The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-01-22 00:00:00

COURT OF KING'S BENCH, WEDNISDAY, JAN. 21.

[Sittings al IVestmisistee before the I.OBD Cutler Jesricx eel
Special Juries.]
Tilt KING r. troor.
This was an indictment against the defendant. Captain Hook,
for an indecent exposure of his person to a little girl in the Kent-
ish Town stage-coach.
Mr. CHITTY conducted the case for the prosecution, and fully
proved the exposure, but nothing further.
The ATTORNEY•OZNERAL addressed the Jury in feeling
tars, and called.

1/r. Pearson, who proved that the defendant was obliged to act
as he had done, for the sake of his health.
The Jury at once found a verdict of Not Guilty.
GAMBLING.
WILLAN! T. TAYLOR.
This was a penal action under the and Jth of Queen Anne, to
recover the sum of 5621. alleged to have been lost at play, during
the months of March, April, and May, 11h*2, by William Winans,
the brother of the plaintiff; in a house, No. 37 and 58, in Pall_
mall, kept by the defendant, and also to recover a per.alty of 19581.
being treble the amount of the sum Icst.

M 7. PAT T ISOH opened the pleadings.
Mr. C. PHILLIPS stated the case. The action, he said, was in.
stituted under a particular statute, passed foe the purpose of repres-
sing the dangerous, and, unhappily, ton prevalent vice of gaming.
The brother of the plaintiff was one of those who had fallen victims
to this ruinous propensity. lie was previously a young gentleman
of very respectable family, by whom he had been established in the
wine trade. Unfortunately he had been introduced to the defen-
dant's gaming-house. He frequented It for a considerable period.
and through his continual ill luck, lost upwards of one thou.
sand four hundred pounds. Ills friends, finding him sunk in
poverty, separated from his partner, and compelled to wait it
pecuniary assist ante from them required an explication of the
mode in which he bad dissipated his money. The truth was then
revealed,and it was determined by his brother.the plaintiff, to insti-
tute the present action for the recovery of such part of his losses as
would fall within the period prescribed by law. By the statute un-
der which this action was brought, it was provided, that Vat one
sitting any person lust a sum exceeding 101. at a common gaming-
house, he might within three months recover the same, and a pe-
nalty of treble the amount of the sum lost from the keeper of the
gaining-house. If the loser omitted to bring the action for his
own benefit, any third party might institute proceedings fur the
recovery of the sum lost, and the penalty, provided the action was
commenced within twelve months of the period of the loss. The
plaintiff had availed himself of this salutary statute to proceed
against the defendant, in whose house his brother had been beg-
wired. The Jury would hear from the unfortunate young gentle-
man himself the tale of his ruin. From his evidence it would op-
pear, that he had been liberally supplied by his friends, and that
during the months of March and April. he had almost every night
in the defendant's house lost large sums at the game of more
et noir. There were two other witnesses whom it was intended to
adduce in corroboration of his testimonfy, but it was to be appre-
hended that they would not appear that day before the jury. By
some means they had been induced latterly to keep themselves out
of the way of the plaintiff's solicitor. They had been regularly
subpana'd, and would, if they were not forthcoming, be called
upon their subptona. IVithout their evidence, however, the case
would be fully substantiated by the testimony of the plaintifl"s bro.
the. The learned Counsel conciuded an address of great ability
with an eloquent invective against the sordid vice by which las
client's brother had been infatuated to his ruin.
Mr. William Wiliam' ass then sworn.—l am the brother of the
plaintiff: I know the house No. 57 and tdi, Pall-tualL In March,
iti22, it was kept by the defendant. It was a common gambling.
house. The game played was rouge et noir. I was introduced
there on the 15th of pant,. I was there again on the 20th, and
played at rouge et noir, and lost 25L--I'l'he witness then read Iron
! a written memorandum a stat_nient of the sums he had lost, and
the dates when, from the 211th of 313/Cll to the la of May, inch,.
sive. The total amount of these aunts was 1a2.1. The largest item
war, :Sprit 5, 1061.1—At that time I did business on the istmk
Exchange. Previously I was a wine.merehant. The dependant
I was always present wlitm I was there. lie presided at the talilc.
I cid aettled disputes between the players. I once saw him at
house at ....le corner of Ilulton-street, where I went at the request of
my mother. I told him why I woo there. Ile said, " I hate re.
coved letters, saying yoo have lost money at my house, but I deh't
• recollect your person.' I expreased my surprise. Ille then scat
fro a dealer at the gambling-house in Pall-niall. When he came
the deakr said he recollected my face. The defendant said to :la.
dealer, " This gentleman Say* 'he has lost 1.100:. in my house
dot you know any thing of it ?" The dealer said, " I think he
must be mistaken, as he only played for small sums." The .le.
tendant asked me if I 1,4/married. I answered in the aflinnstiy..
lie said, that had he known that fart he would not hate allowed
nu to enter his house. 11 e asked me w hat he could do for etc.
told him it was is very unpleasant business en which I came. hit
that I was acting according to my mother's deAire, and that -I e
wished lie should return time the money I !ma lost. Ile said in
would either pay hack the trotter or procure me a situation under
Gor ernnier.t, or in sm..e public cffire. I said I would consider
it in no occasion do I recollect that any person on en!erirg 1.1•2
defendant's house was asked whether he 14.14 marrird, or a huh,' ?
The game was played by six packs of cards against the Lep"- u:
the house. There were wines, spirits, cakes, anti every thing n...
at the expense of the house.
_ . _

rots-examined by the Ar T n sir v-tir I: II 1..- y cettai,:ir
not rely on meniory for dates and sums; I wrote !hem down at tin•
time, night by night. not all at the same time. The arconnt I:-
gins on the 13th of March, just twelve months before the urn ,r.tN
sued out. I will swear that the memorandum, frown which I I:t•::
read the IWCOUIII of the sums lost, was written every night after I
returned hem from the table. I always used to put down the
su:rs I had lost or won. I began to fruptent the defendant'shousr
in February, 1321. I was introduced hr a Mr. East. 1 lw:iw
Maier Iforger, hut never saw bits till 1 met hiai there. I was 2t
tl:g ULM:. lb. Bury-street. I have been at It), liing.street. I

qnlll.