PROFESSIONAL GAMBLERS IN ENGLAND.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7145, 24 April 1885, Page 4

PROFESSIONAL GAMBLERS IN ENGLAND.

Extensive Gambling in BkightOn Clubs. A correspondent, writing to the St. James' Gazette relative to an article ou "Gambling" that appeared in the journal named, says : " You Bay that it i 3 an open secret that a gang of card-sharpers have for several yeara been plying their trade not only in gambling houses but in certain London and Brighton clubs. You are evidently aware of what is going on and could have addtd, ' They have varied this with trips to various watering places after the London season is over.' Some of the gang are mixed tip with actresses, who liolp to entangle ' flats.' But quite the princo of sharpers is a man who has been at work for about fifteen years, and is a past master in the art. He is a member of lots o£ clubs, and I have heard it computed that he must have landed over £50,000 at the least. He is assisted by a more or less attractive wife, and it was chiefly through falling in love with her that one poor fellow, some five years ago, lost more than £ 5000 at ecarte at one sitting in his rooma at Brighton. The lucky winner of this sum began with no income at all ; and yet up to the time he married he lived at the rate of quite £3000 a year. Hia wife has an income of a few hundreds, and ho now manages to live quite en millionaire. At Paris be is well known ; his wife's arrival and her dresses are described in Le Boulevard Gil Bias, and similar papers. He has made various paying tripa to gambling places abroad, where, when he has picked up men who won at the tables, his ■wife would invite them in ' to supper and v smoke ;' and then he and his confederates skinned them. This worthy is reputed to have added to his other accomplishments that of 'bonnet' to a club. Next to him—and often working with him— is a man who some years ago was on Bervice in one of the dependencies of the empire. Later on he was head"overears in debt, and now luxuriates in all good things of life, is a member of various social clubs, is very popular, and quite a representative masher. He calls himself by a fancy name, and has dropped his connections so entirely that I doubt if a single member of his gang knows that he is married."