The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-10-18 00:00:00

ENGLISH Gd MING-HOUSES.

Extract of a letter from England, originally published in the
New York logairer.
" It was a' • much earlier hour in the morning than you sober
New Yorkers are familiar whh that G.— and myself put our-
arises into a hackney coach, and ordered the driver to set us down
at • No. --, Pall Mall.' After knocking at the door very signifi-
candy, we heard some chains let down and bolts withdrawn, and we
were admitted into • hall, at the further extremity of which was an
iron door, with a small view-hole in the centre. Through this we
were reconnoitred tor a minute or two, when that door also opened,
and we walked into an ante-room, where three men were sitting at
• table, engaged, as it would appear, in reading newspapers. (
being pretty well known, pencilled me as his friend, and we were
then conducted `.y one of the men up a flight of stairs, through two
other tatting doors, and ushered into a splendid suit of apartments
filled with gaining table,' and gamesters. Before I describe • the
play!' let use explain the meaning of
.these bolts, bars, and pre-
cautions.
" darning is, In this country, expressly forbidden by law. The
Secretary of State has irsued imperative commands to the Police
Magistrates to Kuppreut the public gaming-houses. In several in-
minces informations have been made on oath, warrants granted, and
the Bow-street Justicos, with a poser of constables, made their way,
by stratagem or force, into the houses, and sent all the inmates,
without respect to persons,' to the watch-house, and some of them
afterwards to the tread-mill. Hence these numerous precautions
and fortifications on the part of the keepers. Yet they are not al-
ways sutlicient to frustrate :he cunning of the Bow-street officers.
These fellows have sometimes contrived the most ingenious me-
thods of getting into the lonises. One of them, in the disguise of
• Russian oiliest of distinction, with fierce whiskers, mustachios,
spurs, &,. presented himself at the door, and with broken unintel-
ligible English, aid now and then an -imperfect mention of some
well-known name, was admitted into the sanctuary. In a few mo-
ments lie walked up to the table, seized as much money as he could,
pulled off his whiskers, drew a pistol, and said, • Gentlemen. I
ant a police officer—my mane is Bishop—Sir Richard !Ernie, with
the patrol, is at the corner of the street ; you must surrender
quietly —and they did. On another occasion, some officers, in
broad day-light, put a ladder against the second-lieor window,
mounted, and aton upon the gamblers like a thunder-clap. Some-
times these seizures are attended with ludicrous circumstances. (In
the first intimation of an ai tack, the initiates take to their heels,
and scatter aOh exemplary rapidity throughout the house. Bed-
MOTs, coal-cellars, water-closets, &c. &c. are chosen indiscrimi-
nately as places of refuge. Once two of the players ran into an un-
ccupied bed-room, pulled off their coats, and Jumped under the
sheets. and, when the officers entered, were snoring moat musically.
They tried to pass themselves off as servants of the house, but
Bishop addressed one of them by his title of • Sir Henry
The other was a dealer at the table. They were both 'marched off
to the watch-house.

" A poor devil once hid himself under a heap of coals in vain ;
he was detected, and when brought to the police office. as black as
a chimney-sweep, the Magistrate drily remarkcd, t It is quite in
etaracter that a man jast taken front b—II should lie so black as
the At another time the frightened herd were .etts at mid-
day seurpering over the roofs of the houses in Pall-mall, to the in-
finite amusement of the crowd below. I heard of one person who
escaped very ing.niously. Ile had, on the first alarm, thrown
himself into a water-butt, and when the officers came into the yard,
he drzw his head under wryer, and so fortunately chided their vigi-
' Pince. Whilst on this topic. let me tell you an anecdote of a police
magistrate, Mr. K—e. Four years ago he was a dashing lawyer
about town, anti ruined his firtunes by play. By "AIM good lurk
he married the daughter of A—. time worthy army agent, and
was made a polite magistrate. When a gang of these poor cap-
tives was one day broitzit before hint, after looking attentively for
a moment at a card mat ked with the run of the game. he burst out,
_

• A run of bimetal upon the red ! If I had been there I would
have broken the bank.' Th,e is one of those instances of the
passion' being strong' even upon the Bench, anti is only
to be mil:died by the lady, who having once been a cat, could never
see a mouse without slaying it. You perceive, therefore, the ne-
cessity which the gamesters are wider of verifying the old law
maxim, and converting their' 'mime' into • castles.'
" In tete of the apartments of No. was a superb rouge el noir
table. I think I described this game to you in one of my letters
from Paris. The table was surroundet by about twenty persona,
meat of them very geethenaely in their appearance and manners.
but nearly all of them dis pleying in their faces the marks of violent
passion. It is impossible for uny man to play high without being
strongly excited. I have heard the contrary wetted, but do not
believe it. The French and Italiena are singularly vtliement alien
the luck turns against them. At Naples, I remember to have seen,
one Sunday (for the public gaming. homes are 11:12r1 on Sundays in
Italy), a poor Sicilian Noblemen clash his head in agony ageineet the
wall, and then throw himself furiously on the floor. During
my first vita to Paris, whilst standing in the Paled& Royal,
we heard the report of a pistol : it was an officer of the
Garb fetperiak, who had nist blown his brains nut. Only
a few week. ago Captain hl --a. of the British army,
rushed frum a gaming-house in Pall-mall into St. James's Park,
and hung himself. Ile was cut down, and his features being re-
cognised, he was borne to his father's house, in Harley-street. The
body had scarcely been laid down in the entrance-hall. when a
menage drove up with his Fluent, who had just returned from a
fwil ! These are instances within my own knowledge of the fatal
excitement of the gaming tattle. True, I was toe! of an English-
man in Pads who hour like a stoic a owniletweit eseiseef loentee dmmd
when spoken to of his calmness, he tore open his waistcoat, and
showed hi. bosom, bleeding from the wounds he had inflicted on
himself in his silent despair.
" The night I was in Poll-mall stems were betted by route of
the playeys as high as 2501. (nearly 1.200 each comp;
others dabbled in n petty way, rarely. exceeding Si. The email
players were generally lousiest in their execrations against bad
fortune. At one time you might see 1,5001. at a lime on the table.
As the keeper have an enormous per eentage on all money played,
it is easy to imagine their profit.. Some of them are very rich :
Critifiekl is said to be worth 141,0001. Taylor must be a great deal
richer; his dwelling-house is in the Breen-park, in the midst of the
nobility, filled with plate and pictures. Crockford is worth nearly
half a million sterling. So with the rest. These persons have all risen
(might I not eayees//en) from the meanest grades of society, by ad-
ministering to the bad passions of our nature. Over the house 1
visited a clergyman presides--the famous Parson Ambrose, of
whom Byron speaks, and who is so notorious throughout England.
Among the haulers (players) was H— B—, formerly a partner
in the wealthy house of and Co., who married Miss B—m,
of Philadelphia. He is a sad instance of this destructive passion
a few years ago he was enormously rich, but his fortune is now
greatly diminished ; he is c constant frequenter of the gaming-
houses in Paris and London ; at one sitting in Paris he won up.
wards of 40,0001. sterling. Near him was Hughes Ball. formerly
termed, from his immense wealth, the Golden Ball. His father
was an illegitimate KW of Admiral Hughes, who left him a
mine of wealth. This young man is very handsome and very silly,
and, after flirting a great deal with Lady Jane P—, tan off with
and married Mereandotti, the opera dancer. 'He bought the country
seat of the Duke of York for about 100,000 dollars. By an assi-
duous frequenting of the gaming-tabie he has greatly dipped his
fortune. He has been cheated and plucked by all the swindlers in
town. It is suppmed that lie must be ruined before long'.
." I was much struck by the eppearance of an interesting young
man. who seemed to be a martyr to the passion. Oct inquiry, I
found he was the son of the late celebrated Sir S— R---. This
youth was left upwards of 80,04101. at his father's untimely death,
and en coning of age he acquired a passion for play, wnieh has
resulted in leaving him o beggar. Colonel It—, who for thirty
years has been a regular votary of these houses, was painted out
to me. He is a solitary instance of a regular gambler not being
made an outesst and mendicant. By some wonderful self-wit.
mand, he limits his play to a certain stake, and has managed to
make its source of support. %Fell for him that he has, for otherwise
he must hare starved. R--y, the fo rner friend of Miss Foote, was
pointed out to me; he lea fine bu t d issi anted looking man, who rarely
gambles ; his propensities are of another sort, and he is generally too
prudent to hazard much money at play ; he was in great luck this
night, and I was informed had already won above 5,000 dollars.
Loud A—y, who passes fur being the smartest talker In fashionable
soclety, (since Bruininell's fall,) was pedthing in ten-pound no:es,
and it was eiteessively amusing to watch his rosy fat face, and listen
to his good-natured anathemas against bad cards. The Marquis of
W----r, of Whom Harriette Wilson (I suppose her scandalous Me-
mein have reached you be fhis time) writes so much interesting and
pathetic falsehood. leaned, half asleep, against the wall, completely
• cleaned out.' lie had lost about 41h11., and B—y refused to
, lend him more. ' You know, W—, I abominate play. It is a
very foolish and immoral liable I cannot think of encouraging
your vicious propensities by lending you soy teal. Jc your faire
ranter /a &mpg', and then let us decamp. flo to sleep for half an
hour.' falking of Si heti Horrific, her new husband, is soialisant
Colonel, was in another apartment, playing hazard. He is a worth-
less. vitenthond, who has resided in had the pets in the metropolis,
and who lived by hie wits, until Miss Harriette thought proper to
make him the partner of her fortune', and 08 guardian of her
honour.
" I will not disgust you by extending this eatalligue any further:
There were several other persons present where names have been
borne far and wide on the breath of notoriety, but I cannot descend
to be their poet. Paulo nufjoro eneaumr. Ont of four magnificent
chambers, two were devoted to gambling. In one rouge et noir,
in the other /wetted and ruxleffe. All of them full. lii the third
chamber tables of a more tempting kind were set out, covered with
all sorts of eatables: and a profusion of delicious and expensive
wines. You had only to look, and ritual a dozen waiters in rich live-
ries were at your aide. This prodigal attention to the wants of the
players is one of the means by which they are attracted. As to the
wires being drugged, or any dishonesty in the dollen, it is nonsense
to say so. The chances of the bank are so certain that any unfair
management is wholly unneeres try. The fourth room is of a more
private kind. When you have lost all your cash, you have only to
walk in there and give your note or your cheek, and (provided you
are known to he good) you are furnished immediately. I have
heard that Mr. H— 11—g has, in one night. borrowed in this
way, upwards of 10,0001., being the money he had himself pre-
vim's', Inst.
" Well, what think you of myinitiation into a Hell ?' All
this is smooth, fascinating, and innocent, [innocent?] on the sur-
face, but underneath is suffering, sorrow, shame, despair. The
annala of London society are tilled with melancholy testimonies
against these temples of extravagance and rain. Thank Heaven I
they are not yet introduced into our younger and more innocent
country. Heaven grant they never may be."
* Since this letter was written, we pereive from Engliskt mph
that this person has been obliged to quit England on mese
IT. • :
1.:111bilIf&IWIler..14•••••IP

- 1
2

- 2
3