The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-03-14
'0LD GAMBL|NGC CLUBS
Famous Resorts of the Betting
Fraternity In London.
THE WAY FOX WAS TRlCKED.
A Scheme That Allowed Him to Be
Cheated by Lord Barrymore-Wa-
tiers, Commended by Lord Byron
and Patronized by Beau Brummel.

tiers, Commended by Lord Byron
and Patronized by Beau BrummeI.
In America such a thing as u propri
etary club owned and managed by one
man is almost unknown. In London it
Is the usual thing, and almost all the
medium sized clubs which are devoted
to some special purpose. such as card
playing. are proprietary.
In the old days this was money
making enterprise, and some immense
fortunes were piled up by the proprie-
tors of London card clubs But now
whenever club shows signs of I'M
usual prosperity the members get to
gether and insist on forming some sort
of governing body which shall nave
power to pass upon the proposals for
membership They also see to 1t that
the proprietor spends a proper proper
ton of his profits on the comfort or
the members instead of putting every
thing In his pocket.
The fashions in the card clubs con
tinually change with the years ana
with the games that are the rage. A
century ago 1t was against the rules
In many of the best clubs to play
cards before dinner, whereas nova
days the principal play is between
the hours of 4 and Z. The income OF
the proprietor today is from the an
nual subscriptions and from the liked
fees for card money. In the old days
the largest source of revenue was
from the counters picked up from the
floor after the game was over
George Raggett. the owner OF
Whites, one of the most famous gam
bling clubs in the world, situated on
st. James street. made it his rule to
attend to his guests i'll person when
ever exceptionally high play was IN
progress, knowing that he would be
we'll repaid for his time. Upon one
occasion, after picking up counters to
the value of nearly $1,000 from the
floor, he received gift of almost as
much from Harvey Combe. who had
| been playing from Monday evening
until II o'clock on wednesday morn
ing, Sir John Malcolm, Tippoo Smith
! and Ward. the member Of parliament
for London. being the other players at
the table.
/ Some of the proprietary clubs adopt
ed curious rules to attract and Keep
their customers. One of the chief diff
ficulties then, as now. was to insure q
game from any one that might happen
to drop In at odd hours. One of these
nicknamed the Nerve Ending club. had
a bylaw that no player should quit d
table until a fresh arrival was read!
to take bis place.
One very popular feature was to pro
vide light silken curtains which coult
be drawn between the faces of thu
players so as to conceal from an ad
versary any unguarded expression o
disappointment or of triumph upol
picking up a hand or following tn
course of play.
1t was at this club that Fox lost
large sum of money to Lord Barry
more, who took advantage of the con
- cealment of his own face to study tn
reflection of Foxs cards in the larg
polished steel buttons which he wor
upon his coat.
At the corner of Bolton street an
Piccadilly was Walters club, whic
Byron records was IL superb club
! 1915. Beau Brummel played here res
ularly for ten or twelve years, but th
club eventually fell into disreput
through the want of proper superv
sion of the admissions to membership
Swinburne says in his Courts
| Europe" that it was in this club that
| player upon seeing the witty Lol
| Alvanley enter the room and, dreadir
| his satirical tongue. laid down b
/ cards and pulled out pair of pistol
| which he laid on the table beside hill
The only comment of Alvanley was:
| 81 hope, you don't expect your a
versary to follow suit?"
! Every visitor to London who hi
| passed down Piccadilly has probab
j remarked the imposing home of Il
, Devonshire club at the southwest &C
| ner of St. James street. Within til
building the highest gambling In
| world has probably taken place, t
1 | WOu anu lOol sit A1OheS OUA'N
ing nothing to those that chang
hands here. The entrance was orr
nally from the Piccadilly side, a
! many changes have been made In
interior arrangements. but some of
! gilt chairs that were used by the hi
rollers of seventy years ago are 81
preserved in the clubrooms.
The proprietor of this club was or
finally small fishmOnger named "
liam Crockford, who had shop nj
Temple Bar. His first venture In CT
proprietorship was to take Waite
old house, where hazard, the Am'
can game of craps, was the CHIEF
traction. In this he had a part
named Taylor. and they both ms
money, but at the end Of year Il
separated. and Crockford went to
James street, where he prospsred
well that he instructed the Wyatts
prepare plans for new building.
This was opened in 1927, and,