Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1833-05-23
A TEMPLE OF INQUIRY.


Boston Galaxy, that that city is diserac.
ed and demoralized by the existence
there, of apublic gambling and drink.
ing house, that has no parallel but in
the shells" of London and Paris. II
IS called the Boston Gymnasium. The
editor of the Galaxy paid it visit on
Fast day. We give the following bold
picture of its character.
The internal region was redolent of
the fumes of sick stomachs, gin and to.
bacco. There were about a hundred
persons assembled; blackguards, swind.
lers, and reprobates of every descrip.
ton. Many of the sons ofthe aristoc.
racy OF the city were there, as well as
others, who, from their garb, one would
have taken for honest gentlemen. The
rest were foreigners and unwasbed vii.
lains. To the honor of the coloured
population be 1t spoken, not one of
them were there. Here was seen the
husband, whose wife satlonely at home.
pining for his company; there the ia.
ther, whose children were CRYING for
bread he was casting on the waters.
not to return again. There stood the
hopeful urchin, whose father, good
man, supposed his pride and boast was
at that verymoment edifying in church.
Full half the assembly were bows from
ten to sixteen years old. 1t will pre-.
sently appear that they were prepar.
ing to graduate from the state prison
and to die on the gallows.
In the middle of this earthly hell was
a polygonal enclosure of boards, about
ten feet in diameter, the floor of which
was strewed with tan, to drink the
blood of the cocks. Here two of the
gallant birds were engaged. Round
the south end of the hall were ranged
score of tea chests, in each of which
cock was Growing at his neighbors.
As many more were hanging in bags
at the walls of the building. In one
corner stood genteel BLACKBOARD,
singing an obscene song, to the infinite
satisfaction of his auditors. Right Cd.
poslte to him sat a bloated wretch ris.
cera eructdns cum gemitu, and, in the
intervals of his intestine syncope, hol-
ding forth in praise of temperance.-
Oaths and blasphemies rung on every
side, and few fsty- cuffs were exchang-
ed.
On entering, we went straight to the
cockpit, where a slate coloured and a
red bird were striving to kill each other
with steel spurs, which had been affix-
ed to their legs, probably because the
the natural weapons could not draw
blood fast enough for the taste of the
spectators. The feathers flew and the
gore streamed. Presently the slate
coloured cock drove his gaff through
the brain of his adversary, who fell
dead on the spot. We turned away to
a gaming table, which stood in another
part of the room, with sensation of
relief.
The play was Roulette. In the CEN
ire Of the table was a wheel, resemb-
ling wheels of fortune, gaudily painted
and marked with hieroglyphics. There
were little compartments round its edge
AN ivory ball was made to turn round
its periphery, and as it stopped the
gamester lost or won. On each side
of the wheel was a parallelogram divi.
ded into squares, with figures on which
the players placed their stakes. An
Unlocking gallows- bird turned the wheel
and another marked the phases of it.
The marker had under his hand a pile
of silver and gold Is inches high,
which had been won. We observed
that the bank gained 5 times out of 6.
The management ofthe table was heath.
en- Greek to US; nevertheless we put
down az lost to the amount offs cents.
We did this that we might the better be
able to swear to the facts d identify the
two scoundrels who kept the table.
We have since seen them on change a.
mong honest men.
A boy about IA years old staked his
last fourpenny piece and lost it. Then
tears gushed from his eyes. He went
out tearing his hair and exclaiming,
90 my poor father! o my poor mother.
What will become of me? o how
wish my boss had not sent me after that
money."-This incident was a mind of
mlrth to the gamesters-a horse laugh
shook the building.
But now Coolidge, with astentorian
voice and a kind of bottle swagger,
proclaimed that two cocks more were
to be gated. He took cock out of a
bag and called to brawny Irishman
who stood at hand, "Henry give me my
saw" A dentists saw was procured,
and the villains proceeded, to our mex
pressible horror, to saw off the bipid's
spurs close to his legs. The blood
streamed down, and the operators pro-