Valparaiso (Indiana) Vidette-Messenger, November 7, 1936, p. 1+. NOTE: The
item below was abbreviated from a lengthier article as noted by the
ellipsis. For the most part, the information excluded was repetitious of
information from other newspaper articles put on the INORANGE Rootsweb list
today.
FRENCH LICK GAMBLER SHOT BY EX-PARTNER
Detroit Slayer Turns Gun on Self after Quarrel Over Money in Hot Springs
Hotel Room
Hot Springs, Ark., Nov 7--The fiction-like career of Edward Ballard, 62,
millionaire founder of internationally-known gambling resorts at French Lick
and West Baden, Ind., was ended last night by a bullet fired by a former
associate who then killed himself...
Ballard was born on a farm near West Baden, one of five children of a poor
family. His first business venture was a saloon in West Baden. Then he
became a croupier in a club in the West Baden Springs Hotel and by 1900 had
saved enough money to buy the resort. In 1909 he bought the famous Brown
Hotel in French Lick Springs and founded the gambling resort that made him
famous.
He instituted a system that forbade a croupier to address a player by his
name. All guests were known to employees by their initials only.
Other rules at Brown's prohibited natives of French Lick and West Baden from
entering the gambling rooms, barred intoxicating liquor from the rooms,
required that all patrons appear in evening dress and barred employees from
any form of gambling.
As the money poured in, Ballard branched out into the circus business. He
acquired the Hagenback and Wallace, John Robinson, Sells Floto, and Yankee
Robinson shows After a "war" with Ringling Brothers, he finally sold all
his circus interests to Ringlings.
When business fell off at his West Baden Springs hotel, Ballard, in his
quick-decision manner, donated the entire property to the Jesuit order in
August 1934. The Jesuits established a college in the buildings once
occupied by the famous gambling house.
Ballard, on the same day, sold his French Lick holdings to a cousin, Norman
Ballard, who has since been operating Brown's.