The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-04-06
CaEA ING AT CARDS.
Story of the Great Gambling Scandal
of1937 in London.


story OF the Great Gambling Scandal
ot1S37 in London.
Iron, the Pau Mall Gazette.
Apropos OF the Tranby Croft baccarat
scandal, which is now attracting so much
attention, it may not be amiss to recapitu,
late the principal circumstances of the
great exposure of 1887, when Henry
William, Lord de Ros, the premier baron
of England, was virtually convicted Of hav-
| ing cheated at whist at Graham's Club. the
Travellers and elsewhere.
Then, as now, the judicial proceedings
took the form Of an action for libel brought
by the accused party against one of the ac-
cuser, and, curiously though, the latter was
Mr.. John Cumming. We are not aware
whether this gentleman was in any degree
related to the family OF Sir William Cor
don-Cumming, but it is not unlikely.
Then as now o continue the parallel
an attempt was at first made TO hush the
matter up, and Lord de Ros' accusers-
Lord Henry Bentinck, Sir William IngI by,
Capt. Alexander, Mr.. Brook Grevllle, Mr.
Cumming and Mr.. George Payue-had
agreed among themselves that they would
only intervene In the event of the delinquent
continuing TO play at cards. If he ceased
playing alt igether they had resolved that
they would not exposed him. This decsi IN,
however, was not formally conveyed TO
warning were addressed to him, which it
was considered would have the desired
effect.
For eighteen months or two years prior
to the scandal Lord de Ros had been sus-
pected of unfair practices. At the trial the
specific occasions on which he was charged
with having cheated were December 25,
1885 lat Brighton; Feb. 10, 1899 lat the
Travellers club, and July l, 1886, aud Of er
dav OF IN, l.,Ir
several members of Graham's had bee me
convinced Of his lordship's dishonesty, and
most OF these avoided him,
aud even positively refused
to play with him. Others, however,
while equally persuaded of his guilt, often
consented to be his partners at whist, and
when they were not playing themselves
would back his hand for large amounts.
This was admitted by the individuals re-
ferred to at the trial
Lord de Ros w S in his 45th year; he was
fairly well off, though not exactly wealthy.
For score OF years or so he had been a
m smber Of Whites, Boobies Brooks and
Graham's and at all these clubs was in the
habit Of playing whist. He had OCCASION
ally Melted as much as $500 in one night at
Brooks, both by points and by betting. At
Graham's in 1886 the play appet to have
been comparatively low-as rule guinea
points were played for, with 95 on the rub
Der. From January to July that year Lord
de Ros played at Graham's on ffty-one oc-
casious, as shown by the club books, and
his winni les amounted to $3.50. paid to him
by Graham, exclusive of what he may
have ne,ted by backing his hand. In July,
when his position at G. aham's had virtually
become unite able, he CEASED To go tn re.
and IN the middle of August he left Il gland
for Germany. While he was abroad a
ribald matchmaking print, the SdttriSt,
which had got hold Of the wrong ED of the
story. published a garbled account of the
proceedings at Graham's. and on hearing of
this Lord de RIOS returned TO Engla I'd and
proceeded against the paper.
The SdtiriScS s statements were al ogether
incorrect. and his lcrdship would probably
have obtained verdict againsJ this jour
nal, but the gentlemen VINO charged HIM
with C eating now can g forward.
Medical and other witnesses testified at
the trial that Lord de Ros suffered from
painful disease which induced great stiff
ness of the j)inls, and 81 inca Dacita ed him
that he could not possibly accom- lsh any
slight-of-ha d tricks. Witnesses also came
forward from Brooks. Boobies and Whites,
and deposed that he had never been su-
spected Of cheating there. Lord Wha n
cliffe, Lord Robert Grosvenor. the Earl of
Clare and Henry Barring further testified
that his lordship was one II the best whist
players in England, and that his skill alone
sufficed TO explain his constant success at
cards. But on the other side the evidences
was crushing. It was eltcited that Lord
de Ros was in the habit of marking the
aces and kings of the packs he played with,
and that when dealing the cards he would
frequently change tue Jurn.up card (sauter
la coupe) by slight Of hand. On one occa-
sion, after the cards had been snuffled, a
certain ace was seen to be the boz to a card
,,F heay ar-Au 81 han ~ a
Lord de Ros dealt them, when this same
ace, though its position should have been
changed by the cutting, again Dr wed to DO
tue last card, and was turned up by
his lordshlp. Sir William Ingilby,
deed, swore that he had seen
Lord de Ros change the turn-up
card at lie tst a score Of times. George
Payne also gave some most damnatory evil
dence His lordship. it appear, would be
seized with vic ent fit OF coughing when
ever it was his turn to deal, aud would take
his hands, in which he held the cards, from
off the able as if to press his stomach.
Whenever this Happened h always tn ned
up an honor. 1t was shown also that no
cards we're ever found to be marked except
when Lord de Ro5 had been playing with
them. The marks had apparently been
made with the finger nails.
The trial lasted two days-Feh 10 and III.
Powerful pc ches were made by cour sci on
both sides, and Lord Denman, the judge,
summed up impartially enough, but ex-
pressed himself greatly struck by the evil
dence OF George Payne. The jury we're less
than quarter of an hour in considering
tIeir verdict, which was In favor of Mr..
Cumming. thus implying that Lord de Ros
was guilty Of the practices imputed to him.
The court was thronged with members of
the fashionable London clubs, by whom the
decision Of the jury was received with
solemn silence. On the morrow. so the
newspapers announced, the noble lord left
England for Rotterdam. He died in 1889,
and was succeeded in the title by his
b. other, an upright and able soldier
Most Of the leading journals Of the period
commented on the case at great length.
The Mo ming Chronicle published power
full article on the evils of gambling. "the
vice Of the age" which would bear reprint
/ o at present