The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-03-28

ia INV ~ "A'h 80
event OF the wear. The Ya~le-princeton
game, was played in New York the
HOFFMAN on the evening before the
contest was the scene of wild excite
ment. Here gathered undergraduates
and alumni. all bent on backing Their
favorte team and on making all the
noise possible. A dense mass Of shout
ing, cheering men packed corridors and
barroom; in the corners bets were
made and recorded and odds shouted
from group TO group.
A. the hour approached midnight
and the turmoil increased the familiar
figure OF Billy Edwards. the house
detective and ex-champion OF the
squared circle, could be seen moving
from group 70 group. He knew the
material he had 10 dea, with and not
outstanding the occasional rough
house tactics OF the students there
was very little damage done except
20 the stock of wet goods bought and
paid for az the bar.
with the one exception % FL Stokes
himself no mans personality was more
closely Identified with the Hoffman
House than that Of Btiy Edwards.
IIe was horn IN England, but became
an American citizen n won the
lightweight Championship OF America
and the world from sam Collyer In
1865 in a bare hst fight. ia stokes
!, brought Edwards TO the Hoffman
, House IN 1852 at the opening OF the
!, famous picture gallery barroom and
there the former fighter was the en-
tertainer for all who needed a chum
and when occasion required a strict
+, and unswerving %upholder OF the peace.
The mar who became scrappy. oven
though he might hnve been buying
yin with Edwards. found himself on
/, tho opening Of hosfilitles beng elected
through the side door as though a
pile driver were behind him. a slim.
n quiet acting msn Of medium height.
U with blue eyes that flashed when ex-
. Cl'eA and a coal black mus ache. Ed
wards dti not impress the usual caller
n 20 the norman House as a profess
seonal fighter But, when any one
tried 10 walk over him or s-!ck a cane
n into the pictures Edwards revealed
MS ring training by the energy with
which ne elected the d,sturoer.
In ne brushes preceding and or
: election night each year Edwards was
= a prominent figure and the o.ic.a,
q stakeholder for hundreds Of waeers
a On exciting Presidential and municipal
campaigns ha mas been the custodian
- o, bots aggrcEatirg over $3.50 600. He
:, was also a stakeholder 81 lets on the
hg pr'rA ngHts Yacht or boat races
or whatever ~-ent occur-et the alton
~. ton Of the public. The money he
a held was forced on him a. tho out
come OF wagers between patrons o,
~, the Hoffman House. for Edwards re.
: ca-ded thorn al "a IN the days work
n ! md he never charged a stated com
I mission FOR serving IN this capacity,
II was conservatively estimated -ha'
IN the years Edwards was AZ the Hon
"a man no less n 81 900. 200 pass"c
"a through his hands n the form o.
~ waEers entrusted To him. and II Is no
- recorded that a lola ever wen'
RI wrong or hat q bet;or ever had oc
a. cas'or 10 challenge h's stewards Ip.
EIwards's system or taking bet
70 was s!mp and apparently effective
8. He always made three memoranda
VI Each contained. briefly stated the con
q I.t'ons Of THE bet. the amoun wagere,
and the nameA % the parties 20 th'
a, ret. Hhe OF these cards. signed by III
two bettora Edwards retained. Tn
10 two others "a signed and gave on
- each as a receipt TO tNe makers 81 IN
~, wager.
In 90 Ram century Of existence IN,
ne NORMAN House IA" on rs books Al
70 transient ana permanent guests IN
names OF the most prominent Nen Il
Va tho country. Grover Clevals NJ I've,
nv there on and IN for years He 70
ceived me news Of his election q
the Presidency for the frr time whtl
IA STAYING there. During the campaign
tho hotel was the mecca N Democrat
ga from every state IN tNo Vn!ou. In 4.
q, early DAYS Con. Winfield Scott live
M 'hcre. and Con Butler made Il y,
w military headuua~c Roscoe CONT
liur made y his home for years and \
Of d!ed there after HIS fatal walk OF IN
night ~ Tho blizzard OF March. lSs'
he Secretary Fo,gcr d!reC,ed his d.sas
~ tnous cnmonign Of 1881 from the Hon
~. man House
d. John ". Mackay was n ~ IN
carly and Influential guests OF ~
Try house. and IN his wake came other me
OF the bonanza dayr IN Caii,orn.'
o's Robert q. Ingersoll occupied for year
led n suite on the broadway front Of IN
OF lOIel, CtnduDTt JhlntB n JONES' jon
ia =. Jones and William Stewart wei
"; frequent visitors. James @ Fair. ar
NJ: other OF the bonanza lGngs, stoppe
~ there when In New York. Of the Ne
by York State politicians, SaUu"i J. r.
den, David r HNN and Norman
the Mack are a few of tho many who &
St rtC'cd the fortunes Of their parry fro
the Hoffman.
~" Others who made tho house e',h'
"o n temporary or IA permanent hon
Sly eore Lames G Blaine, James \. Ga
ne acid, John T. RAYMOND and Ni'y FHo
cnCc, me popular comedians, az
" Edwin Rooth, Lawrence barrett AZ
John NcCullou1h found rest in
rooms from tho strain % tho rag
Yea stage. Commodore Vanderbilt -four
rSS il much 10 hts taste IN the days whs
ate ne WINS fighting his biz battles on WI
Street.
william NJ. Tweers name appea
" frequently on the old reg stei
N"' Iioraiio seymour stayed here on Sc
Wv" Cral occasions. as ID John r. A
drcws. Eugene Kc'ly. Admiral sam
s,n. ADMIRAL S"h'rv, R'oNnri Crok'
I'' W. ] Stou" and Gen w : IlI''oC
ar Julius Stul'. WHO wls a pr'sor
a. MA.