BETTING ON LIVES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14931, 2 March 1912, Page 5 (Supplement)

BETTING ON LIVES.

SOME OLD-TIME INSTANCES., : Some of the old London club hitting,on > lives was concerned with -y«y ■ special risks. , ' ' "The-old yellow ' leaves/' , says Sir - George Trevalyan of the' betting-book tit > Brooks's, " were' scored thick with ; bets Vthat one of the Perreaus - (bankers'; and forgers) would be hanged, that , neither of them would bo hanged, and that Mrs. Rudd would :be -admitted' to bail )"'that Dr. Dotd would bo executed within two months; that he would anticipate the gal-, lows by suicide; and that, if he killed himself, it would rbe by, pistol; and not by poison. ■; Fitzpatrick, ; flying ..;;at righcr V; game, laid 500 guineas ,to 10 that none of the Cabinet were beheaded ''-", by /, that day three years; and another gentleman, who ", believed the melancholy com ;.■' tingency to bo not only possible, but probable, was free-spoken enough to nam© his Minister." tr Horace Walpolo, in a letter,:to St H. Mann dated . September 1, 1750, m. yes * curious instance of the mania ■ for :■ betting on life and death. . , ._ . "Tney have put in the papers* good story about • Whites'*. A man dropped down dead' at the. door, and v™,**** I**1 ** down dead dub immediately. ,mad»- beta ;; whether he was dead or- not. • - . "Thev were going to bleed mm. vvm i the W5 death objected, «ay». W it would affect the fairness of the bet, S »jSSm Mt till lifo. :****■**; ;; .:' • .■--'. ■ : : .::■'•.■ "*•.' v ':> J-^,J