Decline of Cumberland Wrestling. 223 



gladiator's favourite chip. Yet on the ad- 

 judication of the prizes of the day, George 

 Moore came out third best. Everyone knew 

 that he was a Coomberland laddie, for his 

 strong Carlisle accent told its own tale. 

 After the sports were over, hardly a man or 

 boy on the ground failed to declare himself 

 George's Moore's well-wisher and friend, and 

 to grasp him by the hand. The incidents of 

 the day could hardly have failed to elate the 

 lad, and nerve him for the battle of life 

 which still lay before him. He retraced his 

 way to the heart of the city, with which he 

 was then so unfamiliar, but in which he was 

 one day to hold up his head as a merchant 

 prince. In the course of the afternoon he 

 learnt that the inn in which he was lodging 

 had fallen into disrepute because it had long 

 been frequented by Thurtell, the notorious 

 murderer of Mr. Weare. In the morning 

 George Moore discovered that he had slept 

 on the very bed which Thurtell habitually 

 occupied. This gave him such a shock that 

 he felt obliged to seek other lodgings, and 

 he was fortunate in finding shelter in Wood 

 Street, at a humble boarding house kept by 



