SUNDAY GAMBLING.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 595, 16 May 1876, Page 3

SUNDAY GAMBLING.

" One of the favourite occupations of the humbler classes at Bradford on Sunday is, it seems, gambling," remarks the Pall Mall Gazette, February 16th, "and they have devised a novel and ingenious method of risking their money, which does credit to their inventive genius. On Sunday morning last two police detectives, who were on the watch for public gamblers, observed about twenty men, who had stationed themselves on the banks of the stream, running through the town. After looking about to see that no one was near to interfere with their amusement, each produced some splinters of woodfrom his pocket, one of which he threw into the stream. After a dead silence for a few seconds there arose a wild clamour of excitement as the splinters made their way down the stream. ' Shouts of ' Two to one on mine,' ' Six to four on mine,' ' A hundred to eighty-five pints on mine,' broke the silence of the Sabbath morn as one splinter headed another in the race. A certain mark being at last reached by one splinter, the settling took place on the spot, coppers and even silver changing hands with great rapidity. The officers at once pounced down upon the gamblers, who, on being charged before a magistrate, were sentenced each to pay a fine of 10j and costs. Thej acknowledged the fact of an interesting race having taken place, and also almitted that the owner of the winning splinter received a penny from every loser. lu some respects this splinter racing is an improvement on horse racing, as it would be difficult, if jvokr impossible, to ' nobble' a splinter."