The Sun.
London, England, 1868-06-24 00:00:00

WHAT IS A WELCHER?

Yesterday at the Westminster Police-court John
Murphy was charged before Mr. Arnold, on a
summons under Lord Campbell's Act, with pub-
lishing a malicious libel on Mr. George Hinton,
Mr. W. D. Smyth, of Rochester-row, prosecuted;
Mr. E. D. Lewis, of Great Marlborough-street, de-
fended.

It appeared from the opening statement of Mr.
Smyth that the prosecutor was a cigar merchant,
&c., and had two shops, Nos. 168 and 169, Sloane-
street, Chelsea, and occasionally made bets on
horse-races. He did so on the late Derby, and, hav-
ing unfortunately laid against Blue Gown, lost a
considerable sum of money, which he was unable to
pay, and on Thursday week following the race he
was visited by the prisoner, who demanded £ll of him.
Prosecutor said he did not owe him anything, but
prisoner still demanded the money, created a dis-
turbance outside the shop, the windows being
broken. In a day or two afterwards the prisoner
appeared outside in the street, with a placard in
front and behind him, on which, in large letters,
was inscribed, " The Welcher, 168 and 169, Sloane-
street." He continued to walk about the streets
every day with these placards, and at times stopped
in front of the prosecutor's shop, calling the
people's attention to him, and saying, " That man
owes me £ll, and that is what I am here for, and
I will walk here twelve months till I get it."
Even after the service of the summons he continued
to walk in front of the prosecutor's shop until
Monday night last. The term " Welcher" had a
very well-understood signification, and was thus
described by Mr. llotten, of Piccalilly, in his
celebrated Slang Dictionary, " A person who makes
a bet without the remotest chance of being able
to pay, and losing it absconds and makes himself
scarce." He would ask, having proved the above
facts, to have the prisoner committed for trial, and
he would also be. indicted for threatening to pub-
lish a libel with intent to extort money.
Mr. Lewis questioned the authenticity of Mr.
Hotteu's work, and having been beaten on that
point, said under the new act he would justify the
libel, and prove that it was true. Mr. Hotten's in-
terpretation of the term did not agree with his, and
he would show that the word was true, and only
fit to be applied to a person of the prosecutor's
class.

Mr. Arnold said a great judge had observed,
"The greater the truth the greater the libel."
The facts, as detailed in the opening, were proved
by Mr. Hinton.
In cross-examination he said he did not keep a
betting-house, and never betted with strangers ;
lost £385 on the Derby and never paid a sovereign
of it ; remembered the Ebor Handicap, 1854, laid
against Grand Inquisitor and lost £1,200 ; paid
most of it, but a gentleman from Liverpool let him
in for £6OO, and he had to compromise with his
creditors and pay 10s. in the pound ; lost money
over Thormauby in 1860 and had not paid up to
this day ; in 1856 had kept a public-house in
Charles-street, Grosvenor-square, and was a book-
maker ; he supposed they called him a " Welcher"
because he had not paid these bets. When he made
these bets over the Derby he was not worth more
than £5, and thought Blue Gown had gone to the
bad and would be scratched ; could not hedge the
bets or he would ; laid 50 to 1 against Blue Gown
after his defeat by the Earl at Newmarket.
At this stage the court,which was full of betting
men, rose, and the case was adjourned till Thurs-
day, prisoner finding bail in £2O to appear that day
and to keep the peace and be of good behaviour in
the meantime.

The bill for the abolition of gambling houses was
adopted on Tuesday by the North German Parliament. A
resolution was also adopted calling upon the Chancellor
of the Confederation to introduce a bill for the removal of
all restrictions still existing upon the exorcise of civil and
political rights, in so far as they proceed from differences
of religious belief, and specially as regards the taking of
baths by the Jews. The bill proposed would recognize
the equal rights of Jews to become communal and Parlia-
mentary representatives, and to fill Government and com-
munal offices throughout the territory of the Confedera-
tion.
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