The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-17 00:00:00

PUNCH'S POLICE.

GAMBLERS CAPTURE EXTRAORDINARY
Yesterday, the neighbourhood of our (police) office
was in an extraordinary state of excitement ; it having
been understood that that very vigilant section of the
force, Letter A, had on the previous night succeeded in
forcing an entry into a well-known house, known as
Crockford's, and capturing some dozen Peers, and at
least as many Commoners of distinction, all of them un-
lawfully assembled for the purpose of beggaring them-
selves and families, by means of cards and dice. It ap-
peared that the house had long given great offence to
many virtuous shopkeepers in the neighbourhood, and
last night was selected as the happy time for the abate-
ment of the nuisance.

,
Thera were in all five-and-twenty prisoners ; amongst
whom we noticed the Duke of Fourhonors, the Marquis
of Cutace, the Earl of Rouge, Viscount Noir, Baron
Jacques O'Spade, Sir Harry Finefinger, the Count San-
terlecoup, Charles Roulette, Esq., and others well known
to the " play" world. The prisoners having been kept
in the watchhouse all night, .did not when brought up
show to the best advantage. However, true to the fine
instinct of aristocratic blood, they put a bold face on the
matter, and looked loftily, contemptuously around them,
as they were brought up in pairs, and put to the bar, to
answer for the misdemeanour.

John Smith, policeman, deposed that he had the pre-
vious night effected an entrance into the house through
the drawing-room window. Other policeipen burst in at
the doors : they all rushed to the play-room, where they
found the Duke of Fourhonors and the Earl of Rouge
playing with dice ; the other prisoners were grouped
about the table, playing a game with cards. On seeing
the police the prisoners attempted to escape, but were
seized. Two packs of cards (they were produced) were
found the Duke of Fourhonor's pocket ' • his Grace
swore. very singular oaths on being searched. Sir Harry
Finefinger attempted to swallow a couple of dice, but
was prevented by Sergeant Quick grasping Sir Harry's
throat ; whereupon Sir Harry spat them out upon a
salver.

Samuel Briggs, another policeman, corroborated the
foregoing testimony. Indeed, the evidence left no doubt
as to the object of all the prisoners at the time of their
capture.

All the prisoners were fined in the highest sum per-
mitted by .the statute ; and, having paid the penalties,
departed homeward in their carriages.
By a curious. coincidence, several lower gambling-
houses were entered on the same evening by the police ;
and a host of their inmates taken the next morning be-
fore Mr. Hardwick, at Marlborough. street, who fined
them accordingly. Thus, it is delightful to reflect that
the same watchful spirit which is active to destroy the
lower hells, like that of" the Nick, 16k, Castle-street,
is no resvecter of place or persons, but breaks into
Crockford s, and captures Dukes and Lords. Theim-
partiality of justice in this matter warms the heart of
every true-born Britoa

SERIOUS ACClDENT.—Yesterday as Sylvester, son of
a visit to Sylvester,some.friends in Barnsbury-terrace, 'lslington, was
Louis Esq., of Larkhall-place, Bath, at present on
mount* his horse in the Islington road, the animal, a very
spirited one, started, throwing his rider to the ground, and
before Mr. Sylvester could extricate his-foot from the stirrup,
he was dragged a distance of from twenty to thirty yards ; he
was picked up bleeding profusely from some severe wounds
about the head, and conveyed home in a cab in a state of in-
sensibility, and it was supposed his skull,wasfractured from the
violence with which in his fall his head came in contact with
the ground.
ldoan)F, story at abbeo uc
at
mh ies
swuadldkeinn iunpothneawhoougd:
sahtagtghye
.MIGHT AND MAIN.—Lord Charles Somerset was
Cteap
l lilegonae
lion. "Thinking to frighten him," said the Noble Lord, " I
ran at him with all my might." "Whereupon," said an-
other,
interrupting, "he ran away with all his mane." " Just
so," said his Lordship,
MELANCHOLY DEATH.—In another column wegive
an account of the proceedings at a meeting held in Dublin on
Monday last, when the " Irish Metropolitan Conservative
Society" determined on its own dissolution. Considering the
services which this Society has performed, the termination
of its useful labours must be deeply lamented, though the
event will scarcely excite surprise. It arises out of what we
fear is a growing feeling among those who bravely fought
side by side with the present Ministers when in opposition,
and hailed their accession to office as the triumph of sound
principles ; it has its cause in the "apathy" of the Irish Con-
servatives, and this apathy, according to the chairman of the
meeting, has been occasioned by the neglect of their friends
by the Government and the favour shown to their enemies.
Disappointed individuals will, no doubt, always be found to
make a similar complaint ; but a body, numbering twelve
hundred members when Sir Robert Peel acceded to office,
cannot universally have been disappointed ; and we repeat,
therefore, that the dissolution of the Irish Conservative So-
ciety can only be looked upon as an expression of disgust at
that indiscriminate deference to" gentlemen opposite," which
may gain an occasional cheer in the House of Commons,
though the public will be slow to reconcile it with an honest
and unbending attachment to principle.—Post.
EPIDEMIC AMONG THE LONDON CLOCKS. —We
heard from several quarters of the metropolis that the extra-
ordinary malady which so long afflicted the clock of St.
Clement's' has extended to several others of the church
dials of London. An East-end clock, whose name we are in
possession of—a clock that has for some years occupied a
high position in the City, in fact, Shoreditch—has, we re-
gret to say, been seized with the same distressing symptoms
as those from which St. Clement's clock is still slowly re-
covering. The unhappy dial has lost the use of both hands,
and gives every indication of falling into a state of hopeless
derangement. -11lany of the neighbours have for some time
suspected it was " not quite right," and we are sorry to say
that their worst fears are now confirmed. It was painful to
observe the anxiety with which several persons who appeared
most interested in its fate, remained with their eyes taxed on
its face, in the hope of even the slightest change, but all in
vain. The unfortunate patient, however, gave no other in-
dication of its time having come, and no one who looked at
it could, for one moment, have supposed that it was going.
—Punch.

LIVERPOOL NEW GAS AND COKE BILL.—The
price of gas in Liverpool, which was reduced to 6s. per 1,000
feet on the Ist of April last, is, by this Bill, which received
the Royal Assent on Friday last, made the maxiinuin ilk
future