The Washington herald., 1915-02-14
EX-GAMBLER SPINS
WHEEL In DRAM. !

How far realism is demanded on g..
stag" today is tnstanrcd bl Jn, a,
'hai in Experience the George y. lIu
bart drama now being presented At ,n,.
Casino in New York. il WAS thought nee
"ssary to engage a real roulette cruu3r..
{" handle the big scene in The Corr.-
d"rs Of Chance" as the program de-
s"ribes the gambling incident. And prob
ably few Of those who have seen this
Wonderful play during its long run in
New York have known that the corpulent
-"nlleman who spins the ivory ball so
Hon"halantly and rakes in the chips of
tn" losers is in reality one of the best
Nn"wn Croupiers in the world
His name is Billy Belts. he weighs go
pounds: he is hfty-fivc years old. but
doesn't look it. and he has gambled all
over the world for the past thirty years
Now he says he has taken the biggest
gambling chance he ever took in his life
hy becoming an actor. and has won be-
cause he has made good and carries
of the big gambling scene with lust the
right dramatic touch. when Youth. after
winning amid the gay crowd of pleasure
seekers, finally loses his last dollar and
is turned from the Primrose Path by the
suicide Of Despair
Mr.. Retts-he gets offended II any one
calls him anything except Billy-was
horn in Virginia. In his Younger days
gambling fOuTiSh"d pretty wide open in
his HclGhburhOOd As a youth. poker and
faro became household words for him.
Then ON" night at roadhouse he was
initiated into the mysteries of roulette
There was notorious gambling house
operated in defiance Of the county au-
of times. was lucky. like all beginners,
and soon made such a stake that he
went TO the proprietor and bought in
on a half interest. Things were going
swimmInCly when the sheriff came along
and grabbed the outfit. but in the mean
time Billy had learned to spin the ivory
ball and call out "Twcntv-three and the
Takes Awful Chance.
After that it was Good night.
nurs 80 for a man with the gambling
fever. If Virginia closed up things
tight. New York didn't. and to Broad
way went the ambitious Mr.. Belts and
what remained of his bankron.
II am taking an awful chance every
night when / try to act out in the
Casino. Gee. il seems funny to be
getting real money for doing what is
simply fun to a real sport. But when
George Hobart-who had seen me once
in a palace of Chance-met me on.
Broadway. found | wasn't working.
and insisted that ] must play the
croupier in the gambling scene. | told
him he would have to take a chance
with me. too He said all right, and
so here I am. back from Monte. mourn
ing the passing of Garfield. spinning
the ivory ball for a swell bunch of
stage DANES every night. and an audi
ence watching the whole scene out
front fascinated, probably because
they never saw a real roulette wheel,
with a complete layout double like
we've got, and a great big 36-inch
wheel
One thing more nearly forgot.
The old habit came so strong on me
the first night of the show I nearly
spoiled ii. You know Youth, that's
Willie Elliott, comes into the hall of
chance to gamble, and at first he wins
He cashes in for three thousand, which
have to reach into a drawer and pay
him. Any time a strange guy ever
came into one or two joints / know OF, ,
got three thousand ahead of the game,
and wanted to quit, l can tell you
what would happen to him. Well. 1
counted out that stage money so
slowly. me thinking all the time IL was
real money because honest IL looked
like it, and l was giving the coon the |
high sign to get near the door, and
keep the guy from making a getaway
until we had urged him to play again, |
that the stage manager had to walk |
right on the stage, and whisper in my
ear, Hurry up, your poor boob. it's
only stage money"