304 HISTORY OF THE 



of the first magnitude, must ever be attended with 

 unpleasant results. 



At the commencement of the meeting, it trans- 

 pired that a Mr. E. Bond, the proprietor of the 

 Atheuceum gaming-house, in London, and hitherto 

 unknown on the turf, had purchased Ludlow, a 

 horse in great favour for the St. Leger, and 

 dreaded as a formidable rival to Mr. Richardson's 

 Fang, of Mr. Beardsworth, for no less a sum than 

 '* 5000 gs." 



This naturally excited general suspicion of the 

 existence of one of those confederate plans by 

 which the public are plundered for the benefit 

 of the few, and which bring such odium upon the 

 turf. Upon being roundly charged with this, Mr. 

 Bond confessed that there was a " fourth party " 

 concerned in the alleged purchase of Ludlow, be- 

 sides his brothers and himself, but declined naming 

 him. It is, however, an act of justice due to this 

 individual and his brothers, that we should place 

 before our readers his own vindication of the 

 charges made against him, and which appeared in 

 the following letter addressed to the Morning He- 

 rald newspaper : 



Sir, 



" I feel confident that common justice will in- 

 duce you to insert the following. I bought Lud- 

 low : I gave 5,000 gs. for him, public opinion say- 



