The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1826-10-05
OCTOBER S, 1926

known name, was admitted into the sanctua-
ry. In few moments he walked up to the
table, seized as much money as he could,
pulled off his whiskers, drew pistol, and
said, gentlemen, am police officer-my
name is Bishop-Sir Richard Barnie, with
the patrole, is at the corner. of the street;
you must surrender quietly"-and they did.
On another occasion, some officers, in broad
day light, put ladder against the second
floor window, mounted, and burst upon the
gamblers like thunder clap. Sometimes
these seizures are attended with ludicrous
circumstances. On the first intimation of
! an attack, the inmates take to their heels,
scatter with great rapidity throughout the
house. Bedrooms, coal-celars, water-clos-
cts, &c. &C. are chosen ndiscriminately as
places of refuge. Once, two of the players
ran into an unoccuped bedroom, pull
ed off their coats. and jumped under the
sheets-and when the officers entered, were
snoring most musically. They tried to pass
themselves off as servants Of the house, but
Bishop addressed one of them by his title of
"Sr Henry W." The other was deal
er at the table. They were both marched
off to the watch house.
| a poor devil once hid himself under a
heap of Goals in vain; he was detected, and
as chimney sweep, the magistrate drly re-
marked, :" 1t is quite in character that
man Just taken from h--ll should be as black
as the ID" At another time the fright
ened herd were seen at mid day Eamper-
| ing over the roofs of the houses in Pail Mall
to the intimate amusement of the crowd be-
low. I heard of one person who escaped We
| ry lngenously. He had, on the first alarm
thrown himself into water-butt, and when
the officers came into the yard he drew his
head under water, and 50 fortunately eluded
their vigilance. Whilst on this topic, let me
tell you an anecdote of police magistrate,
Mr. K-e. Four years ago he was dash
ing lawyer about town, and ruined his for
tune by play. BY some good luck he mar
red the daughter of A., the worthy ar
my agent, and was made police magistrate.
When gang of ta:sc poor captives was one
day brought before him, after looking atten-
tiyelv for a moment, at card marked with
the run of the game, he burst out, "a run Of
sixteen upon the red If had been there,
I would have broken the bank" This is
one of those instances of the 'ruling passion
being strong even upon the bench, and is
only to oe cqualed by the lady, who having
once been cat, could never see mouse
without Staying it. You perceive, therefore,
the necessity which the gamesters are un-
der of verifying the oil law maxim,
and converting their houses into 'cas-
tles.'
The night was in Pail Mall, sums were
bet by some of the players, as high as G250,
(nearly $1,000 each conh; others dabbled
in petty way, rarely exceeding five pounds.
The small players were generally !oudest in
their execrations against bad fortune. At
| Of m n n
the table. AS the keepers have an enor-
nous percentage on all money played for. it
is easy to imagine their profits. Some of
them are very rich. Oldfeld is said to be
worth g15O,00O. Tayloy must be great
deal richer. His dwelling house is in the
Green Park, in the midst of the nobility,
filled with plate and pictures. Cockford is
worth nearly half a million sterling. So with
the rest. These vagabonds have all risen
(might I not say faiien?) from the meanest
grades of society, by administering to the
bad passions of our nature.
Over the house l visited, a parson pre-
sdes--the famous Parson Ambrose of whom
Byron speaks, and who is so notorious thro'-
out England Among the hunters (players)
was H B., formerly partner in the
wealthy house of - & Co. who married
Miss BIN of Philadelphia. He is a sad
instance of this destructive passion. A few
years ago he was enormously rich, but his
fortune is now greatly diminished; is a
constant frequenter of the gaming houses in
Paris and London At one sitting in Paris,
he won upwards of $4,000 sterling. Near
him was Hughes Ball, formerly termed,
from his immense wealth, the Golden Ball.
His father was an illegitimate son of Ad-
miral Hughes, who left him mine of wealth.
This young man is very handsome and very
silly, and after flirting great deal with La
DIV Jane P, ran off and married Mer-
candott, the Opera dancer. He bought the
country seat of the Duke of York for abont
S10O 600 BY an assiduous frequenting of
the gaming table, he has greatly dipped
his fortune. He has been cheated and
plucked by all the swindlers in the country.
1t is supposed that he must be ruined before
longs
was much struck by the appearance of
an interesting young man, who seemed to be
a martyr to the passion. On inquiry, found
he was the son of the late Sir s. Il.
This youth was left $4,000 pounds at his
fathers untimely death, and on coming OF
age, he acquired habit for playing, which
has resulted in leaving him begsar. Col.
R, who, for thirty years, has been a
regular votary OF these houses, was pointed
out to me. He is a solitary instance of reg
ular gambler not being made an outcast