The Sun.
London, England, 1847-11-23 00:00:00

CONVICTION OF GAMBLERS

At the Leeds Court-house, on Monday, no less
:han eight parties, proprietors of booths or stalls in
the Free-Market, during the recent fair, at each of
which a " wheel of fortune" was kept, were arraigned
before the presiding magistrates, Francis Carbutt
(the Mayor), and Edward Baines, Esqrs. Their
names were Julia Bromley, Martha Lee, Thomas
Sykes, Chistopher and Mary Ann Seed, R. Chapman,
and James Wilkinson and his son_
The parties were charged under the sth Geo. IV.,
chap. 83, which provides that " every person playing
or betting in any street, road, highway, or other
open and public place, at or with any table or in-
strument of gaming, at any game, or pretended game
of chance," shall be deemed a rogue and vagabond,
and shall render him or herself liable to be impri-
soned for a period not exceeding three months. The
first case proceeded with was that of Julia Bromley.
Mr. Superintendent James, of the Leeds police,
stated that the prisoner had been cautioned on Satur-
day morning that she must not keep a " wheel of
fortune " in the market, as it was illegal. When,
however, he went into the market on the evening of
Saturday, he saw her standing at her stall, with a
tin box, containing a number of tickets, which she
invited parties to draw at a penny each. She was
surrounded by a number of boys and girls, many of
whom were trying their :luck by putting in their
pence, and he saw them draw out tickets and receivs
some trifling article.
This statement was confirmed by two of the police.
Mr. Naylor, who appeared for the whole of the
prisoners, contended that this case did not come
within the meaning of the statute—that the act of the
prisoner could not be construed an act of vagrancy,
inasmuch as she was exercising what he contended
was a lawful calling—a kind of commercial spe-
culation.

The magistrates, however, thought otherwise, and
sentenced the prisoner to seven days' imprisonment in
the borough gaol.
The case of Martha Lee was exactly similar to the
above, and she was sentenced to a similar term of
imprisonment.
In the case of Thomas Sykes, Mr. James stated that
the prisoner was one of the parties who had been ap-
prehended by the police on the previous week, under
the Leeds Improvement Act. After it had been de-
cided by the magistrates that the clause did not apply
to the case, he threatened him (Mr. James) through
his attorney, with an action if he did not restore him
a " wheel of fortune," which had been seized by the
police.
_ _

- Kell deposed that the prisoner kept a stall in the
market on Saturday night, which was covered at both
ends, and at various times, between six and ten
o'clock, he heard him invite parties to try their luck
in the wheel of fortune. He had seen several persons
put in a shilling each, and draw out articles not worth
above 2d. or 3d. lie had examined the tickets in
the box, and he found that it contained about 200.
Out of the whole of these there were only about
three prizes worth from is. to 4s. each, and a clock
that might be of the value of 12s. The rest of the
200 tickets were for articles varying from id. to 3d.
or 4d. The value of the whole of the articles which
these tickets represented would not exceed 31., if they
would amount to so much ; so that, reckoning the
200 tickets at is. each, the prisoner would clear 71.

by the contents of each wheel, without risking a shil-
ling. But this was not all; parties after drawing one
ticket with which they were dissatisfied, put in an-
other 6d. and drew again, and thus they went on until
they had spent perhaps os. or 10s., or emptied their
pockets, without getting an article worth the sum
they had at first adventured.

Mr. Naylor contended that the prisoner must be
acquitted, on the ground, first, that he was a licensed
hawker, and, secondly, that, as he lived in the booth,
it did not come under the description "street or
public highway."
The magistrate overruled the objections, and the
prisoner was committed to the borough gaol for seven
days. _

All the other prisoners were likewise convicted,
and sentenced to a similar term of imprisonment,
except the elder Wilkinson, against whom the offence
was not proved.—Leeds Mercury.

REMOVAL OF THE QUADRANT ARCADE.—A corre-
spondent of the Builder says—" The announcement in
your last number relative to the proposal by the Com-
missioners of Woods to remove the Quadrant Arcade,
cannot be allowed to pass unnoticed. The object they
can have in doing so it is difficult to conceive; for as au
architectural feature it is equally pleasing and unique,
and forms a most graceful termination to the street;
besides which it is one of the few places in London
where there is a footway sheltered from the weather. If
the objection to it is the description of loungers for
whom it forms an attraction, that is easily prevented, as
it has lately been by the police, or by the erection of
such a number of additional arcades in the newly-form-
ing streets, that one should not be more attractive than
another; or if the deficiency of light to the shops is un-
satisfactory to the inhabitants, the roof may easily be
made almost entirely of glass. While Paris rejoices in
its Palais Royale and galleries, Venice in its Piazza, and
Berne and other cities in their arcades, the convenience
and beauty of which are so strikingly felt by all who
visit them, why should a feature possessing originality
as well as beauty and propriety, be swept away to
gratify some foolish prejudice?"—[lt is only right to say,
that this step has been forced on the Commissioners by
the inhabitants of the houses.)
JUVENILE OFFENDERS.
C. S. Greaves, Esq.,
--
barrister, has just published a practical commentary on
the recent Act of Parliament applying to criminal
juvenile offenders, and concludes his preface with the
follwing suitable observation:—" To magistrates who
may be called upon to deal with cases under the pro-
visions of this statute, I would observe that they have a
most critical and anxious duty to dischatge; and I would
entreat of them, upon every occablOn when a juvenile
offender is brought before them, to reflect that they are
placed in a position of judgoy and jurymen; that the
defendant is almost a child; that his destiny in life may
be for ever fixed by their decision; and that that decision
is final and conclusive, and neither open to appeal, nor
any other proceedings, by means of which the merits of
the case can be reconsidere_cli; or any error into which
b
they may have fallen can
corrected." This most
wholesome recommendation cannot be too gravely con-
sidered by justices who now have to deal with criminal
juvenile offenders whose age
does not exceed fourteen
years; and will entirely de upon the acts of justices
in carrying out this nznediPin3clnent whether it becomes
popular or whether
words, beneficial andered unpopular, or, in other
.palatable, or whether mischievous
and distasteful. Let it have "a fair trial" before the
public pronovace
si judgment.
THE REV. DR. CORESBY.—Our late vicar, the Rev. Dr. Scoreshyo,nisthagain on a visit to the new world. Ho
left this country
Ls
have
of October, and we are glad
to hear that accoun lave been received of his safe
larrival at the ¶dace of his destination.—Bradford
Observer.