GAMBLING ON PEOPLE'S LIFES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2303, 21 April 1898, Page 50

GAMBLING ON PEOPLE'S LI FES.

Of all the forms of wagering none, perhaps, are so extraordinary as those in which the issue depends upon whether certain people will live or not, or upon how loag they will live. Gambling of this kind, however, seems to exercise quite a fascination over seme people, and has done for many generations.

Whenever any person who has achieved great notoriety, either in one way or another, baa the misfortune to fall ill, the result of tbe illness,, it is certain, is the subject of scores of bets, great and grnall, made by people of all sorts and conditions.

A a instance occurred not long ago when a prominent gentleman in a large towa was lying dangerou&ly ill at his residence. It was necessaiy to maintain the utmost quiet, and consequently bulletins were pinned to the door twice each day so that it would not need to be opened. >

For some days, however, one caller of shabby appearance persisted in inquiring at midday if there had been any change in the condition of the patient. He was wholly unknown to tbe family, and a polite request was at length made that he would content himself with the information supplied by the bulletins.

Judge of the relatives' surprise when, with the utmost audacity, he pleaded for an exextension of the privilege on the ground that he " had a sovereign on it " ? It need hardly bo said that precautions were taken to gusrd against any further annoyance from this q carter.

Two or- three seasons ago a popular race meeting was in progress, and the horses in one of the races were approaching the grand stand, when one of them fell over the rails and the jockey was thrown heavily. A spectator on the stand immediately called out that he would lay £6 to £4 that the jockey had no limb broken. " Done," replied another, "and now I'll take 'twenties'

• It will be remembered what a sensation was created a few years ago by the trial of Mrs Moybrlck, wbo was sentenced to death at Liverpool for poisoning her husband. After the verdict, was delivered, speculation was rife ss to whether the capital sentence would be carried out, or whether the unhappy woman would be reprieved. At some gaming houses the odds were freely quoted, and when the news of the reprieve was received it was declared that one notorious gambler bad won £200 thereby. S:r Robert Walpcle told a remarkable s>ory. On one occasion a nutajxr of men of good position were seated at a gamblirg table, playing for bsg stakes, and suddenly one of them was seized with an apoplectic fife, and fell down.

The attention of his companions was, of course, diverted towards him ; but so infatuated were they at the moment with the gamblirg fever that they immediately began to bet upon the poEsibility of his recovering. A doctor had been sent for, but when he arrived they positively refused to allow him to administer any aid to tbe sufferer on the ground that such aid would afllecfc the bats ! A favourite form of wager in the days of long ago was that in which one life was pitted against another. Two titled persons once made a bet of 20gs that the well-known "B^au" Nash would eutlive Cblley Cibbar, the playwright. Nash lived to the age of B^, andOibber to 87, and so the backer of the latter should have won. Before either of these worthies died, however, both the parties to the wager bad committed suicidal Obp was a Lord Momti'ord, sn& the other S'r Jobn Bland.

The b"<--<53 ot icvo'Lies ann pclWdr.w in every torus; ry are coatjnaail^ gambled npon. fck>rne years ago, when a, popular prince was seriously ill, many bets of amounts running inso three figures were made on tbe snbject. There is a rage for this kiad of thing in America ; acd ono*, whea a president's life was ia danger, not only W£rfi bets made upon it in the ordinary way, bah big " pools " -were organised, and tremendous gums changed hands.

Neither ars cases unknown where men have wagered o» the duration of their own lives, or backed them sgaiast fcboss of others. A little while &go, whsD an old Lancashire cotton weavfr died, it waa stated that, three cr four years before he h»0 m»de a bet ot a sovereign with a friend of his that ba would outlive aim.

The agreement was committed to writing, and the money was deposited with a third party, much younger than the other?, with two other witnesses in case the third party pbcuid himself die fo«for« the bet wa* settlea. Wfteo His time ar-ma the mo&oy x*ae du!j> bb&cl&d cviVr