England -- Social life and customs; Gambling -- Great Britain
“Those seats of vice (the gaming-houses) which for some time past have
existed in the Quadrant, appear to be done up, as, since Saturday,
not one of them has been opened. Since the five persons have been
apprehended, the visitors have been extremely scarce; nor was their
confidence restored, even by the proprietors having the chain up at
the street door, coupled with a fellow’s being employed at each of the
hells, to patrol before the different establishments, for the purpose
of giving the requisite information as to who sought admission into
those dens of destruction. Although a very active search has been made
for the purpose of ascertaining what has become of Daly, the clerk
of the Athenæum Club-house, who left that establishment on the 8th
instant, no trace had been found of him—one of the many lamentable
cases of loss of character and ruin which overtake those who suffer
themselves to be lured into those houses. Daly, who enjoyed the
confidence of the whole of the members, was suddenly missed on the
above day. On looking over his papers, a diary was found, from which
it appeared that he had lost large sums of money at No. 60, and, as
it has since been ascertained he was there on the previous day, it is
supposed that he lost twenty-four £5 notes, at play, which belonged to
his employers. Upon this discovery being made, some gentlemen of the
Athenæum waited on the parish officers, to ascertain whether they could
not put a stop to the gaming-houses. It was, however, found that it
could not be done unless some person would come forward and identify
those at play; a relation of Daly accordingly went to the house and
supplied the necessary proof. It was at this establishment, a few
months since, the foreigners who had been fleeced made an attempt to
rob the bank; and, shortly after that, placards were posted on the
walls in the neighbourhood of the Quadrant, cautioning persons from
going into any of the hells, as drugged wine was invariably given to
those who were going to play.”
May 9th: “Three prisoners, out of six, answered to the indictment of
keeping and maintaining a common gaming-house, and pleaded guilty.
The prosecuting counsel, Mr Clarkson, said that the house in question
was situate No. 4 Regent’s Circus, six doors from the house which was
lately prosecuted. He should have been able to prove that on February
the 7th, 9th, 12th, and 14th last, the games of _rouge et noir_ and
_roulette_ were played for sums varying from one sovereign to one
shilling. He should also have proved that on some one, or on all those
occasions, the defendants acted in the capacities of doorkeeper,
banker, and waiter. He (Mr Clarkson) was informed by the officers of
St James’s parish, that, at the last Sessions there were twenty-seven
houses of this description situate therein, and out of that number
only two had been closed in the interval, but three new ones had been
opened, so that the number had been increased rather than otherwise.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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