Titanic Thompson
Encyclopedia
Alvin Clarence Thomas was an American
gambler, golfer
and hustler
better known as Titanic Thompson. He traveled the country wagering at cards, dice games, golf, horseshoes and "proposition bets" of his own devising. As an ambidextrous golfer, card player, marksman and pool shark, his skills and reputation were compared to “Merlin himself.” Writer Damon Runyon
allegedly based the character Sky Masterson, the gambler-hero of "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown
" (on which the musical “Guys and Dolls
" is based), on Thompson. In 1928, Thompson was involved in a high-stakes poker
game that led to the shooting death of New York City
crime boss Arnold “The Brain” Rothstein
, then called the “crime of the century.” The following year he testified in the trial of George McManus, who was charged with Rothstein’s murder.
, Arkansas
after his mother remarried, began conducting his nomadic, lucrative career of hustling in the rural United States in the early 1900s. Later, when he had honed his skills, he became a “road gambler”, a traveling hustler who became an underground legend by winning at all manner of propositions. His partners in “the hustling game” allegedly included pool player Minnesota Fats, who considered Titanic a genius, “the greatest action man of all time”.
Blessed with extraordinary eyesight and hand-eye coordination, he was a skilled athlete, crack shot and self-taught golfer good enough to turn professional. In an era when the top pro golfers would be fortunate to make $30,000 a year, Thomas (who, after a misprint in a New York newspaper, conveniently let people think his name was Thompson) could make that much in a week hustling rich country club
players who thought they knew how to play golf. Asked if he would ever turn professional, he replied, “I could not afford the cut in pay”. Hall of Fame golfer Ben Hogan
called Titanic the best shotmaker he ever saw. “He can play right- or left-handed, you can’t beat him”, said Hogan. One hustle of his was to beat a golfer playing right-handed, and then offer double or nothing to play the course again left-handed
as an apparent concession. One thing his opponent usually did not know was that Thomas was, in fact, naturally left-handed.Thomas' genius was in figuring out the odds on almost any proposition
and heavily betting that way. He also had to perform under pressure, and most often did.
The other four men Thompson killed were shot by him in self-defense when they tried to rob him of gambling winnings. Two were killed in one incident in St. Louis in 1919 (the local police chief thanked him for killing two wanted bank robbers). The fourth came in St. Joseph, Missouri where Thompson and his hired bodyguard between them shot two men attempting to rob a poker game (again, the victims were known criminals and no charges were pressed). Thompson's last killing came at a country club in Texas in 1932 when he shot a masked figure who was holding him at gunpoint. This turned out to be sixteen-year-old Jimmy Frederick, who had caddied for Thompson earlier that day. The dying Frederick confirmed to witnesses that he had been trying to rob Thompson.
was murdered, allegedly because he refused to pay his debts from a poker game he believed to have been fixed. This game had been organised by George McManus, who stood trial for the murder but was acquitted. Thompson had been present at the game; and it was he who, in association with one Nate Raymond, allegedly fixed the game, leaving Rothstein with total debts estimated at $500,000. Thompson - who was not present at the shooting - gave evidence at McManus' trial, without revealing his own role in the poker game.
in 1972, Alvin Thomas said:
Note: Excerpt is re-printed with the permission of the legal owner of the story, Sunbelt Productions, Inc., a Texas corporation.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
gambler, golfer
Golfer
Golfer may refer to:* A person who plays golf according to the rules.* Professional golfer* "The Golfer", an episode of The Honeymooners...
and hustler
Hustler
Hustler is a monthly pornographic magazine aimed at men and published in the United States. It was first published in 1974 by Larry Flynt. It was a step forward from the Hustler Newsletter which was cheap advertising for his strip club businesses at the time. The magazine grew from a shaky start to...
better known as Titanic Thompson. He traveled the country wagering at cards, dice games, golf, horseshoes and "proposition bets" of his own devising. As an ambidextrous golfer, card player, marksman and pool shark, his skills and reputation were compared to “Merlin himself.” Writer Damon Runyon
Damon Runyon
Alfred Damon Runyon was an American newspaperman and writer.He was best known for his short stories celebrating the world of Broadway in New York City that grew out of the Prohibition era. To New Yorkers of his generation, a "Damon Runyon character" evoked a distinctive social type from the...
allegedly based the character Sky Masterson, the gambler-hero of "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown
The Idyll Of Miss Sarah Brown
"The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" is a short story by Damon Runyon upon which the musical Guys and Dolls is based. It was first published in 1933. In 1949, it was dramatized on radio as part of a program called Damon Runyon Theatre....
" (on which the musical “Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure", two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also borrows characters and plot elements from other Runyon stories, most notably...
" is based), on Thompson. In 1928, Thompson was involved in a high-stakes poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
game that led to the shooting death of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
crime boss Arnold “The Brain” Rothstein
Arnold Rothstein
Arnold Rothstein , nicknamed "The Brain", was a New York businessman and gambler who became a famous kingpin of the Jewish mafia. Rothstein was also widely reputed to have been behind baseball's Black Sox Scandal, in which the 1919 World Series was fixed...
, then called the “crime of the century.” The following year he testified in the trial of George McManus, who was charged with Rothstein’s murder.
Life of a hustler
Thomas, born in Missouri but raised in RogersRogers, Arkansas
Rogers is a suburban city in Benton County, Arkansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city has a population of 55,964. The city is located in the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers Metropolitan Area, in the northwest corner of the state.-History:...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
after his mother remarried, began conducting his nomadic, lucrative career of hustling in the rural United States in the early 1900s. Later, when he had honed his skills, he became a “road gambler”, a traveling hustler who became an underground legend by winning at all manner of propositions. His partners in “the hustling game” allegedly included pool player Minnesota Fats, who considered Titanic a genius, “the greatest action man of all time”.
Blessed with extraordinary eyesight and hand-eye coordination, he was a skilled athlete, crack shot and self-taught golfer good enough to turn professional. In an era when the top pro golfers would be fortunate to make $30,000 a year, Thomas (who, after a misprint in a New York newspaper, conveniently let people think his name was Thompson) could make that much in a week hustling rich country club
Country club
A country club is a private club, often with a closed membership, that typically offers a variety of recreational sports facilities and is located in city outskirts or rural areas. Activities may include, for example, any of golf, tennis, swimming or polo...
players who thought they knew how to play golf. Asked if he would ever turn professional, he replied, “I could not afford the cut in pay”. Hall of Fame golfer Ben Hogan
Ben Hogan
William Ben Hogan was an American golfer, generally considered one of the greatest players in the history of the game...
called Titanic the best shotmaker he ever saw. “He can play right- or left-handed, you can’t beat him”, said Hogan. One hustle of his was to beat a golfer playing right-handed, and then offer double or nothing to play the course again left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
as an apparent concession. One thing his opponent usually did not know was that Thomas was, in fact, naturally left-handed.Thomas' genius was in figuring out the odds on almost any proposition
Proposition bet
In gambling, the term "proposition bet" has two definitions.-Primary definition:...
and heavily betting that way. He also had to perform under pressure, and most often did.
Killings
In his life Thompson killed five men. The first was in 1910 when a man called Jim Johnson accused him of cheating at dice, and threw him off the boat on which they were traveling (and which Thompson had recently won when gambling with its previous owner - a friend of Johnson's). When Thompson climbed back on board, Johnson drew a knife and threatened Thompson's girlfriend, who was also on board. Thompson seized a hammer and struck Johnson several times on the head before throwing him overboard. The unconscious Johnson drowned. Thompson showed no remorse, stating that it was Johnson's fault for not being able to swim. The sheriff gave Thompson the choice of standing trial, or handing over the deeds to the boat and leaving town.The other four men Thompson killed were shot by him in self-defense when they tried to rob him of gambling winnings. Two were killed in one incident in St. Louis in 1919 (the local police chief thanked him for killing two wanted bank robbers). The fourth came in St. Joseph, Missouri where Thompson and his hired bodyguard between them shot two men attempting to rob a poker game (again, the victims were known criminals and no charges were pressed). Thompson's last killing came at a country club in Texas in 1932 when he shot a masked figure who was holding him at gunpoint. This turned out to be sixteen-year-old Jimmy Frederick, who had caddied for Thompson earlier that day. The dying Frederick confirmed to witnesses that he had been trying to rob Thompson.
Arnold Rothstein case
On November 4, 1928, Arnold RothsteinArnold Rothstein
Arnold Rothstein , nicknamed "The Brain", was a New York businessman and gambler who became a famous kingpin of the Jewish mafia. Rothstein was also widely reputed to have been behind baseball's Black Sox Scandal, in which the 1919 World Series was fixed...
was murdered, allegedly because he refused to pay his debts from a poker game he believed to have been fixed. This game had been organised by George McManus, who stood trial for the murder but was acquitted. Thompson had been present at the game; and it was he who, in association with one Nate Raymond, allegedly fixed the game, leaving Rothstein with total debts estimated at $500,000. Thompson - who was not present at the shooting - gave evidence at McManus' trial, without revealing his own role in the poker game.
Origin of the nickname
In his own story, published in Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
in 1972, Alvin Thomas said:
Note: Excerpt is re-printed with the permission of the legal owner of the story, Sunbelt Productions, Inc., a Texas corporation.