16 SPORTING STORIES 



gambler elsewhere, O'Kelly would allow no gambling at 

 Clay Hill, and when on his death he left his fine estates of 

 Clay Hill and Cannon Park to his nephew, he made it a 

 condition that his heir should forfeit ;^500 for every bet he 

 made on the Turf. George Fordham, by the way, left a 

 somewhat similar injunction in his will, with a view to 

 checking any disposition to betting in his son. 



Another and less pleasing specimen of an early " leg " was 

 Dick, alias " Captain," England, one of the most unmitigated 

 ruffians ever connected with the English Turf. Uneducated, 

 crafty, unscrupulous, and strong, he bullied and cheated 

 dozens of young fellows out of their fortunes. One, the 

 Honourable Mr Darner, he robbed of ^^"40,000, the result 

 being that the poor lad committed suicide rather than 

 face his father. The same unprincipled scoundrel led 

 young Clutterbuck, a Bank of England clerk, to commit 

 forgery to a large amount, for which he was hanged. 



Having won 50 guineas from a Major Campbell, that 

 gentleman gave Dick an order on Goslings, the bankers 

 of Fleet Street, for the amount. Calling a coach, the 

 winner went at once to cash it ; but as he pronounced the 

 name Go-sling, no one could direct him to the bank. 

 Thinking he had been done, he sat down and penned the 

 following note to Major Campbell : — 



" Mr Meijer, — I toke ye for a gentleman, but if you don't 

 take up that damned piece of thick paper which you did 

 give me, by the X of St Pathrick I will dock you closer 

 than I did the French wig-maker. Some gentlemen would 

 have hexposed you by showing the name Go-sling when 

 there is no such name at all, at all. Pay the fifty or take 

 yer fat. — yer injered friend, RICHARD ENGLAND." 



To this Major Campbell sent a gentlemanly but sarcastic 

 reply, which Dick got an associate to read ; and the latter, 

 finding that the other still fancied that he had been 

 swindled, gave him 45 guineas for the draft for 50, and 

 cashed it himself. 



A Mr Stubbs got out of Dick England's clutches as well 

 as anyone. Mr S. had a peculiar habit of keeping one eye 

 shut, but on any occasion of surprise or alarm it as invariably 



