 | ATROCITIES, DUELS, SUICIDES, AND EXECUTION OF
GAMBLERS. The gaming table : its votaries and victims, in all times and countries,
especially in England and in France. Vol. 2 |  |
DESPERATE CAREER OF HENRY WESTON.
Henry Weston was nephew to the distinguished Admiral Sir Hugh Palliser.
Having unlimited control of the large property of his employer, a Mr Cowan, during the absence of the latter from town, he was tempted first to gamble in the funds, wherein being unfortunate, he next went to a gambling house in Pall Mall, and lost a very large sum; and at length, gamed away nearly all his master's property.
In this tremendous result — lost to all intents and purposes — he made a supreme effort to `patch up' the ruin he had made. He forged the name of General Tonyn; and so dexterously, that he obtained from the Bank of England the sum of £10,000.
This huge robbery from Peter was not to pay Paul. Not a bit of it. It was to try the fickle
He lost this £10,000 in two nights.
Did he despair at this hideous catastrophe? Did he tear his hair — rush out of the room — blow his brains out or drown himself? Not a bit of it. He `set his wits to work' once more. He procured a woman to personate General Tonyn's sister — forged again — and again obtained from the Bank of England another large supply of ready cash — with which, however, he `went off' this time.
He was caught; and then only he thought of self-murder, and cut his throat — but not effectually. He recovered, was tried at the Old Bailey, and hanged on the 6th of July, 1796.
No doubt the reader imagines that the man of such a career was an old stager — some long-visaged, parchment-faced fellow the other side of forty at least. Well, this hero of the gaming table, Henry Weston, was aged only twenty-three years! What terrible times those must have been to produce such a prodigy!
To the judge who tried him Henry Weston sent a list of a number of professional gamblers, among them was a person of high rank. Weston,
| ATROCITIES, DUELS, SUICIDES, AND EXECUTION OF
GAMBLERS. The gaming table : its votaries and victims, in all times and countries,
especially in England and in France. Vol. 2 | |