Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-12
RICHARD CANFlEtD DEAD;
0NE-T|ME KING OF CHANCE
End Comes ut His Homo AS Result
of Fall Down Flight OF
Subway Steps.
CLOSE FRIENDS AMONG RICH
But He Leaves Little Memory of the
Picturesque or Personal Glamour
Which Surrounded Others OF His
ClaSS-INas "Business" Gambler.
Especial to Tho Times-Dispatch. ]


NEW YORK, December 11.-Richnrd
a. Garfield. practically the last sur
vivor of Americans oue-time kings Of
chance" died to-day at his hom,, rs n
result of fall down n flight of subway
steps.
He stumbled at the top of the stairs
leading to the Fourteenth street sub
way at o'clock yesterday afternoon.
Failing clear to the bottom. he landed
on his chin. striking with such force
| That his skull was fractured at the
base. For twcnty-four hurs he lay in
Il stupor at his house, sos Madison Ave-
nue., and the end came at ais this af-
tcrnoon.
Canfield's death will be mourned by
many friends in tho "lOo." as we'll as
in the sporting classes. In the heyday
of his prosperity he catered almost ex-
clusivcly to the very rich, and a taste
Tor art, as we'll as q general air of
| culture and education, enabled him to
| make some close friendships ii, the
ranks OF Americans leading million
aires. But he leaves behind him very
little memory of the picturesque and
almost none of the personal glamour
which had surrounded other noted
American gamblers who preceded him
| across the river.
!
| atty to compare with the open hand ed
heartiness OF Pat Sheedy for instance.
or with the gentle "squareness" of
Mike" Mcdonald, or with Phil Days
Keen zest for pigeon shooting.
Canheld was n business gambler"
and while he might have had a list of
pharittcs as long as bishops (and
there is nothing to show that he had)
his principal motto when his games
were operating ia remembered as 'ir
you haven't got the money. you needn't
come around"
| His emily life was shrouded in mvs-
terry. lie used to assert that he was
| u graduate of Harvard, within few
years OF Theodore Roosevelt, and his
family home was In Providence r. l.,
but except for the fact that he was
h1tS-nine years old, little else is known
OF him. 1t is believed that CanfleId
died possessed of a fair-sized fortune.
| Although several years ago he was
| rated as a millionaire, he spent moro
than 100000 in losing fight to pre-
vent District Attorney Jerome from
driving him out of business lie had
| for years been connoisseur OF Whist
! lers painting and drawings, and last
March he sold to NJ Knoedler & Go.
his entire Whistler collection, said to
| have been surpassed by only one in
America, that owned by Charles l..
1'reer. OF Detroit, Mich. It is reported
! that Garfield received about $500. 600
! for this collection
STARTS IN NEWPORT
MANY YEARS AGO
Caniields start as gambler was in
Newport many years ago. Here nc
| opened lavishly decorated club and
prospercd so we'll that he moved to
! Saratoga, then in it's heyday as n
health, racing and political resort
where he opened the Saratoga Club,
rms was the most luxurious gambling
mouse America ever saw. and Garfield
ADDED TO it year by year until the
| clubhouse and park represented an in
vestment OF 100000.
! - when he decided to invade New York
Saniieid chose to settle himself in the
nie;Ft OF the then most exclusive sec
at No East Forty fourth street. just
OFT Fifth Avenue. and adjoining Del
n m%nlG@H This This, vas was fiys-story
| lifted II up masnifccntly He had =
100000 bronze door, but back of this
hy four "looEouts." Who adm itded o oHix
| the elite.
So careful was Garfield in his su-
that few ever got into the club who
We're willing to tell what it WAS like
n cn1 u is known that no one saw well
tSnGeneH Nle to hs NAG S,o Long purse
different, skill that he was fairly GER
tain to leave much money behind him
1 'ctirS SUNS VI .NtW DIX y Imam
cial Kings were favored patrons, and
many tines the stories that young So
amount. in a single nights play, gained
such circulation as to carry conviction
one Guided youth Is known to have
signed notes for 100000 which Can
fieid settled through his lawyer for
1t was about twelve years ago tina
Canfleld, after having been relentlcssly
pursued by. Jerome. allowed himself
to Dc hailed into court. whore he pleaded
guilty to being COMMON gamblcr
and paid a fine Of $1,000. At the time
wealth were missing from New York
and II vas an open secret that they
NAG left town to escape being called to
tell the grand jury what they knew OF
Canfeld's gambling house.
OF late years Garfield had been play
ing the stock market, but never ms n
pllnger. He was in many big deals
put operated carefully. and is believed
10 nave made handsome profits in som.
of his deals.
L.