TWO-UP GAME

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 70, 23 March 1945, Page 6

TWO-UP GAME

RAIDED BY POLICE PRISON FOR PRINCIPALS "This class of offence is not a potential evil—it is in fact an evil, and if left unchecked it will assume serious proportions. There have been a number of these cases before the Court recently. The Court is not concerned whether a man is a first, second or a third offender—the penalty must be substantial. The time for monetary penalties has passed. So said Mr. J. H. Luxford, S.M., in the Police Court this morning when he sentenced to two nionths imprisonment the two principals of a two-up game which was interrupted by detectives who carried out a raid at premises in Albert Street at 9 o'clock last night. Forty-eight arrests were made. ' _ William Edward Hart (44), a clerk, was charged that, being the occupier of premises at S, Albert Street, he used them as a common gaming house, while Cyril Michael Poole (42), wharf labourer., was charged with assisting in the management of a common gaming house. Mr. J. Terry appeared for both men, who pleaded guilty. "Big Game in Progress" Detective-Sergeant F. N. Aplin said that as the result of complaints that premises near the waterfront were being used as a gaming house inquiries were made, and last night, with Detective W. Duncan and other detectives, he went to the premises, which were set up as a gaming house. There was a doorkeeper on duty, a peep-hole in the door and an electric bell fitted below. On the first floor was the gaming room, 45ft by 35ft. Poole was acting as croupier. Hart had the keys. Hart said he had only been the occupier one night, but it was the belief of the police that he had been concerned with the game for some time. "There was a big game of two-up in progress when we entered," added Mr. Aplin, "there being a considerable sum of money on the table. Poole has three previous convictions for being found In a common gaming house, but Hart has no previous convictions. He was acting as substitute for someone who prefers to stay away from the game. These sort of games are springing up all over the city." "A Very Fair Game" The premises raided, said Mr. Terry, were situated in a commercial area where a number of men indulged their gambling propensities in the very fair game of two-up. There was no evidence of any social evil involved, and no suggestion that the moral foundations of the city had in any way been impaired. Considering the population of Auckland, the number of men who attended such places was very small. Mr. Luxford said he was somewhat surprised to hear counsel say that such gaming was just part of the gambling propensities of the public and that two-up was no more harmful than art unions or the totalisator. Both Hart and Poole were sentenced to two months' imprisonment. Of the 46 men charged with being found without lawful excuse in a common gaming house, 30 appeared. With one exception, all pleaded guilty. Offenders who had been previously convicted of a gaming offence were fined £5, or 10 days' imprisonment, while first offenders were fined £3, or seven days in prison. An order was made for immediate payment of the fines. Those who did not appear were each fined £5, or 10 days' imprisonment.