THE COURTS.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19815, 31 December 1929, Page 3

THE COURTS.

MAGISTERIAL.

MONDAY. (Before Mr ii. D. Mosiey, S.M.) DRUNKENNESS.

Two first offenders for drunkennes3 were fined 10s and coats. Two statutory tret offenders were fined a similar amount. Two second offendera were fined 20a and costa Waiter Fagan entered a plea of not guilty but beyond affirming this, would eay nothing. He declined to be sworn, and wai» fined 20s, in default -18 hours' imprison naent. A GAME OF CHANCE. .Leslie Sanderson Watters, an Australian, described as an agent, aged 30 years, was charged that on December 28th at New Brighton he was deemed to bo a rogue and vagabond in that he played -with an instrument or gaming at a game of chance, and that he played by way of wagering or .gaming with certain instruments ot gaming at a game oi chance. The charges were in respect of incidents occurring on the Esplanade, New ijnghtou. The first charge was withdrawn by the police. Chief-Detective J. Can oil said that complaints had been made about the playing of unlawful games »t the New Brighton carnival, so Detective-Sergeant J. B. i'oung and another officer went down and gave the showmen a warning. The latter continued plaving the illegal games, keeping a lookout" for the police. It was the piactice to run eemi-legitimate games when the police were not present. There were two unnormed constables at New Brighton. On Saturday two plain-clothes men went down in conipanv with Detective Findlay. Accused apparemlv did not recognise them, and after he had" been playing an illegal game for a while he was arrested. Chief-Detective Carroll produced the game, which he eaid, was a new one, an improvement on the old "under and over," balls taking the place of dice. It was a box with 72 numbered squares. Detective Findlay seized the outfit, including rive boxes oi chocolates, which were still there at the end of the game. Mr Mosiey: It must be almost as good as fan tan.

Chief-Detect ire Carroll: It the sort of game at wilich one goes through a lot of money in a short while. Watters bad gathered a big crowd. A3 soon as Detective i'mdlay had cleared the place, he heard a cry: "Heads. AVho's next for a box of chocolates ?" The maximum penalty for the oSonce with which "Watters la charged is a- Sne o: £3O, or three months' imprisonment. Mr Alas ley <*o accused': hy dul you net stop after you had been warned on the previous day? No answer. .From whom did they get the perm Its'' Chief-Detective Carroll: From the local Council. I suppose they make some enquiries?—l don't know, 'i'hev claim they let the space to showmen for chocolates only. It eeem3 to be a poor way for a local body to raise funds. Watters said he had been charged £l2 for space. He had been at the Dunedin Exhibition, and was a business man. "May I show you in privacy a document I have sir?'' he asked the Banch. Mr ilosley was handed the document. Watters: Of course, lite is » gamble, sir. The Bench: It's been described as a gamble. I don't think it is much; if? what we make it, you know. Watters said he was ashamed of the business and did not want such a thing to happen. He was fined £io and oost3, in default 11 daf£' .mnritinnmAlU-