The Washington times., 1928-12-31
BY Ford Q. Frick

From the upper story of a build
ing facing the street. workman
was washing the windows, hanging
far out to polish the glass.
The young man watched him in
terestedIy for a few moments.
That chap certainly is careless, :"
he remarked to his companion. III
bet a thousand dollars he falls out
OF there before he finishes the job"
Don't be q damned fool, the
older man commended. i can
get plenty of action for my
money without any foolish bet
like that"
Interesting characters. those two.
For the older man was Davey john
son, second only to Dick Garfield
in his gambling activities, and his
younger companion was Theodore
Ted" Hostetter, the young Pitts
burgher who squandered a million
dollars in a single year, and who
was never known to reject a bet or
refuse single wager on any sub
ject under the sun.
In the true sense of the word Hos
letter was not a real gambler. He
made no science of his riskings, and
kept no book of his winnings and
losses. He played for sheer thrill;
tossed away his thousands and his
tens of thousands with the reckless
abandon of youth, and finally died
owing hundreds of thousands OF
dollars, which had TO be taken
from the estate.
''Brewsters Millions" the novel
{nGn
Is years ago. might well have been
written about Ted Hostetter. Never
did fictionist's imagination conceive
a story that more nearly approx
mated truth, and never did human
being ever lead an existence that
so nearly approximated fiction.
HOstetter was the SON and
scion Of a wealthy family. His
father took millions out of the
manufacture of "HOstetter's Bit.
ters"--a patent panacea for all
ills, Ted HOstetter was raised
i'm the lap of luxITy-persOnal
enjoyment was his chiefest pur-
pose, and the unusual and the
bizarre his constant goal.
He came out of Pittsburgh to New
painting the town red--and he did 1t.
Just how much money he tossed
away during his hectic career prob
ably will never be known. But after
his death an examination of his ef-
fects and his papers showed that in
a single twelve-month period he
gained away $1,000 900.
Pitched pennies for $1,000 a spin.
Bet 81 900 on each chukker of a
polo game at Narragansett Pier and |
lost every bet.
Won 100000 on the second cleo
ton of Mckinley.
Lost $50, 900 at one sitting in Rich
ard Canfields palace of chance on
Fortyfourth Street.
Lost $500 900 at odd times to Davey |
Johnson.
The life skeins Of Ted Hostetter
and Davey Johnson were strangely
and interviewer. They
were Damon and Pythias, Cog and
Magog of the wheel and the betting
ring. Johnson understood the youth
full. fiery Hostetter as it was given
to few men to understand him. And
Johnson, ever ready to risk his thou
sands on the turn of card or the
flip of a coin, was the one man in
New York who would give Hostetter
the action he desired.
Hostetter's first big gambling
plunge came in a room OF the Wal
lorf when he lost $4,000 spinning
pennies with Johnson at $l,OOO a
spin. His final splurge came in John'
sons gambling establishment, when
ne lost almost as much at a single
nights play OF roulette and faro. In
al the gambling they did, whether
IN the races, at cards, over the rou-
ette wheel or in their bizarre habit
If spinning coins, Johnson usually
was the winner. Yet Hostetter al