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CHARITY GAMBLING.

ALL NIGHT BACCARAT. SCENE IN A MAYFAIR FLAT. HARD CASH THE ONLY CREDIT. I (Special.—By Air .Mail.) LONDON, November 30. As dawn broke over London one day this week men and women in evening dress sat at long green tables in a luxurious flat at Brook • House, Parle Lane, still engaged, as they had been throughout the night, gambling away thousands of pounds at baccarat in the cause of charity. They were the guests of Mrs. F. Boss Price, who last year cancelled her customary charity gambling party, following the controversy which arose after the now famous one held under other auspices at Sunderland House. It was at 9.30 p.m. on Saturday that the first of Mrs. Boss Price's guests arrived at Brook House. No unauthorised person could have entered the flat, for immediately the door was opened invitation cards weie demanded, together with full names and addresses, which were entered in a book. No charge had been made for the admission tickets, but before guests could gain access to the gaming room tliev were intercepted by two gul stewards holding up collecting boxes and pleasantly demanding £1 each for the charity, please." The long, loungelike gaming room itself was set out with four long green tables for baccarat. Windows were closely curtained, although the number of guests increased during the evening to nearly 200. The excitement possibly made the atmosphere seem more oppressive, for at, every table the gamblers were keyed up to fever pitch. Women predominated— women in costlv gowns and ablaze with diamonds sat with their hands cupped about piles of counters marked from £1 to - £10. _ — —- ■

Stakes ranged, according to table, from 10/ to £10. This latter table was one hastily improvised in the hostess' bedroom, where sheets were laid on the carpet, and soon a score of people— again mostly women —were putting down a minimum of £10 for a turn of a card. At one time some hundreds of pounds were in the bank here, and the tension became so great that Mrs. Boss Price cleared the room of onlookers. Anyone who hoped that the £1 contribution to charity entitled him to partake freely at the bar set up in the hall must have been disconcerted by the large notice which confronted everyone: "We are not allowed to charge for drinks, but your generous contribution to the charity will be accepted." There were a number of collecting boxes at both bar and buffet, but there was no stint of free food for the weary gamblers, every sort of cold delicacy being piled on the buffet. It was only drinks for which one was expected to contribute anything from half a crown upwards. The croupiers were all men, except for a short while when a woman guest acted as supper-time relief at a £5 table. In the entrance hall two men were busy throughout the night behind a huge rolltop desk cashing cheques for the unlucky—cheques ranging from £5 to as many hundreds—with the notice above their heads: "Persons desiring to change cheques can only do so if they are vouched for by a member of the committee." The crowd at one time contained many familiar faces. There were two famous actors, the heads of well-known business firms, stockbrokers, bankers and City merchants.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19351218.2.95

Bibliographic details

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 299, 18 December 1935, Page 9

Word Count
550

CHARITY GAMBLING. Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 299, 18 December 1935, Page 9

CHARITY GAMBLING. Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 299, 18 December 1935, Page 9