The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1924-06-05
LONDON GAMBLING TIPS.
Revelations Of an Illicit but Paying
Industry. :

From time to time great public sur
prise is expressed when the announce
ment is made in the newspapers that
a quiet. respectable looking house IN
an apparently humdrVlm Lodon nefgh-
borhood has been raided by the police
and the proprietors heavily fined Tor
occupying the premises for purposes
Of illegal gaming"
Only few weeks ago two foreigners
were fined 9300-and this was the
seventh occasion ON which they had
been fned-for using large house IN
a fashionable West End square as the
headquarters of gambling den large
ly frequented by gilded youths and
those idlers who prefer to make llv-
ing by any other means than by hard
work. The fine was paid at once, and
on the judge expressing his surprise
that so heavy a penalty was always
paid by the proprietors without any
difficulty, he was informed by we'll
known police inspector that the profits
Of fashionable London gambling den
frequently amounted to as much as
e50O in a single week.
In order, therefore, to fathom the
mystery of this heavy margin Of profit
derived from keeping gambling dens,
the writer, accompanied by a plain
clothes officer, paid visit to several
establishments on which for some
time the police have had watchful
eye. The greatest secrecy is invarla-
bly, exercised by the keepers Of the Q
haunts to prevent any one being ed-
mitted who is likely to split" and
give information to the yard" which
will justify a warrant being issued and
4 raid made on the premises.
The interior of a gambling den pre-
sents a spectacle which those who
pay a call" for the first time viii
never forget Heavy curtains effectu-
ally keep out the daylight even on
the warmest summer day, while
janitor of unpleasantly pugilistic ap-
pearance guards the door, ready to
eject every client who shows dispo-
sition to complain of his losses having
been brought about by unfair means.
In The far corner of the room during
racing hours tape machine. giving
the winners and starting prices, tics
merrily away, while around a long
table covered with green baize sit,
hour after hour, crowds of hara csed.
excited looking gamblers registering
their wageSs and eagerly discussing
the chances of the various candidates
for each race.
AS a general rule, faro is the game
most dear to the heart of the gambling
den proprietor, for on each hand dealt
q charge of sixpence is made, and, as
frequently upward of sixty hands are
dealt in an hour, it can be easily I'M
derstood that the Dealers commission
soon swells into q very considerable
sum. Anu not a moment of the day
Is wasted. From early one morning
until early the next morning some
game of chance is being played, and
as even the most avaricious gamester
required few hours sleep. the pro-
prietor invariably has two or three
friends ready to take charge OF things
while he turns in" for short time.
Perhaps one of the most striking
features of a well-organized gambling
den is 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 the part of the gentlemen IN
blue" while the approach of any
strangers in plain clothes to the the
building is invariably signalled to the
doorkeeper, SO that time is allowed to
conceal the various implements of
gambling should a raid be contem-
plated.