The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1924-02-01
SAM WALLN, HIGH
ROLLER, is DEAD
IN THE DAYS WHEN GAMB-
LING WAS LEGIT.
Lost 100000 at One Sitting of Faro;
Friend and Associate Of Old Time
Mining Kings of Butte; Died in
Asylum, Penniless.

''Swede Sam" Wallin, high roll
err in the old days when gambling
was legitimate occupation in
his picturesque career he won and
lost many fortunes. When the
game of gent1emanly hazard went
cut of fashion, by law, Wallin, the
plunger, was RELOCATED to the scrap
heap. He died In the asylum at
Warm Springs few days ago, and
bunch of the old guard of Butte,
who were his friends when he was
at the zenith of his career, jour-
neyed down from Butte and laid
him away in the Warm Springs
cemetery. He sleeps beside Emil
Hansen, another famous Butte
gambler, who went the same route.
In his time he had handled, for
himself and others, millions of dol
lars. He died penniless, his resource
full mind a wreck of what it had once
been. He lived in the golden age of
Montana, when Butte was one of the
most picturesque places in the west,
and many stories are told of his bat
ties of wits and luck over the green
cloth.
He was interested with number
of Butte men in gambling estab-
1ishment that was operated in the
Butte hotel, which was patronized by
the prosperous mining men of the
Montana metropolis of 20 years ago.
There was no limit to the play and at
times 100000 changed hands at his
faro table in a single nights play.
At one time Sans Butte establish
ment was ahead of the game by at
least 100000.
When the Jinx Came
The story is told that one night
young woman of the Butte half world
committed suicide in the Butte hotel |
The only way her body could be
taken out was through Sans gamb- |
ling rooms. When Sam saw the bas-
ket containing the corpse being car
ried through his place he threw up
his hands in despair. "This house."
he said, sis hoo-dooed. 1t will never
win another cent" Nor did it. In
a few months, it's ank roll exhausted,
Sam turned the key in the door of
his place and went forth to a pow
erty that followed him to the grave.
At one time Sam had in his person
al bank account 100000. A rival
gambler was taking some of his
trade. So he made up his mind that
he would make an effort to put the
rival out of commission by play. He
went to the place, asked to have the
limit taken off, and sat down in front
If the cases. He had in his pocket
100000 in cash. He played and
ost steadily for 48 hours, having his +,
meals sent to him, playing while he q
,artook of food. Relays of dealers
hanged, but Sam played on, appar-
,ntly as bright as when he sat down.
When he quit he was $97, 900 loser.
Tom Kinds His Partner It
Tom Kinds, who afterwards made S
fortune in railroad contracting in F
'anada, was associated with Sam in d
is Butte house. In after years Sam a
raveled across the continent to see "
Iinds, who he had advised by tele- ii
raph of his coming. When the two
let in the King Edward hotel in To- k
onto, the prosperous railroad build fl
r and the broken down gambler, lie
1ey shook hands. m
"How much do you want, SAM" pt
sked Tom. lin
II would like to borrow $780," b,
splied Sam. III
Here is your money! said Hines,
) he handed Sam check for the O
mount. 81 am glad you did not ask di
IL for $4,000. That is what I ex- W
ected you to ask for, and you would hi
ave gotten it," That was the spirit fl,
old Montana a couple of decades
30. III
Before he located in Butte, Sam to
as bookmaker and was known on he
e racetracks from Sheepshead bay st;
Ingleside, which means from the H,
tlantic to the Pacific. When he pr