GAMBLERS FINED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 306, 28 December 1931, Page 3

GAMBLERS FINED.

VICTORIA STREET RAID.

TWENTY-POUR MEN ARRESTED HEAVY PENALTY FOR OWNER. Carrying out a raid at 48, Victoria Street West yesterday afternoon, a party of detcctives surprised about 27 men busily engaged gambling. Three

escaped by means of an upstairs window, but 24 were arrested. Later thev all appeared before Messrs. A. J. Stratford and J. Donald, J.P.'s, and were released on bail, which was fixed at £00 in the case of the owner, Mate Dragiccvieh, and £3 in the case of all the others. Led by Chief Detective 'Hammond, the raiding party, consisting of Dctcctive Sergeant Bickcrdikc and Detcctives Knight, Moore, Belton, Hamilton, and Brady, found the house barricaded, and had to wait before an opportunity to get in presented itself. Detectives Biekcrdike and Moore guarded the front door, while the others hid in a right-of-way within sight of the back door. Their wait was not long, and their opportunity came when the back door was opened to let a man out. The officers rushed the entrance and seized the door-keeper. The rest was easy, and the police were soon inside. They surprised about 27 men playing a game ot' hazards. The sight of the police frightened the occupants of the room, and they made a rush to escape.

The three men who managed to elude the police climbed through an upstairs window, reached a shop verandah, and swarmed down the poles to the street. Others tried to escape by the front door, but were stopped by the two officers stationed there, and when it was seen that the police had the upper hand the men quietly submitted to arrest. This morning they all appeared in the Police Court before Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M. Mate Dragicevich, a labourer, aged 33, pleaded guilty to keeping a common gaming house at 48, Victoria Street. The raid was described by Chief Detective Hammond, who said that the house was well barricaded. At the rear was a six-foot iron gate, which was locked. Inside the house the raiders found a box of dice. Counsel for accused said the game was played on Sundays..only. Accused took no part in the proceedings and received nothing from the players. He had never been in court before. Detective Sergeant Kelly: He is living on those who go there to gamble. Accused was fined £25,, in default two months' imprisonment. Only 11 of the other 23 men, who were allowed bail last evening, appeared in court this morning. They all pleaded guilty to being found in a common gaming house.

George Polito, James Augustus Egan, Monte Peko, Joseph Jelicich, Joe Radicli, Anthony "Vlasich, Peter Laricli, Karl Putnik, Andrew Botica, Mate Kasli, Nicholas Logpur, George Katvicli, Peta Bajto, James George Wicks, Ivan Dovich, Samuel Dollimore, George Tulieh, Jack Davis, Eric Fleming, and Harvey Thomas were all fined £3, or seven days' imprisonment. Robert Gault, Robert John Coffey, and William Alexander Ellis, who were not bailed out last evening, were fined £3, or seven days, but were given 14 days in which to find the money.