The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-11-16
GoNpoM GAMBLING Tlpa.
Revelations % an Illicit but PayInn
iEdusSSy.

F URINARY. R
From time to time great public sur
prise rs expressed when the announce
ment - made in the newspapers that
q quiet, respectable looking house In
an apparently humdrum Lodon neigh
borhood has been Eaided by tho police.
aud tho proprietoGs heavily fined for
occupying the premises for purposes
OF illegal gaming"
Only q few weeks aSo two foreigners
were fined 280o-and this was the
seventh occasion on which they had
been Aned-Sor using o largo house in
o fashionable West End square as the
headquarters Of q gambling don large
ly f~reQuented by silded youths and
those idlers who prefer to make a liv-
Ing by any other means than by hard
work. The fne was paid ut once, and
on the Judge expressing his surprise
that 30 heavy q penalty was always
paid by the proprietors without any
difficulty, he was informed by q we'll
known police inspector that the profits
OF q fashionable London gambling den
frequently amounted to as much as
$500 In O single week.
In order, therefore, to fathom the
mystery OF this heavy margin Of profit
derived from keeping gambling dens,
the writer, accompanied by q plain
clothes officer, paid O. visit to several
establishments ON which for some
time the police have had O. watohful
eye. The greatest secrecy Is invaria-
bly, exercised by the keepers OF these
haunts to prevent any n being adj
mitted who is likely to "split" and
give information to the yard" which
will justify a warrant being issued and
a raid made on the premises.
The interior Of a gambling den pre-
sents q spectacle which those who
pay o CALI for tho first time will
never forget. Heavy curtains effectu-
ally keep out the daylight even on
the warmest summer day, while q
%janitor Of u~npleasantly pugilistic APP
pearanco guards the door, ready to
eject every client who shows q dispo-
sition to complain of his losses navIne
been brought about by unfair means.
In the far corner Of the room during
racing hours a tape machine, giving
the winners and starting prices, ticks
merrily away, while around q long
table covered with groom baizo sit,
hour after hour, crowds of harassed,
excited looking gamblers registering
their Wagons and eagerly discussing
the chances of the various candidates
for each race.
AS q general rule, faro Is the game
most dear to the heart Of the gambling
den proprietor, for on each hand dealt
a charge Of sixpence Is made, and, as
frequently upward Of sixty hands are
dealt In ON hour, 1t can DO easily I'M
derstood that tho dealers commission
soon swells into a very considerable
sum. Anu not o moment of the day
ls wasted. From early one morning
until early the next morning some
game OF chance is being played, and
as aver the most avarioious gamester
required q few hours sleep, the pro-
prietor invariably has two or three
friends ready to take charge Of things
while he turns In" for a short time.
Perhaps one OF tho most striking
features of a we'll organized gambling
den La the elaborate system Of keeping
In touch with the movements Of the
police: For instance, spies are from
morning until night on watch outside
TO give notice Of any suspicious move
ment on tho part Of tho gentlemen In
blue" while the approach OF any
strangers In plain clothes to the the
building 10 invariably signalled to the
doorkeeper. so that time is Flowed to
conceal tho various implements of
gambling should o raid be- contem-
plated.