Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1910-03-16
I'd GAMBLING CLUBS
Famous Resorts of the Betting
Fraternity In London.
III WAY FOX WAS TRIcKED.

Scheme That Allowed Him TO 30
Cheated by Lord 5arrymore--Ws-
tiers, Commended by Lord Byron
and Patronixed by Beau 6rummei.
~ America such a thug ns propri-
o,,rv club owned and managed by one
man IS almost unknown. Ia London IL
e th, usual thing. and almost all the
medium sized clubs which are devoted
% some special purpose. such as card
ol,vinc. are proprietary
In the old days this was n money
making enterprise. and some Immense
fortunes were piled up 10y the pr"prie-
,orS II London card clubs But now
whenever club shows signs Of uu-
uSual prosperity the members get to-
,.ethrr and Insist on forming some sort
of governing body which shall have
povcr to pass upon the proposals tor
membership They also see to 1t that
tho proprietor spends a proper proper
,inr ~ his profits on the comfort OF
th, ucmbcrS instead OF putting every
thius in his pocket
The fashions I'm the card clubs con-
tinually change with the years and
with the gaines that are the rage. A
century aga II was against the rules
m mauN of the hest clubs to play
carl> before dinner. whereas nova
DAYS the principal play Is between
M, hours 81 I and Z. The income of
fh- proprietor today X from the an
nuai >ul,~, riptiouS and from the fixed
fees fnr card money In the old days
the largest source OF revenue was
FROM the counters picked up from the
Goor after the game was over
George Raggett. the owner OF
Whites. one of the most famous gam
bling clubs i'm the world. situated on
81 James street. made IL his rule 20
attend To his guests In person when
ever exceptionally high play was In
progress. knowing that he would be
vel repaid for his time Upon one
occaSiun. after picking up counters TO
the value OF nearly $1,000 from the
floor. ne received n gift OF almost as
much from Harvey Combe. who had
been playing from Monday evening
until II o'clock on Wednesday morn
iug. Sir Johu Malcolm. Tippoo Smith
aud Ward. the member OF parlia ment
for London. being the other players Mt
the table
some ~ the proprietary clubs adopt
ed curious rules TO attract and keep
their customers One OF the chief diff
ncultics then. as now. was To insure n
game from any one thar might happen
60 drop in M odd hours One OF these,
nicknamed the Nerve Ending club. had
bylaw thar no player should quit a
table until fresh arrival was ready
10 take his place
one very popular feature was TO pro-
vide light Silken curtains which could
be drawn between the faces OF the
players So ;lS To conceal from an ad-
verSary any unguarded expression OF
disappointment or OF triumph upon
picking up hand or following the
course 81 play
IL WAS at this club that Fox lost a
larse sum or money To Lord Barry
more. who took advantage OF the con
cealment of his own face 20 study the
reflection of Fox's cards In the large
polished steel buttons which he wore
upon his cont
AT the corner OF Bolton street and
Piccadilly was Walters club. which
Byron records was n ..superb club" In
1919 Beau Brummel played here reg
ularly fer ten or twelve years. but the
club eventually fell into disrepute
through the want OF proper supervi-
sion OF the admissions To membership.
Sw'nburne says IN his Courts of
Europe that u was I'm this club that a
payer upon seeing the witty Lord
ANanley enter the room and. dreading
MS Satirical tongue. laid down his
cards and pulled out n pair OF pistols,
Nu''h he laid on the table beside him.
Tue only comment OF Alvanley was:
hope YOU don't expect your ad-
'erSary To follow suitY"
Every visitor TO London who has
PASSED down PlccadIly has probably
IeHHr6ed the Imposing home of the
DeN"nShire club at the southwest cor
ner OF 81 james street Within this
building The highest gambling In the
world has probably taken place. the
sums Won and lost at Monte Carlo be-
ns nothing to those that changed
n"huS here The entrance was origi.
nan! from the Piccadilly side. and
A"ny changes have been made In the
"'e'lor arrangements. but some Of the
sn' chairs That were used by the high
o''erS OF seventy years ago are still
deserved In the clubrooms.
me proprietor OF this club was orig
,n"''y small tishmonger named Wn.
r"n Crockford. who had shop near
couple Bar. His first venture In club
P'oprletorship was TO take Walters
u "ouse. where hazard. the Ameri-
t t game of craps. was the chief ut.
action. In this he had n partner
na''u Taylor. and they both made
OHey' Dut at the end Of a year they
separated. and Crockford went 10 ST.
nm" street, where he prospered so
we" that he Instructed the Wyatts 70
Ptrpare plans for new building.
,hau was opened in 1927. and, al
C~sn u was proprietary club,
~ 0"iord was shrewd enough to In
committee with the right of
Iuon to membership. a move to
u many persons attribute his i'm
menSe success Among the first of the
"sues presented was that or the Duke
., remington. and almost every man
Ha "o's IN England was either mem.
Sn,' VI guest at some time or other
lineage Record-Herald.