The Sun.
London, England, 1827-12-26 00:00:00

AnCDOTtS OF GAMING,.

" The first class consists of those newly intro-
duced, plenty of money at immediate command, sur-
rounded by the affections and esteem of friends and
relatives, great in resources, of a contented, happy,
healthful, and respectable appearance, with gold
watches and a variety of other costly ornaments.—
It is a matter of joke and speculation with the se-
cond and third class, how long these appendages to
a gentloman will be retained, keenly recollecting
how they had been compelled to part with their
own. Some have carriages, horses, servants, &c.
These are treated with marked respect ; bows and
smiles at every turn, but in a short time they begin
to feel the griping influence of such places, and all
their advantages by degrees to wither, when most
of them are seen descending to the second class.
" The second class is composed of those who
formerly held a situation in the first. These wear
upon their visages a look of care and deep anxiety,
and have nearly drained their resources dry, their
friends beginning to shy and turn their backs upon
them. From having a good change of habiliments,
they now appear day after day, with the same clothes
on, though still of genteel appearance. Their
horses, &c., all sold off, and their watches and or-
naments at the pawnbroker's, when many of them
rapidly descend to the' third class. This being ob-
served, an awkward show of respect is paid them
by the creatures of the hells; in short, they can
scarcely treat them with common civility.
" The third class.—Here it would be well if there
were nothing more to disclose. The third class
consists of those who have descended from the first
class to the second, and have at last reached a degree
of abject misery truly heart-rending. Their money
all gone, their resources wholly dried up, and their
connexions and friends (hopeless of them) entirely
lost to them. They present pictures of the deepest
distress, want, and despair, not knowing where to
obtain a meal one over another, or how to secure a
bed night after night, their clothes faded and thread-
bare. The closely buttoned-up coat but ill conceals
the absence of a waistcoat or ebirt, or the soil of
them. These, then, are shut out from ' hell' to
hell' till none but the lowest description will admit
them. At night they flock to the English hazard
houses, where they bury their miseries in sleep upon
chairs, or upon the ground. Many will group to-
gether, and utter bitter and horrid imprecations
upon their follies and unhappy condition."
" Captain —, late of the Life Guards, was in
the habit of playing daily at No. 9, Bennettsstreet,
and coming in his regimentals. It had been ob-
served by one of the dealers, that the Captain al-
ways played upon the colour nearest to him, whether
black or red, and that when that colour lost, be only
drew a two one-pound stake, and when it won, he
had to pay seven pounds to a five and two one-
pound stake. He communicated his suspicions to
Fielder, the proprietor, who, on the Captain's next
coming, narrowly watched him. It is a usual prac-
tice with players to put the face of the notes down-
wards upon the table. The Captain lost a stake,
the bank drew two one-pound notes. The Captain
won the next, and turned the notes to he ;paid.
There Were two ones and a five at the bottom. A
look passed between the keeper and the dealer. The
seven-pound stake was paid without observation,
and a closer watch kept, to ascertain how the
trick was done. The Captain won another coup,
and turned the notes up as before. The stake
was likewise the same. The cheat. was effected
by a five pound note being kept in the palm
of the hand, which, upon turning up the two
ones, was adroitly slipped underneath, and thus
made it a seven-pound stake. The, five-pound note
was examined, and the creases from the pressure of
the hand left no doubt of the fact. The Captain
was covered with shame and confusion, and received
a torrent of the lowest abuse, in spite of his long
sword and regimentals."
" A well-dressed man, a native, went to a house
in the Palais Royale, where they play from five
francs to twelve thousand (about_sool. English.)
, He threw a purse, containing that amount, consist-
ing of louis and billets de bank, upon the colour
nearest the windows. The colour lost on which it
was thrown. He snatched it up, as if in a great rage,
and, with a few :acres, threw another purse, cor-
responding in appearance, out of the window into
the jardin, and deposited, unperceived, the rich-
filled purse safely in his pocket. The other was
fetched. It contained a few francs and two or three
louis wrapped up in a paper."—Life in the West.

LIFE and CONFESSIONS of a BURGLAR,

The rapidity with which crime is spreading in
all directions in this country, will at last, we
should think, draw the attention of the influen-
tial part of the community to this most impor-
tant subject. If some measures of a preventive
nature be not soon taken, it will be no easy
matter to make head against the evil. Poverty
and the Game Laws are, no doubt, the grand
sources of this alarming increase of crime. Po-
verty cannot be prevented, but the spread of it
may be arrested by such an improvement of the
Poor and Bastardy Laws as may check the in-
crease of population, in which it has its source.
The Gams Laws, again, hold out a temptation
to the poor man which he cannot resist, and
which ends by making him a criminal. The fol-
lowing account of a burglar and a highwayman,
which we extract from The Essex Herald of
yesterday, ought to be perused with something
more than idle curiosity by our regular State
Doctors : _ _ .

John Turner, alias John Hardy, alias John New-
man, convicted of the burglary at Samuel Robin-
son's, at Runwell, and the robbery at William
Dale's, at Ramsden Crays, suffered pursuant to his
sentence on Friday last. His conduct after the re-
proof he received from Winters, who treated him
most contemptuously for turning snitch, was more
reserved ; and on being asked if he had any thing to
confess, he declined, observing that he had already
said too much. After a few days, during which he
entertained some hopes of a commutation of his sen-
pththtmhlarelueeekecznoninhnreteopwlrmfirgneoreilipioivnifrgeuetiiseiwo:NyfiTyhnoe:isxucatiaelr,:detiNuicdvbtetaeiixoospbiti
tence, Turner became more resigned, attended to
anxiousiaesitl,
observingtohdiem desire r et
ohf for
after h
tea
k conducteding ol
e sahcirmamseelfnzihthe
ascended, with a firm step, the laddez which led to
the scaffold, where he cast his eyes towards the
multitude in front of the gaol, but said nothing.
expressed
tsbosafee dbit
ul
srent Chaplain with ap-
parent
The usual preparations having been completed, a
signal was given. and the drop fell. The criminal
appeared to suffer but little. The wife, who re-
sides at Toppesfield, had been with him the pre-
ceding day ; she told him plainly that she should be
at no expence as regarded the disposal of his re-
mains; they were therefore placed in a shell, and on
the following night committed to the earth in
Springfield churchyard. We have heard a report
that several suspicious characters were seen in the
vicinity of the burial ground about that time; it
would give but little pain were we certain of that
which is but barely suspected, viz. that his body is
undergoing a further examination, and thus, after
death, making some return to that society upon
which he committed, during his life-time, so many
depredations.
John Turner was born at Finchingfield, but after-
wards gained a settlement at Toppesfield, where he
married, and hes left a wife with four children. He
lived there creditably until 1822, when his career of
wickedness commenced by stealing wood. Having
undergone imprisonment for this act of delinquency,
in the following year he was apprehended for steal-
ing hop-poles. He had nearly put a fatal stop to
his criminal proceedings, by striking at the constable
who was taking him into custody with the poles in
his possession, with a bill-hook; and had the blow
not been warded off, the death of G. Smith (the
constable) must have ensued, In March, 1824, he

broke into, the ben-house of Josiah -Glasscock, at
Castle,Hedingham, and stole nine turkeys and ten
chickens, in company with several others, who have
since been sent out of the country. He eluded the
hands of justice on this occasion for ten months,
when he was taken at his grandmother's house, -at
Finchingfield, after a desperate atteult to escape,
by jumping out at the window, he however hung by
it hook, and was secured. Whilst confined upon this
charge, and before trial, he effected his escape by
scaling the walls of the prison, and was not heard of
for two years and a half, during which time he mar-
riJd two other wives ; one at. Bristol, by whom he
had two-children, the other at. Woolwich. Ile was
retaken on the 4th of June; at Little Thurrock fair.
Japes Salmon was at that time in his company, and
appears, according to Turner's representation, to be
a most notoriously bad character. He was tried,
and in the absence of a material witness, acquitted
of the charge of felony, and therefore could not be
tried for the escape.. When apprehended for the
robbery at Ramsden, which he committed a few
days after he was discharged from prison, he con-
fessed having also committed the burglary at Run-
well.

About the time of Robinson's robbery several
other depredations were committed;, among others
the house of Mr. Giles Wakeling, at Laindon, was
entered; some spoons and a pack of 'cards were
taken ; the spoons were traced to have been sold to
Mr. Chapman, at Gravesend, and the cards were
found in Turner's pocket.
Turner requested to see Watts before be suffered ;
he exonerated Watts from having been generally
concerned; he said it was his first offence in his
company, and that his .situation might be attributed
to the villainy of J. Salmon.
The following voluntary confession of Turner was
taken before a Magistrate :
" In the course of the spring of the present year
I was working as a labourer in the Brick-yard, at
Grays, in Essex, and had lodgings in the house of
James Salmon, labourer, and soon formed an ac-
quaintance with him and his brother George Salmon,
which led also to an acquaintance with James Phil-
pot and John Argent, labourers, who lived at South
Ockendon, four miles from Grays. Philpot and
Argent were out of work for a considerable time,
and when we met together, used to consult with
each-other how we could get money. James Sal-
mon, on one occasion, said, when he worked with Mr.
S. Robinson, of Runwell, farmer, he had seen as
many bank-notes in Mr. R.'s possession as would
fill a stocking, and his brother and he had observed
them when Robinson used to pay them and other
labourers at the parlour window ; and added, he
knew where the money was, and could get it if he
had any body to go along with him, and it was pre-
sently agreed by George Salmon, Argent, and
myself, to join in the robbery ; and Argent said that
Philpot and he had been connected together before,
and he had no doubt bet he would join in this, and
we agreed to meet on Monday night, in a fortnight
from that time, and which would be late in the month
of May, and I believe it was the 25th,near Downham
Church, and we all five did meet together at that
place ; I was quite a stranger to that part of the
country. We all went from thence together towards
Mr. Robinson's; we passed over Laindon Hills, and
by the Shepherd and Dog, at Grays Hill, and came
to a place which they called the Castle—it was a
farm-house, and the name of the farmer, Richardson ;
we took from a plough of his, which lay by the side
of a cart-shed, an iron plough coulter, in order to
break open Mr. Robinson's house, and James Salmon
had a chisel in his possession; we had no fire arms
or 'other weapons. When we got to Mr. Robinson's
yard, two dogs barked violently, but ran away when
they saw us, and continued barking at a distance;
but they did not disturb any of the family that I
know of. We saw no light, nor heard any one
move, during the time'we were there. We broke the
parlour window, and so unfastened it; slid up the
sash, and forced the shutter, which'was an inside one,
into the room; this was principally done by James
Philpot, with the coulter. Philpot was the first that
went in, and James Salmon followed him ' • Argent
and myself remained outside, about a rod from the
window, and George Salmon kept watch in a gar-
den on the opposite, side of the house. Philpot and
James Salmon were engaged inside about twenty
minutes, as near as I can tell, and then came to the
window, and brought some glass bottles. with liquor
--nine bottles in all; and we afterwards found that
they were eight full bottles of gin and half a bottle
of brandy, also two coats, one wine glass (an old-
fashioned one), and James Salmon said it was the
one the old man (meaning Mr. Robinson) always
used, and it was afterwards taken Away by James
Philpot, and I have eveiy reason to believe he has
it now ; Ardent and he disputed about who should
have it. We drank and emptied one bottle of gin
close to the yard, near the house, and the bottle
was thrown into a hedge. Another was emptied at
the bottom of the first field from the house, and the
bottle disposed of as the first was ; and we emptied
all but three before we got to Ockendon, and those
three were taken, one each by James Philpot, James
Salmon, and John Argent. Philpot broken open
the bureau in the house with the coulter, as I sup-
pose; he had all the money which was stolen in his
pockets, and he said he dropt a bank-note in coming
off the common, but did not know what one it was;
he produced three 51. Bank of England notes, and
in goldAsilver, and copper money, 15/. 13s. lid.;
this we divided equally as we went along ; each re-
ceiving 3/. 2s. 7d.; and we were enabled to do
this exactly on account of the silver and copper
money. Philpot also produced a pocket-knife, which
was given to Argent. From Ockendon we went to
Corbet's Tye, and at a public-house there changed
the first 51. bank-note ; I don't know the sign ' • very
old people keep it, and it is situate opposite a black-
smith's shop. From thence we went to Hornehurch,
to a public-house there, kept by a Suffolk man, who
'has but one eye, and knows John Argent, and there
changed a second 5/. note, and divided the 101. be-
tween us, as we went along towards Romford: Phil-
pot went to a clothes' shop to get the third note
changed, and George Salmon went with him and
-bought a jacket; we all received 1/. a-piece of this
note also. James Philpot had Mr. Robinson's best
coat, and John Argent had the other with plated
buttons on it; I did not see or hear any thing of a
waistcoat, nor, of a Chelmsford 10/. bunk-note.
When I was brought to gaol for an escape in June
last, I heard of some one being prosecuted about a
30/. bank-note, by Mr.. Robinson, and concluded it
was the one lost by Philpot. Since we separated
at Romford, I have had no correspondence with the
Salmons, Argent, or Philpot. I believe James Sal-
mon is now at Grays, George Salmon at Ramsden
Heath, Philpot at Ockendon or Aveley, and John
Argent lately worked at Ongar Hall, near Bulphan
Fenn. Philpot pawned• a coat at Romford, as I
believe."

In consequence of the difference in the Ex-
changes which has of late taken place, some considerable
shipments of Foreign Coin and Bullion have been made
within the last month, amounting in the whole to more
[him 500,000 ouncea. We understand that a further ix-
portation of about 190,000 ounces of silver coin, took
place on Saturday last, by a vessel which left the river for
Calais on that day. There was also about 2,000 ounces of
gold bullion sent to Rotteidam at the same time. Nearlf
the whole of the above quantity has been shipped through
the medium of an agent of Mr. Rornscnap.—Aew
Times.

At a dinner at Chelsea Hospital, the bottle
had passed round pretty freely. The Duke of YORIC, who
was in high spirits, having just emptied a bottle, said to
oue of the attendants, " Here, away with this marine."
Upon which a General of that body, piqued for the honour
of the corps, whom he considered to be insulted by such
an observation, said, " I don'tunderstand what your Royal
Highness means by liking an empty bottle to a marine."
The Duke immediately replied, "My dear General, I
mean a good fellow that has done hie duty, and who is
ready to do it again." This neat turn excited applause :
and becoming soon known in the army, has since been re-
peated with eclat at almost every mess table in the service.
..•Clabs of 407140 n,