The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1889-05-02
NUMBER Q.
rEMALe GAMBLERS.


FEMALE GAM 6lEHS.
q Fsw ofsTkosc who FsExrc Cenepssscesty
IN Eneitsh Hsstory
In England. is M france the passion
Tor gambling has often reduced women
Of the nobIcst birth I'd the estdepths
of depravityl From illusions h Gig
plays, such rs The Provoked huss
band, = and from Walpoles ..Lettcrs''
ard other publications, Il h. evident
that tho sacrifice Of honor was not an
infrequent method Of paying gambling
debts The stakes were generally high.
and the debts incurred wore first
charge on the constituencies Of the un-
fortunate lady players:
So tender thcse--if debts crowd fasA upcu
Shell pawn her virtue to preserve her honor.
4 Hogarth, In his picture entitled
.l,iauct, or Virtue Ia Danger. realized
exactly the female gamblers falli and
his tr,sthfulncss WINS amply testified
TO bx frequent occurrences in actual
life a single illustration Of these
may suffice. A lady was married
while very young 70 an English noble
Fro long sllo WIS itttIUducud 70 y pro
fcssional gainestrcss. was led into play
and lost more In d single night than
oversize could hope to pay. Her honor
paid the dobt. Soon afterward the
gamblers boasts revealed tho truth to
the isady's husband. and u duel as the
necessary result. The gambler was
shot dead by the injured husband. alter
which the latter actually offered to
pardon his vile and restore her TO her
former position. Tho vile refused.
gave herself up entirely 70 gambling
and its Consequences, and tho husband
died Of broken heart
The stakes for which ladies played
during the closing years oi the eigh-
teenth and the opening years Of the
present century. were often OF constd-
cradle magnitude. In l776, Il lady ina
fashionable quarter OF London, lost, at
a single sitting according 70 tae "An- I
nual Register" less than 5000
guineas at loo; and at Lady hIcking-
bamshire's faro table in ST. James
square, there were often enormous sums
lost in play
Lady Buckinghamshire 1t may be re-
marked, was perhaps the most notori-
Gus gamestress Of her day. She actu-
ally slept with pair Of pistols and a
bIunderbuss by her side for the pro-
lection Of her cherished bank, Her
career, however. was n somewhat
efeckered one. In the Times for
March IS. 1897. there is q police court
report which goes to show that Lady
Buckinghamshire's spectlfations were
moi always free from worry. A couple
Of days prior TO the appearance Of the
report her tadysiiip. together with
Lady T. Luttrcl and Mrs. Sturt. was
brought up at the Marlborough street
police court and fined ESQ for playing
at faro. while Henry Martindale. her
manager, was muleted In EGO.
Later In thf Same year her croupier
got into trouble through the disap-
pearance OF the cash-hvx. Awkward
stories Of stolen purses, snun-boxes and
cloaks began to be told, and finally
Martindale became q bankrupt to the
time Of f32S. 600. besides debts Of
honor" to the amount OF Ef50.000
Lady Buclinghamshire by tho way.
was not the only titled dame OF the
-oitieH days who not only gamhledt but
kept gambling establishments. One OF
these professional gainestresses actual
ly applied to the House OF Lords for
protection against fFseliee- intrusion ON
tho plea that she was peeress OF
Great Britain.
] Il. Dame Mary. baroness Of Mord-
ington." ran the petition do hold
house 10 the Great Plaza. Covent
Garden. for and as an assembly where
all persons OF credit are ut liberty 70
frequent and play At such diversions ~ \
are used ut other assemblies and
demand all those privileges that belong
to me as a peeress Of Great britain, APP
pertaining to my said assembly"
The House Of Lords very properly ~
fused herreauest. a--All the Year Round