The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-10-09 00:00:00

SUICIDE OF A GARBLING PRINCE.

The Paris correspondent of the Times, writing on
Tuesday, says: Prince Melissano, a member of one
of the best Neapolitan families, committed suicide
this afternoon on returning from his club, where he
had seen his name posted up as a defaulter. The
Paris clubs, whose chief revenue is derived from their
tax on gambling and gamblers. have adopted a rule
which strikes at the honour of gamblers, inasmuch as
the tribunals do not recognise gambling debts. When
a player does not meet his obligations in the time
allowed him by his creditor his name is written on a
piece of white paper pasted on a mirror. The de-
faulter is thus debarred from taking his seat at any
gaming table until the disqualification ceases. In some
clubs rehabilitation is surrounded with insuper-
able difficulties and formalities, while in others
the mere payment of the debt is sufficient for the re-
covery of all privileges, the chief object being to keep
up the credit and resources of the club. Octave
Fouillet, in his Chamillac, has made this placarding
the basis of his plot; but he has exaggerated the con-
sequences, for it is quite admissible to solicit and
obtain time for payment. Prince Melissano lost some
time ago £6O, for the payment of which small sum he
had asked and obtained time. It must be stated that
Prince Melissano had lost at the same club more than
£20,0000 within two or three years, that he had often
applied for time, and made payment at the date pro-
mised. His creditor on this as on previous occasions
had placed the debt en carte as it is called, that is to
say, he deposited in the hands of the proper official a
card, stating that the Prince was to pay yesterday
£6O. The time having expired without the
amount being paid, the official published the
fact. Prince Melissano himself, it appears, was not
thinking about it, for this morning he was quite free
from care and in good spirits, as I am informed by
two of his friends who breakfasted with him. At two
o'clock he left them and went to the club. He entered
in a natural and lively way, when he noticed his name
stuck up against the mirror. He went close to the glass,
looked at it, and then, without saying a word, took up
his hat and went home. There he placed a loaded
revolver against his right temple, discharged it, and
fell dead. Whatever the misfortunes which gambling
in clubs has caused here, whatever can be said
against those who gamble habitually, and those
who encourage them, in this case gambling and
the placarding were not the sole causes of this
lamentable suicide. No doubt the posting up of the
name was the last drop which made the cup run
over; but it had long been filled to the brim. For a
considerable time those who watched with some atten-
tion the movements of the Prince asked each other,
when they happened to see him, "How is this going
to end?' For my own part, I have only met him
once or twice, and on these occasions I found him
lively, good natured, and well-bred. I supposed him to
lead the life of one of those Grands Seigneurs whose
luxgriousness is so well supported as to be almost
monotonous. But those of my friends who knew
him better undeceived me, and gave me a glimpse of
the gulf on wh;ch this deceptive exi.tence floated.
More than six years ago the Prince had spent
his last farthing, yet since then had lived in this dis-
trustful, yet credulous Paris, like a man worth
£15,000 or £20,000 a year, without doing anything
rendering him amenable to the tribunals. He had
made the business of getting into debt a science, and
most of his creditors alio% ed their claims to increase,
in ordernot to have to confess that the money was sunk,
and that so charming a nobleman was hopelessly in-
solvent. To such a length did he carry the art, that
he created fresh resources, partially paying off a frac-
tion of the army of old creditors at the expense of new
ones. This was especially the case with gambling debts;
and by the irony of fortune it is a gambling debt
which has hastened the inevitable wind up of this
artificial existence. With half the talent employed in
keeping up his position for six years, the Prince might
have become a benefactor to mankind, by devoting
himself to some social or scientific problem. But his
tastes did not lie in that direction, and for years those
who knew or guessed his position were in daily ex-
pectation of a crash. To-morrow they will cease to
speculate on his situation, and will learn that this
difficult but barren struggle, so ardent, yet so futile,
has ended in the inevitable fall. The Prince was only
a little over 40 years old.

WRECK OF A BRITISH VESSEL.
TWO CAPTAINS POISONED.

Information has been received at Plymouth of the
wreck of the Arabella, of Belfast, during a gale at
Barbadoes. The crew were saved in their boat.
Before the Arabella left Rio de Janeiro for Barbadoes
Captain Harris was shipped in place of Captain David
.Tack, of Belfast, who was poisoned by his own
steward. One morning the captain of the barque
Sarah, of Belfast, breakfasted with Captain Jack, on
board the Arabella. They ate a quantity of tripe, and
soon afterwards they were seized with illness, the
symptoms being those of poisoning. Emetics were
given to the captains, but both died within a few
hours in great agony. The steward of the Arabella,
a native of Belfast, who cooked the tripe, was
arrested by the authorities, and up to the time of the
ship's departure had not been tried. Poison was
found in the par in which the tripe was cooked.

TFIFRE are beauty and a use in feebleness also. Al
are not made alike. God, who cuts no two leaves
upon a tree after the 63me invariable model, shapes
also His soul-work after His own will, variouov,