Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-11-06
GAMES IN BELGIUM.
SPA, osrsND, ANo OTHER RESORTS
RIVALS or MONTE Garlic.
Millions Of Francs proflts TO tho Managers
OF the Gambling Estabiish-
ments.


OF Belgium, requested me 10 ootaln iroih
hs Majesty for publication IN expression
of sympathy with the object which the as
sociation had IN view. II was with some
reluctance that complied with his wishes.
On mentioning the matter 10 che King
during the course of an audience which he
subsequently granted me at Brussels, ne
looked at me in quizzical kind OF
way for q few seconds, and then
inquiry as 20 whether the Prince OF Wales
had given any token Of approval OF the
movement for which was asking his SYM
patty. was forced TO confess that had
not made any attempt to secure the views
OF nv future Sovereign upon the subject,
and then, with a merry twinkle in his eye.
the King turned of the conversation into
the direction of the matter in winch he IL
the most overwhelmingly, the Congo
Free State. My diplomatic training
having taught me how to take hint, espe-
cially when il Is given by one OF the
anointed of the Lord. made no attempt
TO revert TO the question OF the oppression
OF the gambling-tables at Monte Carlo;
At the time j was inclined TO attribute
the dislike of the King to give any express
sion 10 his opinions on the subject OF gam
biinestables to the fact that rs pleasure
loving Gan of the world ofsingular breadth
OF character he objected to movement
which appeared in his eyes TO partake OF
the nature OF Purtanical interference
with the individual pastimes OF his fellow
creatures. But In view OF the recent events
that have taken place IN connection with
the gambling at the Casino OF Ostend ana
Spa' am inclined TO believe that the King
was DESTROYS TO avoid interfering with the
prosperity Of the two principal watering
places Of his small kingdom.
PRIVATE GAMES.
In 1871 the Belgian authorities definitely
and officially closed the officially licensed
public gambling establishments at Spa and
Ostend, following, in this respect. the, ex-
ample of the German government, when
had few months previously a6olisned the
public tables at Baden Baden, Wiesoaden,
Homburg. and Aix-ls-C hapelle. Before
long, however, q number OF clubs. falsely
described as private" sprung up at Us
tend. Spa. Blankenberghe. Namur, Dinhnt,
and other places. where gambllng was
carried on just the same as before, WITH
this difference, however, that whereas the
public gambling-tables had been subjected
10 the most stringent government lnspec-
ton. the private clubs were not. These
clubs are open to anybody and everybody:
Thus, for instance, at Ostend there are al
least n dozen in the town besides the one
which is located at the Casino. The clubs
in the town have nothing sly or secret
about them One is in the market-place
with an open door and big brass plate at
the side of it informing all that social re-
union Is held every night within.
Anybody who likes can enter, q
secretary or clerk at the door
makes a pretence OF inscribing what
ever name one may choose to give him on
q register. and the visitor becomes forth
with mem Der of the club for the space of
twelve months without any kind OF INTRO
duction, fee. or formelity being required.
Another club of the same. kind has ln-
scribed on the front of the house which 1t
occupies in large gilt letters the words,
1.-The Cercle Gudule." At the latter the
game Is invariably ecdrte. The players SIT
In the middle of long table facing each
other. At one end of the table is seated
one of the officials OF the club,
who keeps the book with the list
of names of members desiring to
play. Directly a game is over he calls the
names from the list, and the beaten player
who wishes to retire is replaced by an
other, or, in the case of bdnque OHcerte, the
losing player is instantly changed at the
end OF each game. By the side of the two
PLAYERS between them and the official
above mentIoned-sit two other OF the
club officials. whose duty 1t Is to enter all
bets, to receive and pay the money IN
notes. gold. and fve-franc pieces; 10
shuttle the cards, to hold the pack not in
use. and generally to see fair play. Large
crowds usually stand behind each players
char betting on the play. Considerable
sums change hands here every night.
AUDAcIrY.
Not content with establishing in these
so.called clubs gambling tables that are
practically public the keepers have
actually had the eudaclty TO establish
themselves in the municlpaily-own
casinos of Ostend and Spa, establish
81, kal 60 2 Va
towns, they have coolly requested the
municipal managers of the casinos
to lease them certain of the larger
rooms of the building for the alleged pur-
pose of establishing private club there
for the benefit of the strangers stopping
at the place. That the municipal authorl-
ties are perfectly aware OF the use TO which
the rooms thus hired are destined is mani
fest from the fact that the lessees OF the
Cambling-tables at the Casino of Ostend
raw no less than 100000 per annum for the
use of the three rooms In which gambling
is publicly carried on during the Osten
seasonal period limited to about four
months in the year.
The municipality of Spa receives in the
same manner $4,000 for the use of the
suite of rooms in the Casino. which are
leased to the managers of the so-caled
Cefcle DIES strangers, or Strangers Club,
who run the gambling tables there.
According to report just furnished
to the government by @ commission
of the Belgian Senate appointed to in
cure into the matter, the net profits
OF the managers Of the gambling estab-
lishment in the Spa Casino amount to
nearly 100000 francs per season, whereas
the gambling tables at the Ostend Casino
yield TO their owners, according 10 the lat
ter's own admission, no less than 3,C00,OO0
OF francs.
i La Al IL I14
in the Spa Casino and In that OF Ostend
are open oil night, frequently until
O'Clock in the morning.
Moved by several disgraceful scandals
which have, during the last summer.
drawn public attention to the gambling at
the casinos of Spa and Ostend, the Belgian
Senate has recently been discussing the
policy of enacting law whereby munich
palitles and public officials of every kind
are prohibited, under the penalty of fine
and Imprisonment, from leasing any por-
ton of the communal property under
their control for Rombllng purposes, and
holding them criminally responsible If
any gambling is done on the premises. 1t
is improbable, however, that the projected
measure will become law. For already the
inhabitants of Spa have addressed to the
government q petition bearing the sigma
lures of nearly the entire population, in
Guiding those of the mayor, of the Munich
pal Council of the town. and OF the sena-
tors and parliamentary deputies of the
district. protesting against the bill and
urgently demanding the restoration of the
public gambling-tables as they existed
prior TO their legal abolition in 1871.
MADE A RAID.
couple of weeks ago the government
authorities. moved doubtless by the atten-
ton which the Senate Ii deyoting to the
subject. made a raid upon the gambling
tables Of the 0stend Casino. A body of
police suddenly invaded those rooms of
that establishment which are devoted to
gambling and found some eighty or q
hundred PLAYERS engaged in bacearat and
reate et quarante. The play, which was
very high. was only temporarily stopped,
however. and the police, after carefully
examining all the books Of the So
called club as we'll as the cards.
departed without either con6scating the
money or making any arrests. Accord
ing to the published accounts of the Incl
dents. the police appear 10 have reported
that mo irregularities were discovered
Its somewhat difficult to understand what
irregularities they expected to find. since
unfair play at oaccarat does not necessarily
leave its mark on the pack. Indeed. the
caita1 x,oi,oa ro.A oaar.o 90 haya Inra