The Gaming Table: Its Votaries and Victims. Volume 2 (of 2)Steinmetz, Andrew
History
The Gaming Table: Its Votaries and Victims. Volume 2 (of 2)
Steinmetz, Andrew
Gambling
'A scandalous scene of violence, which often happens at these places,
but seldom becomes publicly known, on account of the disgrace attending
exposures, occurred lately at a low "hell" in King Street, St James's.
A gentleman who had lost considerable sums of money at various times,
announced his full determination never to come to a place of the sort
again with money. His visits, therefore, were no longer wanted, and
so orders were given to the porters not to admit him again. About two
o'clock on a subsequent night, which happened to be Saturday, he sought
admittance, and was refused. A warm altercation ensued in the passage
between him and the porters, which brought down some of the proprietors.
One of them--a powerful man--a bankrupt butcher--struck him a tremendous
blow, which broke the bridge of his nose, covered his face with blood,
and knocked him down. On getting up he was knocked down again. He arose
once more, and instantly received another blow, which would have laid
him upon his back, but one of the porters by this time had got behind
him, and as he was falling struck him at the back of his head, which
sent him upon his face. The watch had now arrived, into whose hands the
keeper of the "hell" and the porter were given. At the watch-house they
were ordered to find bail. The gentleman was then about quitting, when
he was suddenly called back. A certain little lawyer, who alternately
prosecutes and defends keepers of gaming houses, was sent for. He
whispered to the ex-butcher to charge the gentleman with stealing
his handkerchief and hat, which, it was alleged, had been lost in the
affray. Though nothing was found upon the gentleman, who desired to be
searched, this preposterous and groundless charge was taken, and the
hellites admitted to bail; but the gentleman who had been so cruelly
beaten, being charged with a felony on purpose to cause his detention,
and the power held by magistrates to take bail in doubtful cases not
extending to night-constables, he was locked up below with two wretches
who had stolen lead, and five disorderlies--his face a mass of blood
and bruises--and there detained till Monday morning, in a most pitiable
condition. The magistrate before whom the party appeared on that day,
understanding that the affair took place at a gaming house, dismissed
both complaints, leaving the parties to their remedy at the sessions.'
GAFFING.
Gaffing is or was one of the ten thousand modes of swindling practised
in London. Formerly it was a game in very great vogue among the macers,
who congregated nightly at the 'flash houses.' One of these is described
as follows:--This gaffer laughed a great deal and whistled Moore's
melodies, and extracted music from a deal table with his elbow and
wrist. When he hid a half-penny, and a flat cried 'head' for L10, a
'tail' was sure to turn up. One of his modes of commanding the turn-up
was this: he had a half-penny with two heads, and a half-penny with two
tails.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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