly to his hotel from Croker's, stopped
the doors and windows with the bed,
clothes and turned on the gas.
This is the story as Croker tells It.
Riley only knows what passed In the
roulette room. Nobody believes the
yarn. Of course. But how comes II
Croker was driven out of a lucrative