This witness stated that he was engaged, about five weeks before,
to act as _punter_ or player (that is, in this case, a sham

player or decoy) to a table called _Noir, rouge, tout le deux_
(evidently a name invented to evade the statute, if possible), by

William Clarke, the prosecutor, before-mentioned; that the table
was first carried to the back room of Donaldson's Library, where

it continued for three or four days, when Donaldson discharged it
from his premises.

He said he soon got into the confidence of Clarke, who put him up
to the secrets of playing. The firm consisted of O'Mara,

Pollett, Morley, and Clarke. There was not much playing at
Donaldson's. Afterwards the table was removed into Broad Street,

but the landlady quickly sent it away. It was then carried to a
room over Walker's Library, where a rent was paid of _twelve

guineas per week, showing plainly the profits of the
speculation.

Several gentlemen used to frequent the table, among whom was one
who lost L125.

Clarke asked the witness if he thought the person who lost his
money was rich? And being answered in the affirmative, it was

proposed that he, William Wright, should invite the gentleman to
dinner, to let him have what wine he liked, and to spare no

expense to get him drunk.
The gentleman was induced to play again, and endeavour to recover

his money. As he had nothing but large bills, to a considerable
amount, he was prevailed on to go to London, in company with the

witness, who was to take care and bring him back. One of the
firm, Pollett, wrote a letter of recommendation to a Mr Young, to

get the bills discounted at his broker's. They returned to
Brighton, and the witness apprized the firm of his arrival. They

wanted him to come that evening, but the witness _TOLD THE
GENTLEMAN OF HIS SUSPICIONS_--that during their absence a _FALSE

TABLE_ had been substituted.
The witness, however, returned to his employers that evening,

when the firm advanced him L100, and Ford, another punter
of the sort, L100, to back with the gentleman as a blind--so

that when the signal was given to put upon black or red, they
were to put their stakes--by which means the gentleman would

follow; and they calculated upon fleecing him of five or six
thousand pounds in the course of an hour. According to his own

account, the witness told the gentleman of this trick; and the
following morning the latter went with him, to know if this

nefarious dealing has been truly represented.
On entering the library they met Walker, who wished them better

success, but trembled visibly. At the door leading into the room
porters were stationed; and, as soon as they entered, Walker

ordered it to be bolted, for the sake of privacy; but as soon as
the gentleman ascended the dark staircase, he became alarmed at

the appearance of men in the room, and returned to the porter,
and, by a timely excuse, was allowed to pass.

At this table Clarke generally dealt, and O'Mara played. It was
for not restoring the L100 to the firm that the charge of

felony was laid against the witness--after the escape of the
gentleman; but an offer of L100 was made to him, after

his imprisonment, if he would not give his evidence of the
above facts and transactions.

The evidence of the other witness, Ford, confirmed all the
material facts of the former, and the gentleman himself, the

intended victim, substantiated the evidence of Wright--as to
putting him in possession of their nefarious designs.

When the gentleman found that he had been cheated of the L125,
he went to Walker to demand back his money. Walker, in the

utmost confusion, went into the room, and returned with a
proposal to allow L100. This he declined to take, and

immediately laid the information before Mr Sergeant Runnington.
The learned Sergeant forcibly recapitulated the evidence, and

declared that in the whole course of his professional duties he
had never heard such a disclosure of profligacy and villainy,

combined with every species of wickedness. In a strain of
pointed animadversion he declared it to be an imperative duty,--

however much his private feelings might be wounded in seeing a
reputable tradesman of the town convicted of such nefarious

pursuits,--to order warrants to be issued against all parties
concerned as rogues and vagrants.

At the next hearing of the case the court was crowded to
excess; and the mass of evidence deposed before the magistrates

threw such a light on the system of gambling, that they summarily
put a stop to the Cobourg and Loo tables at the various public

establishments.
At the first examination, the `gentleman' before mentioned, a Mr

Mackenzie, said he had played _Rouge et Noir_ at Walker's, and
had lost L125. He saw O'Mara there, but he appeared as a

player, not a banker; the only reason for considering him as one
of the proprietors of the table, arose from the information of

the witnesses Wright and Ford.
On this evidence, Mr Sergeant Runnington called on O'Mara and

Walker for their defence, observing that, according to the
statements before him, there appeared sufficient ground for

considering O'Mara as a rogue and vagabond; and for subjecting Mr
Walker to penalties for keeping a house or room wherein he

permitted unlawful games to be played. O'Mara affirmed that the
whole testimony of Wright and Ford with respect to him was false;

that he had been nine years a residenthousekeeper in Brighton,
and was known by, and had rendered essential services to,

many respectable individuals who lived in the town, and to many
noble persons who were occasional visitors. He seemed deeply

penetrated by the intimation that he could be whipped, or
otherwise treated as a vagabond; and said, that if time were

allowed him to collect evidence, and obtain legal assistance, he
could disprove the charge, or at least invalidate the evidence of

the two accusers.
In consequence of these representations, the case was adjourned

to another day, when, so much was the expectation excited by the
rumour of the affair, that at the opening of the court the hall

was crowded almost to suffocation, and all the avenues were
completely beset.

O'Mara appeared, with his counsel, the celebrated Mr Adolphus--
the Ballantyne of his day--of Old Bailey renown and forensic

prowess.
Mr Sergeant Runnington very obligingly stated to Mr Adolphus the

previousproceeding, directed the depositions to be laid before
him, and allowed him time to peruse them. Mr Adolphus having

gone through the document, requested that the witnesses might be
brought into court, that he might cross-question them separately;

which being ordered, Wright was first put forward--the man
who had received the L100, enlightened the Mr Mackenzie, and

who was charged with feloniously stealing the above amount.
After the usual questions, very immaterial in the present case,

but answered, the witness went on to say that, O'Mara called at
his lodgings and said, if he (Wright) could not persuade Mr

Mackenzie to come from London, he was not to leave him, but write
to him (O'Mara), and he would go to town, and win all his money.

He had, on a former occasion, told the witness, that he could win
all Mackenzie's money at child's play--that he could toss up and

win ninety times out of one hundred; he had told both him and
Ford, that if they met with any gentleman who did not like the

game of _Rouge et Noir_, and would bring them to his house, he
was always provided with cards, dice, and backgammon tables, to