BATCHELOR FINED £60.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 137, 13 June 1927, Page 5

BATCHELOR FINED £60.

HIS ASSISTANT £39. •'CLIENTS" FINES RANGE FROM £1 TO £5. Those charged at the Police Court this morning comprised a very cosmopolitan lot. They were natives of the following countries: —England. Ireland, Scotland, New Zealand, Australia, Syria, Dalmatia, and the United States of America. Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M., presided, and there was a large parade of the leisured gentry who always throng the public portion of the Court when there is something interesting to be dealt with. Batchelor was charged with keeping a common gaming house, while David Simon (41) was charged with assisting in the management of such a house. Both men pleaded guilty. On the Premises. The following were each charged with being found on the premises:—Charles John Burman (29), Walter Scott (40), John Sullivan (56), George Thomas (40), Alfred Morris (40). George Parkes (49), Edward Cooper (44). Charles Claude Bennett (30), Joseph Henry Symes (4S). James Bruce {3b), James McDonald (32), Barclay Mackie (37), James Kirrane (40), Michael Tobin (54), Frank Williams (49). James Brown (46), Thomas Anderson (28). James Leslie Chadwick (01). William Bond (42), Jack Roich (45), William McDonald (42), Henry Parkin. David Ross (60), Samuel Dunmore (47), Samuel Williams (46), Calvin Thomas Craddock Dufty (27), Thomas O'Connor (44). Abraham Wakem (44), Willijm Charles Seagar (39). John Davis. William Ellis, Joseph Katich. Louis Urlich, and another man, whose name was suppressed until he appears again on Wednesday. Quite a number did not appear, while Mr. J. J. Sullivan appeared for one man charged. Bennett, who pleaded guilty. The man, whose name was suppressed, as well as Ulrich, Davis, and Ellis, pleaded not guilty. Chi.v Detective Cummings said that the ]>o!iee had knowledge that the gymnasium was being used as a gambling house for the last two months, and that gambling was indulged in, principally on Saturday nights and on Sunday jfternoons and nights. The premises had been kept under observation for some j time. '"Such premises where gambling is indulged in would soon become a ! menace in the town." said Mr. Cum- j mings. "particularly when married men with families went there and gambled with their money. If owners of premises ; do not keep hotter supervision over the j people to whom they rent their pre- | mises. then the Department will have j to seriously consider charging them, too." i No Sign of Liquor. However. Mr. Cummings quite fairly j pointed out that there was no drunken-!, ness in the gaming house, and not one] man showed signs of having had any j liquor. Batchelor was at the door, and I the rest of the men were playing hazards!, when the detectives entered the room, i' Last week a serious assault was com-. mined it: the gymnasium, when a man., who. it v. a* alleged, resorted to some; «1:n•-;■ !•'.!:■• cos, was put out oi the ! moth. j The chief detective suggested that each man should l>e dealt with separ- ! atelv as many of them were previously , ' " known " to the police. "There is one thing a!>out Batchelor. and his assistant." said the Magistrate.; ''They never told any untruths, and': admitted everything frankly. Batchelor

will be fined £60, or two months' imprisonment, and ordered to pay £7 as police expenses, while Simon will be fined £30, plus £3 police expenses, in default, six weeks' imprisonment." About a Loan. Davis told the Magistrate that he merely went upstairs "to see a chap about getting a loan." However, when cross-examined by the chief detective, he refused to disclose the name of the man, adding that he " was not there, anyhow." Davis and Ellis, said Mr. Cummings, came into the room after the police had taken ]K>ssession of it. Mr. McKean stated that in their case the position was somewhat different to that of the other men. Each was fined £1. The case of Urlich was adjoined until Wednesday. The following were each fined £5: Burman, Scott. Thomas, Morris, Cooper, Bennett, Bruce. Mackie. Tobin, Williams, Brown, Anderson, Chadwick, Bond, Koich, Parkin, Boss. Dunmore, Samuel Williams, O'Connor, Wakem, Seagar, and Katicli. Dufty, who said he was only | •' looking on." was fined £4, while Parkes ! and Sullivan were also ordered to contribute a similar sum to the Consolidated Fund. Fines of £3 were inflicted on Symus, .Tames McDonald and William McDonald, and James Kirrane was fined £2. The chief detective said that Kirrane had no right on the premises. He was a married man with four children, and had just come out of hospital, being practically destitute. Kirrane told the magistrate that he went to the gymnasium " just for amusement." Mr. Cumniings applied for an order to confiscate the money and gaming implements found on the premises. This was made, Mr. McKean remarking that only 17/ in money was seized. This, he thought, was a small sum. " Em afraid quite a lot of grabbing took place when we entered the room," said the chief detective. The total amount of fines levied was £225.