A Tragic Affair in Southsea

Wild Bill Hickock may well have been holding the Ace of Spades as he played out his last hand of cards at Nuttal & Mann’s Saloon in 1876, but for three friends in Southsea, in December, 1806? Well, they had a different game in mind, where the Ace was supposed to provide a shooting target:

A most melancholy circumstance, December, 1806

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000230/18061222/001/0001 Hampshire Chronicle - Monday 22 December 1806

On Wednesday last a most melancholy circumstance occurred on Southsea Common. Mr. W. A. Limerick, in company with Mr. J. Hyde, Mr. W. Hamilton, and Mr. W. Wilkinson, having agreed to shoot at a mark for a wager, assembled near the bathing machines for the purpose of deciding the bet; when, having fixed the ace of spades to a post, they withdrew to a distance of twelve yards. Limerick, by the consent of the party, was to have the first fire; he accordingly pulled the trigger of his pistol, which hung fire, when he removed, and another of the party came up to fire. Limerick had moved but a very short distance, when he received a ball in his right side, which passed through his body, grasing both his arms. The ball came from the pistol of Mr. Hamilton, which accidentally went off as he was about to fire at the card.— Mr. Limerick immediately dropped his pistol, and, after running about 50 yards, fell down. He was taken to the bathing-house, and from thence to the Crown Inn, where he expired early the next morning. The most perfect friendship existed amongst them; and the unfortunate deceased made oath before his death that it was accidental. A coroner’s inquest was held on the body, and a verdict of accidental death returned. Mr. Limerick had recently got his appointment as a writer in the East India Company’s service, and was waiting to take his passage in the General Stuart East Indiaman, to India, where his father is, and from whom he has been absent years. He was buried on Saturday morning in the Garrison Chapel. The other gentlemen belonged to the General Stuart.

A tragedy, for sure.

I am in part reminded of the death of Henry Card, in Lymington, I tale I picked up in the Ferryman pub in Lymington, and which led to my storynote on the Ardlamont affair…

But the Ace of Spades’ association with death goes back further still, to a time when the penalty for evading the payment of Duty on playing cards was a capital one.