The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-08 00:00:00

PROO.EEDINGS UNDER THE BETTING-

HOUSE ACT.

, t Towards the close of yesterday afternoon the vicinity
I • of Bow-street Police-court became thronged with a mob
of several hundreds of persons, who were attracted to the
spot by the apprehension of 114 "sporting characters"
and others, in the house of Mr. C. Morbey, of the Rising
San public-house, in Long-acre. In order to accommo-
date the defendants, the court had to be cleared of the
public altogether.
Superintndent Pearce, F division, stated that he held
in his hand a warrant, signed by the commissioners of
police, authorising him to apprehend a number of per-
sons assembled in a public-house known as the Rising
Sun, 66, Long-acre, for betting purposes. Between one
and two o'clock he proceeded with his men to the house,
outside of which there was a crowd of persons, includ-
ing a man named Robert RSTan, who was the check-taker
of the establishment, and whom witness apprehehended
for obstructing the way. Witness then proceeded to the
first-floor front room, in which he heard a voice say "6 to
I" on some horse. Oa entering the room he found 10 or 12
Persons seated round a table, on which there were several
betting-books and a quantity of papers. Witness called
oat, " I amen officer, and you must consideryourselves in
custody. There were 70 persons in the room. Some of
the papers were caught up and thrown into the fire be-
fore he could get them. Witness sent the defendants to
the police-station, where they were searched, a number
of papers, betting-books, &c., being found in their pos-
session, together with very large sums of money, chiefly
in bank-notes, which were not taken from them.
Mr. Jardine—Did you distinguish those on whore
large sums of money were found ?
Witness could point them out.
Mr. Jardine—Did you detect any leaders in the pre-
ceedings
Witness—The parties were admitted on payment of
6d. each, which was collected by Ryan at the door.
The landlord is not present—he was not there ; but one
of the waiters is present. Some of the papers which had
been torn up were afterwards collected, but he had not
since had time to examine them.
Inspector Mitchell deposed to having gone at the same
time into the back parlour of the house, where he found
21 persons similarly occupied. He told them to consider
themselves in custody. While witness was there the
waiter (Lancaster) wanted to enter the room, but wit-
ness refused to admit him. Witness found a book of
handicaps and several sporting papers on the table, be-
sides a portfolio, containing other sporting documents,
lists, &c.
By Mr, Jardine—Heard no observations about bet-
ting, and saw no one take a leading part.
James Merchant, F 111, was about to state that he
had watched the house in plain clothes ever since the
10th of October, when
Mr. Duncombe, solicitor (who attended for several of
the defendants) objected to the evidence.
Mr. Jardine said it might be necessary to show the
character of the house.
The Witness proceeded to state that he had seen most
of the defendants present betting, paying, and receiving
money at Mr. Morbey's house, almost daily, and he once
heard Mr. Morbey, the landlord, say, "I have sold
upwards of 200 tickets, and should have sold a good
many more if it had not been for the superintendent."
The waiters were soliciting orders while this was
going on.
kliAfter some further evidence of a similar character,
Mr. Jardine adjourned the inquiry on the application
of Mr. Duncombe, to enable the defendants to meet the
charge.
The (Intendants were then set at liberty, after being
bound over in their own recognisances of 501. each to
appear on Tuesday next.

LAMBETH.—At this police-court yesterday, Mr.
Henry Naphtali Simmonds, a cigar-shop keeper, at No.
2, High-street, Newington ; Mr. Richard Jenkins, a
picture-dealer, 17, Princes-street, Soh© ; Mr. Edward
White, of No: 6, Halford-terrace, Newington, who de-
scribed himself as a clerk ; and Mr.- Lee Sitnmonds, of
No. 2, High-street, Newington, merchant, were brought
up on a warrant granted by Sir Richard Mayne, and
charged before Mr. Elliott, the former with. keeping a
betting-house, and the three latter with being found at
his betting-house.

Mr. Solomons attended for the defendants.
Mr. John Lund, the superintendent of the P division
of police, produced a report in writing made by him to
the commissioners of police, and a warrant granted and
signed by Sir Richard Mayne, authorising him to enter
the house No. 2, High-street, Newington-butts, kept
and used as a betting-house. On the preceding evening
at about a quarter before eight o'clock, he went to the
house in question, accompanied by three of his serjeants,
and on entering the shop, which was kept as a tobacco-
nist and cigar-shop, he saw the defendant, Henry Sim-
mends, behind the counter, and the other three defen-
dants outside the counter, but same distance np the shop,
speaking to him. Addressing the former he said he
wished to speak to him • and en his getting to the end
of the counter he told hint (Henry Simmonds) he held
a warrant, signed by Sir Richard Mayne, to take him as
well as those he found in the house into custody, on a
charge of keeping a betting-house. He (Mr. Lund) then
read to the party the warrant, which he held, and next
proceeded to search the place. In a small box fitted up
at the upper end of the counter, and surrounded with
scarlet silk curtains, in which there was a desk and a
sort of pigeon-hole for the purpose of receiving money
from outside the counter, he found three books, all re-
lating to horse-racing, and four receipts for newspaper
advertisements, one of which Henry Simmons said world
appear in a morning paper of the following day, and
which he (Mr. Lund) wound see. On further search he
found, in and about the desk, a slate book, a letter, and
several papers and documents, relating to past and
future races, with the odds on the various horses in the
various races. He next proceeded up-stairs, and, in a
drawer in a bed-room, he found 39 dice.

Mr. Elliott.—l suppose these dice had nothing to do
with horse-betting. They are such, I suppose, as are
'died in gambling?

Mr. fund. —They are, sir, and had nothing to do with
horse-racing. He (Mr. Lund) also found in this and
other rooms letters and papers relating to horse-racing.
IN his cross-examination by Mr. Soromons, Mr. Lund
said the place was an open and public cigar-shop and
tobacconist's, and when he entered it he found the de-
fendants together, but Mr. Henry Simmonds was on the
other side of the counter. He asked Henry Simmonds
if he lived there, and he replied that he did. He did not
ask him whether he was the owner or occupier of the
house, and had no recollection of Simmonds telling him
he was not the owner or occupier, but since his capture
he noticed that the name of Rebecca Simmons was
painted over the door, but the name did not correspond
with the colour or appearance of the letters in front of
the shop. The desk he had described, and in which he
found the betting-books, was not a common thing in a
cigar shop, on the contrary, it was quite uncommon.
Respecting the dice, he did not know whether they had
ever been used in play or not. The defendant Henry
Simmons said he had theca by him for a lend h of time,
0
and had taken them for a debt.

Serjeant Qeinnear, IP, said he accompanied his su-
perintendent to the house of the defendant Henry Sim-
moods, and found there a small ledger and a memoran-
dum book, both relating to betting on horse-racing, and
in the latter were entries of 322 bets on horses, Made
within a very short time. He also found on the peeson
of Henry N. Simmonds 11/. 10s. in gold, 1/. 3s 6d. in
silver, and a cheque for 351. Oa Wednesday last he
(Quinnear) was standing near to Simraond's shop, and
seeing a man named Scott come out of it, he got into
conversation with him, and learned from him that he
had taken the odds from Simmonds to 10s. on Little
Harry, and this information he communicated to his
superintendent Mr. Lund. In conclusion, Serjeant
Quinnear said, that on Mr. Lund's speaking to Henry
Simmons in his shop about horse-betting, he (Simmons)
replied, "Yes, I don't deny I bet, and I should be very
happy to make a het with you now to any amount."
Serjeant Worrell, 25 P, said, that on searching the
defendant White he found in his possessiOD a betting-hook
containing several lists, ",Wright's Book of Handicaps
for 1854," " Ruff's Guide to the Turf for 1854," three
letters addressed to him from Newmarket, advising what
horse to back, and several receipts for telegraphic Ines-
sagee forwarded from Newmarket.
• Mr. Lund here called the magistrate's attention to an
entry in the betting-book of Mr. Henry Simmonds, on
the Epsom Handicap, to which the Caine of Scott was
attached, and which was a bet of 4/. to 10s. against
Litle Harry for that race, and called Henry Scott, of No.
7, Edward-street, Penton-place, and who is ono of the
keepers of the Surrey Gardens.
Scott, who appeared in compliance with a summons,
here entered the witness-box, and when sworn said, that
having made up his mind to put a trifle upon Littlella.rry
for hie race on the following day, he went to the house
of Mr. Sinirnonds 2, High-street, Newington, and
,
Seeing Mr. Simmonds there he asked him what the odds
were on Little Harry ? He replied, " Seven to one ;"
nt he said they were eight to one. Mr. Simmonds said
he -would give that, and asked him what amount he
wanted it for, and be replied 10s. He then gave him
a half-Povereign, and he saw Mr. Simmonds make an
entry of the bet in his book.
rr• gelomon—What did you say you were, Mr. Scott ?
..,2rott— A keeper at the Surrey Gardens.
nfixiorm'erlol"aou—Then how long have you been an
Scott—I do notAkrneow what you mean.
Mr. Solomon--
Scott (angrily):-myou not the informer iu this case ?
rt certainly not. When I came
out of Simenonda's
emet Serjeant Quinnear, whom I
have known for many Leann, and addressing me he said,
I suppose you have sporting your money ?" and
I replied, " Yes, I have put half a sovereign on
Little Harry," and that's allstl know about it, beyond
my being summoned here to giveo my evidence.
Mr. Solomon—Then I eie 8e you would not have
about it if
told Serjeant Quinnear anything P
you thought
it would lead to this ?

Scott—Certainly not. (Laughter.)
This being the case on the part of the Frosecution,
Mr. Solomon said he had really nothing to
no evidence whatever had been given to showantraterMars.
Henry Simmonds was the owner, occupier, or keeper
the house in question ; nor that he had been employed
of
by or acting for the owner or occupier ; or had it been
iown that he was in the care or management of it.
Mr. Lund said he was ff.-a condition to show that
Henry Simmonds was continually at the house in ques.
tion, and recalled Serjeant Quinnear.
Mr. Solomon protested against further evidence being
given after the case was closed.
Mr. Elliott, however, waived the objection, and
Serjeant Quinnear deposed to the fact of having con-
stantly seen Simmonds acting in the shop as its owner,
and, in his absence, a young woman, his sister, attended
to the business.
Mr. Solomon again addressed the bench, and con-
tended that, even with this addition to the evidence,