Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1884-08-20
LoNooA'S GAMBLING cIuss.
The Lave . dead Letter-How the
CIubs Are Conducted.

L
fIondon Cor San Francisco Chronicle
Theoretically, London as city Is free
from the pest of ambling houses So at
least the police would tell you, and so at
least the metropolitan magistrates pro-
fess to believe. As matter of fact.
London is fairly honeyeombed with
gambling houses, although these temples
where the votaries of Dame Fortune are
wont TO assemble are very different
places from the bar rooms of New York.
Philadelphia and Chicago. OF all forms
of gambling, betting on horse racing
finds most favor with the average Eng
I hShman.
Tattersalls, at Albert Gate. is the
head center of the betting world 1t is
hardly a club in the ordinary sense of
the word, as the ostensibie purpose for
which the place was established was for
the sale of thoroughbred stock, hunters,
| hacks and carriage horses. For 100
| years or more, l should say, the latter
| sails, from sire TO son, have carried on
the business of disposing of horses here
| by auction, and for many years this es-
| tablishment in its own particular line
| has been the finest in the world. On the
premises at Tattersalls is large and
eIl-appointed subscription room, of
| which all the leading members of the
turf, both owners and professional book
makers, are members.
Members of the Jockey club, and of
Whites, Brooks, Boobies, Guards and
the Travellers club are eligible for mem
bership, without being balloted for, but
individuals who do not happen to be on
the roll of these aristocratic establish
ments are only eligible for membership
when their finances are known to be in
fourishing condition, and when their
morale and standing on the turf are be-
yond cavi or question. Noblemen or
gentlemen. owners of race-horses, or
identified with the sport of racing have
little or no difficulty in gaining admis-
sion, so long as they have never failed
to meet them Il, bis of honor on the turf,
but the professional operator or book
maker must serve long apprenticeship
to his calling, and be pronounced on all
hands financially sound by his brothre
of the book and pencil, before he can
gain admission into this charmed circle.
Here every Monday afternoon large
gathering takes place, and just as the
prices of stocks and shares are ruled by
the current quotations in Wall street, SO
the market status of horses engaged for
coming races is fixed-that is 10 say, if
three to one be taken about horse win
ming any coming race, at Tattersalls on
q Monday afternoon, that price is pub
Eshed IN all the papers and is the guide
for transactions between the public and
the boekmakers all over the country the
next day. OF course, Tattersalls, in as
far as q subscription-room is concerned,
is neither more nor less than gambling
house conducted on a colossal scale.
Every member of the room, however, is
q maA of 4h9eTflI Ispasfg. 2fen a BET is |
made, no matter how large it may be, |
the hacker is never called upon to stake, |
and hence as no money changes hands,
believe that as the law at present stands |
it would be impossible to maintain any
action that might be commenced with
the view of breaking up this place, on
the ground that it was maintained
purely for gambling purposes.
1t is nothing uncommon for horse TO |
be backed at Tattersafis in one after |
noon 10 win $500, 900, and no doubt on
many occasions this sum has been
doubled With regard to the chance of a
sinsae animal It is only fair to say
THAI as regards the professional element,
By which l mean the gambler or book |
maker, there are far less defaulters in
proposition to the number of members |
than there are among the stock brokers
and robbers on the London stock ex-
change. Next to Tattersalls, in point of
importance a. a betting resort, stands
the Victoria club. in Wellington street,
Strand. This is again used for no other |
purpose besides gambling on horse-rac-
ing during the summer, but during the
winter months, when there is no fiat
racing to bet upon, and the frost often
interferes with the sports of steeple-
chasing and hurdle-racing, speculation
also goes on, on the game of billiards.
Although many members of the VIC
toria club also belong to Tattersalls, the
standing of the members Is not nearly
so hiQh As that maintained at Albert
Gate. Still none but responsible men
are permitted to become members, but
the professional element here largely
prevails and the upper crust OF the turi
is but sparsely represented.
A step lower in the racing world Is
the Albert club, an unpretentlous estab
liskment in court off Fleet street, and
here the more respectable members OF
the smaller fry of professional betters,
with large numbers of business men and
tradesmen, make up the membership
OF the minor clubs devoted TO betting,
perhaps only the Beaufort, IN Rathbone
place. is worth naming as really holding
any sort of standing in the racing world. |
In addition to the clubs | have men
mentioned. there are possibly 100 rooms
in different parts of London dignified by
the name of clubs and conducted in such
a manner that, although betting pro
gresses from midday until midnight
therein, the police have no power TO IN
terfere because in a humble way they
are conducted on exactly the same lines
with regard to membership and election
As the first-class clubs at the west end
Most, if not all, of these places are pro
prietary and the entrance Tee Is merel,
nominal, rarely exceeding - annually
Very Depressing.
TT 2 Argonaut.1
Frederick Vaa Slyck is young New
Ynrl Iittorato-,,r halor ring to one of fhf