A LUCKY DALMATIAN.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 234, 4 October 1927, Page 10

A LUCKY DALMATIAN.

SPECIAL DICE BOX USED. MAGISTRATE'S REGRETS. "IF HE HAD KNOWN." It was fortunate for Marian Glavas, the Dalmatian who was yesterday fined £23 by Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., for keeping a common gaming house in Hobson Street, that the magistrate was unaware, at the time, that a dice-box with a special trap was used in the gaming house.

"If I knew as much yesterday as I know now, I would have fined the keeper the maximum, £100, instead of £25. I now hear that one of the dice-boxes had a special trap which would admit a loaded dice," Mr. Hunt said at the Police Court this morning, in dealing with the case of Louis Ivan, a Dalmatian contractor from Ngatea, who was charged with being found on the premises on the night of the police raid.

Ivan, represented by Mr. Dickson, yesterday pleaded not guilty, stating that he merely went to the premises to see a cousin of his. Evidence was given showing that Ivan did not enter the shop until a few minutes before the raid. Mr. Dickson submitted that Ivan, being the owner of the racehorse Valentino, would be in an awkward position if he was convicted, as lie would be debarrtd from racecourses.

The magistrate then adjourned the case until this morning.

Chief Detective Cummings said that if convicted, Ivan would have to apply to the Racing Conference for a permit to run his horse. There was no meeting of the district committee of the conference until October 21.

Mr. Hunt adopted a novel method of deciding the case. The punishment, if Ivan was convicted, he said, would be out of all The charge would be dismissed on payment of costs, the magistrate suggesting that he should Contribute the sum of £2 to the unemployment fund.. This was the amount that the others were yesterday fined for being on the premises, van agreed to make the contribution to the fund.