A BOGUS SWEEPSTAKE.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 18, 22 January 1926, Page 7

A BOGUS SWEEPSTAKE.

ORGANISED IN AUSTRALIA. CHARGES OF gELLTNG TICKETS. Pome little time ago a man in Australia who endeavoured to emulate the famous J. Rufus WallingfoTd, organised a bogus sweepstake on the Xew Zealand Cup, run at Riccarton in November, when prizes running into thousands of pounds were offered to the lucky ones. The Australian's little plan was upset by the police however, but not before books containing the tickets had been posted to many persons in Xew Zealand. At the Police Court this morning three men each pleaded guilty to disposing of 10 tickets in the bogus sweepstake. Chief Detective Cummings said that books of tickets had been sent to thorn. Thinking that the sweepstake was quite in order they each sold tickets to their work mates. One thing in their favour was that they sent the money for the sale of the tickets hack to Australia. The three defendants were all hard workins decent men. The money had been received from Australia and would he handed to the three men to refund to the purchasers of the tickets. Mr. Poynton: How did the promoter get their addresses? Chief Detective Cummings: Oh, we know Mr. Abbott. When he was in New Zealand he made good use of the directory. ■ Mr. Poynton: He must have. I know I got two books of tickets myself. (Laughter.) Chief Detective Cumminge: I have not heard of you selling any of them yet, sir. Mr. Poynton just smiled. Each of the three men was convicted and ordered to pay costs.