The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-13 00:00:00

LAWS OF GAMING.

MINUTES oF EVIDENCE ATTACHED TOPOI
REPORT OF THE SELECT COMMITTED
GAMING. Ordered by the House of Commons
be printed, May 29, 1844.
It is our present purpose to give extracts from 5
tl,
evidence of one of the witnesses only who were f„,
amined by this Committee. The evidence of
Crockford, now deceased, is certainly one of the It,
curious, guarded, qualified, and astute pieces of 111!
timony, ever given by a reluctant party, anxious;
screen himself from all implications and consequen,i,
which might be contingent hereafter on his ansvfrer
The reader will bear in mind that the Committes.y,
amining at the time consisted, including the ohs
man, of nine persons. Out of these nine gentle
we are perhaps quite within the mark in saying;t
four, at least, had been either members of, or 1
one time or other, played at the magnificent hells
the head-quarters of imperial gaming—in St. Jame'
street.
Thursday, 28th March, 1844. William Crook(
" Esquire,' examined : • 01
Chairman—Have you been made a defendant'? so
of the qui tam actions which have lately been made
„fil
subject of Parliamentary interference tinclersv-
so, but no writ has been served upon me. 0
Chairman—lf any questions should be put to yo,/
the matters with reference to which those actions u
been brought, and where your answers may be injuil,o
to you, the Committee desire you to understand th.„'"O'
your stating that to be the fact, those questions Wu'
be proposed.
What is your occupation ?—I have no occupatiol3l
nerally speaking ; I am concerned in mines and
things.
Are you the proprietor of a club-house in St. Jol'oge
street?—l was; but that terminated about four yeare,4l
For how long had you been the proprietor ?---•61"
15 or 16 or 17 years.
cloP
During the time you were proprietor of that y
house, what were the rules of admission to that club;
It was a private club ; not a thing done in public aer
it was amongst private gentlemen; I should wish t°
dine answering that question.
They were elected by ballot 2—Yes. jal
You were not the person who laid down those
—No ; they were laid down by a committee. c/0
There was a good deal of play carried on at 00,001
was there not ?—There may have been so ; but
feel myself at liberty to answer that question, to 011;;4, A
the pursuits of private gentlemen. Situated as I
do not feel myself at liberty to do so. l/
Do you not know that play went on in that ha
I do not feel myself at liberty t• answer that quest'''.",
The careful hypothesis, rather than ad01,159#
that " there might have been " a good deal of
carried on in this high temple of cards and dice,
reverential delicacy with which Mr. Crockfortighcidi
from any divulging of the " pursuits" (H) ofni#
gentlemen ;—and his not feeling at liberty to sill
he knew of play going on in his own house--areo;
terly hits. The quondam fishmonger seems t° 4,"
bute a sort of theocratic silence to the myste"ood
gambling, as if it were the mystery of freemasbeo
wherewith he was dealing. But Mr. Crockfordoo4
he says, in answer to Q. No. 2,624, " I don, t ;11,
what I say about myself, but I must beg to or".
bringing any gentleman's name into discussion: -00 Y
plies us with a key to some of his answers, whinhlpe#
appear strangely incompatible with that (40,..ic.,,b11
of apprehension and general shrewdness for lve'
was really so remarkable. In the following rojet.
it will be seen that the master-spirit of the To",
Pandemonium undertook to say that he did n°,,l'e
who was the proprietor of his house;—whom P• 44
given it up to ;—whether, on his retirement, sod gloo/
up the mastershiplhe had signed any papers orlteci;
who now paid him rent for thepalace he had elire
—or who was its present superintendent. lay°
only astonished to find that he does plead grof#
some experience in betting on the turf, an
redo'
knowledge of games of chance and horse' to'
These confessions do wonderful credit to IP

genuousness of the old gentleman :
I should wish to ask whether you still wish 0 drie°9o7l
answering any question with regard to the pry oos'
of your club four years ago ?—Yes, certain*?
beg to decline it.
la
Mr. Escott—Are you proprietor of a hour. A
James's-street ?—No. hods
in you three or four years ago proprietor of scooH
in St. James's-street ?—Yes.
Who is the proprietor of that house now ?--1
tell ; I have given it up to the committee, and '
tell anything further about it.
Who are the members of that committee 7411
word I do not know; they shift about among the-00j
Who was the person you dealt with when Y 0240110
up to the Committee ?—lf you were to ask me ;of
could not tell you ; I gave it up to the general tib ti
club four years ago. lath
Did you give it up at your own suggestion, or 14
any other person ?--At my own. Or
To whom did you communicate your intention
it up ?--To the general club.
To the general club ?—To the club in genetal•pot feej,
Was there any chairman of the club ?—I 9d°
,h (11h.
myself at liberty to go on any further with - ecls-
tions ; I must decline it. When I dealt with 00(111;
should say 200 gentlemen were net together, ssoce
pressed my wish to decline it, and the conseque 00
that it was over. 0,13
Chairman—Surely you must have had some °ot 1
/
you considered resi)onsible to make the arraugenee •
iviste
No public 4rmngement at all ;it was aPr Ad
rangement, a orod
Mr. slake—Did you sign any paper ?-14°,r to
I '.o not know ; I would not give an ans"- „"
whether I did or not. I believe I did not. 4, ?,...ttsA
Mr. Escott—lt was a private arrangement coluifs
rally speaking. I said I grew too old, and ~',,d to 7
continue in the club any longer ; and I wish OP
OP
up the club to the gentlemen, who made their 00
rangements. ode of
1,
Cannot you say who were the parties vv,-°hgst
~ of
private arrangement ?—No ; Ido not care ":000b ,
about myself, but I must beg to decline hrl ' 1 1
gentleman's name into discussion, ess llttel/1
Mr. Blake—Do you receive rent for the 11° be ,
—Yes, now I receive rent for it, certainly'
tie,
I pay. my
geo re;
Who pays the rent?—lt is paid throng"t my 6 . ?tie
club secretary. When I say I receive
.1 ~5 001)
-t. it 1 11 ceives the money, and of course pays 1 , 00
money I pay myself. , do loot
Mr. Escott—Who pays the money?
my son receives it and pays it. a ,i'''
Is your son in London?—Yes.
__ oier ~,
Is your son now the proprietor or vi;e
001"
house?—No; he never was in his life. rrJed -
whenois theythgel:;
Is your son conversant with the business ell
_e?....4 do 11°1
that house?—No, be never was in it.
Who is the superintendent of the how 0 re
know. bf Y°
Mr. Blake—Does any person authorised
main in the house?—No. to 3
air •fe 1
Col. Peel—You have handed the.
club ?—Yes, and the consequence is,to Pay tor s
up I receive it back again. They have "rePrie- tie
Mr. Escott—During the time you werel.4oe 1"
itihoeusheoPu—selwmeruestydouecciiongenanizasnwteerfinwghtshtatt7Atibor; ope
Mr. M. Gibson—Have you had consiuet°
l'ek
rience in betting on the turf ?
such transact' oos
—Yes.
_goo ---_, $0
And a general knowledge of
games of oh'
You also know something about
well as horse-races ?—Yes. ~ of

___.._--.......m0m•.m...••■--..._._
On the 9th inst. at Camden-Ilroad-villa" en, the
Ivife
Charles B. Spaeth,' Esq. CArget'
ri80.7
otfnce
asmthdeinns_tt.,,,Rncl:bmecidea,diesreltagoefdth7e9.late Johliivivio
Thonmstohne,lmotohreihnssint.Lat Park-terrace, Islingtorr, b!r•
oie ire d
On the 10th inst. at Clapham-coraraon, Julia, ...-- W
Robert Hudson, Es(l. the 10 °
On the 11th inst., at Camberwell-terrace, Ann, .-
31r. Timothy Beyington, aged 57.

110,
London : Printed and b
---
Published }l3` UR
.-ceborf
4 0,10 i
No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sam 0
Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the
Ididdlesex, Tuesday, August Is, 1844.