Star.
London, England, 1829-11-18 00:00:00

THE ENGLISH AND FRENCH WHIST

PLAYERS

It appears by an article in the Cosmic,. Francais, which ale sub -
join, that a late English Ambasador at Pails has humbled the
French whist-players, by a challenge to play a hundred rubbers
for £50,000, in twenty days, besides £lOO on each rubber, it
order to decide the superiority of play, which he claims for the
English. He had the money ready and his partner named hut the
Frenchman, who took up the glove for the honour of his country.
could neither get his stake subscribed, nor the partner he wished
to play with ; be could not therefore fight.
" To shut one's self up to cut pens and appear deep, when one is,
as folks say, only empty and hollow," this is, according to Figaro,
one of the chief occupations_of Diplomacy. The portrait he draws
of the statesmen of his time gives us more than one feature of re-
semblance to those of our own days. This may be judged by the
following fact, on the details of which reliance may be placed
A Noble Lord, who has spent many years in Paris is the ea-
! acity of Ambassador, instead of applying himself to rem the the
old caulks of rivalry between France and England, has only
employed his leisure in a new one of a species quite peculiar.
Ile has only, while staying here, made such observations rs
enabled him to raise this strange pretension—that the English
have maintained over the French an immense superiority in
playing the game of whist. Let nobody believe that we are at
all exaggerating the singularity of this opinion. It was uttered in
the circles of the Court ; and as an excess of urbanity has always
prevented good company from contradicting it, it has become
In his Lordship's mansion a sort of established idea. On his return
into his own country, the Noble Lord was beset with it, even to
his domestic fireside ; and wishing to verify, by a solemn proof, the
pretension he bad maintained so long in the form of an axiom, be
hit upon an expedient which deserves to be made known.
Like a true Chevalier, he has recently sent to one of :he srloons
at Paris, whine the rich idlers of all nations, who live in that capi-
tal, meet every evening, a challenge in due form, in which he defies
the best players at whist to undertake a match of one hundred rub-
bers, to be played in twenty days, for £lOO the rubber, and
£50,000 to the winners of the greatest number of games. If this
challenge should be accepted, the combat will take place at Paris or
London, at the pleasure of those who are challenged, and his Lord-
ship announces that he has already made choice of one of his coun-
trymen as a partner.
It is generally thoLght that the gloves thrown with so much ar-
togance has been taken up in the arena into which it was thrown.
Happily he who picked it up, and who believed himself called
upon to avenge the national honour, has more boldness than
wealth. It has been necessary for him to have recourse to
a subscription to raise the stake required. There has been
an assessment, and in a re* days 900,000 francs (5936,000) were
obtained. But this is not enough, and beyond it the subscribers
will not go. There is another disappointment 'also ; for the
champion who thought himself so strong that he could measure
himself with his Lordship over a green cloth, could not procure
the support of the second, in whom he placed his confidence ; the
latter, who occupies a place of would 4Lof take part
in this joust for the benefit of another. We' re forcel therefore,
it not to confess the inferiority of France, at least to admit the in-
ability we are under of fulfilling all the conditions of the combat.

A DEFAULTER.

On Sunday morning last, William Ray, the principal
Police Officer at Eastbourne, in Kent, and an Assistant, arrived in
London, and applied to the Police at Bow-street Office for assist-
ance to apprehend a person of the name of William Mockford, the
Collector of the King's Taxes and Parochial Taxes at Eastbourne,
who had absconded with public money to a considerable amount,
leaving a wife and four children in great distress. As far as we
have been able to ascertain the facts connected with this transac-
tion, it appears that Mr. Mockford has been for some • .. the
Collector of the King's Taxes and the Parochial Taxes at East.
bourne, and he w.:e formerly a Collector of the Customs. lie had
been living at a rate beyond his means for some time, and to sup-
ply his extravagance he had applied the public money to his own
use. On Saturday morning last some of the principal gentlemen
connected with the parochial affairs of Eastbourne were informed
that numbers of paupers had been waiting for some time for relief,
but the acting overseer could not pay them because Mr. 111. who
should have been on the spot to advance the money, was no where
to be found. In a very short time the utmost anxiety prevailed
amongst the parochial authorities and the town—people, on their dis-
covering that Mr. M. had absconded, and that he had carried off
with him the money be had collected monthly, to the amount of
three or four hundred pounds, for poor's rates. It was determined
- to send a police6officer in pursuit of the fugitive; and on his arrival
in London he fortunately applied to Salmon, one of the principal and
most fortunate officers when in pursuit of a criminal,connected with
the Bow-street establishment The constable related to Salmon the
particulars of the case, and said that the gentlemen at Eastbourne
were of opinion that Mockford intended to make the best of his way
to the United States. Salmon asked the officer if Idockford had
been traced from Eastbourne in any particular direction, and hr
learned that a person residing in Eastbourne had driven Mockford
in a gig to Battle. Salmon, ascertaining this fact, was of opinion
that Mock ford had determined to proceed by some coach from
Battle to London ; and he thought it was most likely he would
come by a Hastings coach. Salmon instantly proceeded to the
Golden Cross Inn. Charing.croas, and be ascertained thata person
had arrived in London that evening. who had booked himself by
the Hastings Mail at Battle on the preceding night, and had given
the initial of his name M. This person was described to be a short
and vary stout man ; but he was dressed in a white and brown
smock frock. Salmon was satisfied that the person described war
the man they were in pursuit of, and that he had disguised himself
in a countryman's drew to evade pursuit. The officer also stated that
he was of opinion it was the intention of Mockfurd to proceed to
France instead of America, and be made an inquiry for the purpose
of ascertaining if be had taken lodgings in London, or had gone off
by some conveyance towards the sea coast. Salmon learned that
a person who had come up by the Hastings Mail had breakfasted
that morning with the coachman, and the descrip• ion of the per-
son coo vinced him that it could he no other than Mockfurd.
He afterwards learned that the same person bad taken a place
by the Dover coach, which had started that morning at half-
past ten o'clock, from Charing-cross, and he determined
to take post chaise and follow bins as quick as possible,
to take him before he should be able to quit the country
by one of the packet boats. Salmon and the other two ot.
beers. arrived in Dover on Suaday night, and they ascertained
that a person answering Mockford's description had arrived at the
Ship by the London coach that night ; and that after he had stepped,
he bad gone to sleep at the Packet Boat-house, kept by Mr.Woncle.
Salmon proceeded to the Packet house. and spoke to the servant,
who, un hearing a description of Mr. Niockfurd, took the officers
to the apartment where be was in bed and in a profound sleep. Sal-
mon entered the room first, and removed the clothes which con-
cealed the face of the man who was in bed ; and having called in
the other two officers, be asked them it that was Mockford, and they
instantly recognised him. Salmon, without waking him, removed the
pieow, underneath which he found a pocket book, containing 42
sovereigns and between fifty and sixty pounds in notes, and two
more. He then awoke Mr. Mockford, who was dreadfully
alarmed, and told him that he was his prisoner. Mockford was ex-
ceedingly violent at first, and the officer was obliged to handcuff
him. lie afterwards became more calm, and the officer re-
lieved him from the fetters, but watched him closely during
the whole night On the following morning, Salmon knowing
the great anxiety of the gentlemen at Easthour, s fur the detec-
tion ut tee pri-oner, instead of bringing him to Bow-street for
eaamination, which is usual in suck cases, he dispatched hint
with Rey and his assistant officer coastwise to Eastbourne, for ex-
amination before the Magistrates of that place. The prisoner has
borne a meet unimpeachable character until the period of his pre-
sent default, and the circumstance above rearmed has created a
coissidtrable sensation iu the county of Susses. The precise extent
a his defalcations is not yet knows,. Salmon proceeded to the
Custom-house, to in orm th Commissioners of the apprehension of
Mockford, and was deserv•-elly complimented upon hfs skill, Inge-
null, and promptitude, in the affair. At eleven o'clock on Sun-
day morning, be heard of the priaunea's having absconded, and he
travelled seventy miles and captured him by divest' O'clock the
same' night.--Morterni raper.

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