HOUP-LA OR QUOITS?

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 208, 30 August 1912, Page 6

HOUP-LA OR QUOITS?

QUESTION OF LUCK OR SKILL. THE GAME IX QUEEN STREET. The mysteries of the magic frame of lioup-la, which dii Tin- the laet week or two has been attracting daily and nifrlitJy attention from strolling pedestrians in C v )tieen Street, this morning engaged the magisterial at/ton-tiopi of Mr. E. C. Outten. S.SL. when Joseph Warner and Carl Sdjulu, who have l>oen rnnnin<r two boup-la enterta.innie.refe In Queen Street, were charged that within the view of |<.T.."wers-bv they play a game. of cliance. Chief De-tecii-ve McVEa;hon explained! 'that un a long, slanting board were set out a number of iurt>cl<«, such as i watches, clocks, cruets, tie clips, cheap ? .l<-i»Ye links, etc. These were displayed. jon star-shaped tin traye, placed co. a small pedestal. A conniter about seven feet away kept at a distance the customers who were (for a cousiduraiiotl) supplied with light- cane rings with which to endeavour to pneirele by a I throw the articles on the star-shaped I trays and the trays. if he encircled the tray he was entitled to the goods on the tray. The basis of. the prosecution was tliat it was more by hick than skill that the enne ring encircled the trays, and that it frequently happened that the rings bounced a.way and went ever or partly over some other article. Evidence TCae given by the landlord's infant, in (lie charge against Wachncr, which was taken first, that the rent oX the, shop was £3:! 11/8 a moptli. Sergeant Bird -stated that he watched one of the public have six throws. lie went for a watch and chain, missed that, and the ring bounced away and encircled a flat match-box; the. second aleo raiseed die object aimed at. and roUed over a card of sleeve-links; the other four shots missed entirely. In describing the surroundings, he mentioned that the gajne proceeded to more or less soft muirie from a pianola opera.'ted by a yoiing lady, thai a number of schoolhO|j& frequented the shop at the lunch hour, and that placards wore posted up that nobody under 10 years of age would be allowed to play, also that the management reserved the right to veto any player. He also said that he saw a man encircle a watch and chain, and state the expectation Unit he would get boil), bnt was told that lie could hove only tlie wsubch or the eiiain, liot not both. People on Queen Street could eec the game being playetl inside the shopDetective Keane was introduced an something of a quoits ■expert, wJio had tried his ekiil in a shilling's worth o,f throws (twelve>, which resulted in his getting a tie clip .Item a chance bounce of the cane ring wn«i he vac after an alarum clock. The prize he encircled was a. card with a. tie clip awl a couple of studs, and lie thought tr> get the lot, but was told that only op« vi the articles was ibis. Mr. Singer, for acensed, submitted, on legal points, tfaat the game did not come within the scope of ithe {Naming Act. Bβ also contended that the game -was. one of skill, that the public was. given opportunity to acquire the skill required to "ring" Uie prizes, and that the shop where , it was played woe not a. public place. Evidence was given by Francis Kbew, ■who claimed to be the inventor of tine game, which, he said, "was not ~houpla," but quoits, an adaptation of the game of deck ijiiotte. Personally, lie could ring any article on the booed. lie added that the managerial veto was not for .the purpose of ibarring any person who became too skilful, but to keep the •place clear of drunken men and other •undesirables of the kind. He coneidesed tlie "ringing" of the articles a r"t-14r of pure skill, and added that it was not part Off the game to allow the public anything for articles rung by chance by the bounce of the cane rings. His Worship Deserved decision, agreeing to TKitness before toe gave las judgment an exhibition by the witness Shaw of his skill with the rin^. It -wae mentioned during the hearing ■that Wschner hod closed doara hie business because of poor returns, (but ttat 6oboJtz still kept going.