The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-22 00:00:00

FLASH BETTING AT TATTERSALL'S.
TO THE EDITOR OF BELL'S LIFE.
• Sir,—lt has long been the boast of racing men
that whatever attacks are made against themselves
or their profession, they are enabled to rely for able
defence and refutation upon that portion of the
press devoted to their exclusive interests. It matters
little to them individually what calumnies may be
.propounded respecting their character, or reflections
cast upon their avocations, for they can always
point with honest pride to you and your contem-
poraries for an able refutation and irresistible reply.
The past season has, more than any of its predeces-
sors, called for the exercise of this power, and man-
fully have you displayed it. With a fearlessness of
expression, and force of argument, that has obtained
commendation even from those antagonistic to our
cause; the sporting press has resisted, and finally
defeated the false logic of the anti-turfite's plea.
You have now, I submit, another duty to perform
—not to combat with hostile prejudice, but to resist
an abuse at home—to expose a growing evil in our
own ranks which calls for instant remedy and sup-
pression. The experience of the last month will at
once reveal the practice to which I allude--that of
systematically deceiving and imposing upon the
reporters at Tattersall's, in making up their list of
quotations. Sir, as a member of the Room, I speak
advisedly and from experience upon this point. I
have seen the reporters repeatedly informed of bets
which have never been laid, and induced by mis-
representation to return a list very foreign to the
correct state of the market at the time; and, further,
I have seen this fraud practised by men of high
position in the Room, whose status would appear
sufficient to absolve them from so unworthy and
mean a proceeding. During the past month the
" state of parties" at Tattersall's has been some-
thing like the following :—A certain clique
own a horse of most inferior pretensions in
the Chester Cup, whom, hgwever' they fancy
sufficiently to invest upon at "long shots,"
in the expectation of getting him well in. Another
body, which we will suppose is stationed at the
Opposite part of the room, have the same end in
view, and are pursuing a similar course. A member
of the former party informs your reporter that 50
to 1 has been taken about the hopeful representa-
tive of the latter body, adding, however, with gra-
tuitous effrontery, that he should like to take 40 to
1, if he could get it. Scarce has he left, when the
scene is reversed, and the same information is ten-
dered by the opposite side. The reporter makes
out his list, and of course each party repudiates the
quotation which refers to itself, while the disin-
terested members, knowing neither to be true, dis-
claim both. Your representatives are, therefore,
rendered totally unfit to discharge their duties sa-
tisfactorily, and : from what bets are legitimately
made being transacted in a corner of the room,
or outside, or purposely kept from the know-
ledge of the reporters, they cannot bring
their own etperience to bear upon the return
they compile, and the country is thereby supplied
with a list of quotations made up to suit the
particular interests of certain individuals. In all
sincerity I pity those who attend the. Subscription-
room to report the proceedings, because they most
unjustly become accused of interested motives in
entering these " cooked" quotations, and however
acute and careful they may be, it is impossible for
them to sift the dross from the ore, the truth from
the invention. Moreover, the ulausibility with
which the imposition is effected is seen from the
mode of action adopted by the perpetrators in care-
lessly opening their book and in either reading to
the reporters bets which are now entered therein,
or with a view to stronger confirmation wilfully
entering fictitious ones, and showing them. These
facts are indisputable, and two or three parties are
notorious for playing off this trick, which must be
exposed, and that speedily, or we shall have them
made the text for another ridiculous effusion from a
certain author who now lives on his former reputa-
tion by exhibiting himself to the British public at
the small charge of a shilling a head ! The matter
should at once be taken up by the committee of the
Room, and duly considered by them. I confess at
present I see no remedy further than abstaining
from any quotations before the weights for handi-
caps appear—a proceeding, however, which would
not half effect the cure, as the game is equally
played with " dead 'uns" for the Derby and other
races. This much, however, I may say, that when
the Turf and its adherents are next attacked, or
when the social position of the betting man is next
assailed, he cannot expect the sporting press to
defend the cause of those who so wilfully and un-
blushingly impose upon its representatives in their
efforts to faithfully discharge an onerous public
duty.—l enclose my card, and am, sir, your obedient
servant,
AN INDEPENDENT MEMBER OF TATTERSALL'S.

[We cordially re-echo the above sentiments, and
have repeatedly endeavoured to baffle the designing
efforts of the class referred to by our correspondent,
but the practice is continued with such unblushing
effrontery that it now only remains for the Com-
mittee to interfere.—ED. Bell's Life.]