"Three thimble riggers, who had been given in custody at the fair in St. Thomas, on Tuesday night, were brought before Mr. Gordon, at the Castle, the next morning. Mr. G. W. Turner attended on their behalf, but the magistrate dismissed the case.
"He said he could not punish them without punishing, with equal severity, the simpleton of a countryman who had been so foolish as to play with them.
"This young man, a bright specimen of 'yokel' intelligence, had only been saved from losing all his money by the kind interference of two Exeter young men who said that "as he wasn't up to the town, they feared he would get into mischief."
"The defendants went out rejoicing at their lucky escape: the countryman struck with amazement, not knowing what to make of it."
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This is another example of how some of the city-folk of Exeter regarded their 'simple' country neighbours. There are countless stories of rustic simpletons getting into mischief beacause they are not up to the town and the newspapers seem to revel in telling them. In dismissing this case Mr. Gordon, the magistrate, might be thought to be to be as one with his fellow citizens. These days it is not a crime to be simple. It is, as the Shakers say, a gift.
Thimble rigger has become thimblerigger. The ancient game, played with three small cups or thimbles and a pea or a button, is invariably connected with cheating and sleight of hand although, if the pea is not 'palmed' it is up to the rigger's dexterity to make a profit. The fact that there are here three thimbleriggers implies that accomplices were somehow skewing the game..
Yokel says Eric Partridge in Origins, is a word "difficult to explain, the dialect sense 'woodpecker', even if green, being unsatisfactory. The 1845 Times clearly considers it slang.
Source: The Western Times, 29th March 1845.
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