GAME OF CHANCE.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20315, 14 August 1931, Page 4

GAME OF CHANCE.

♦ SHOW STALLHOLDER IMPRISONED. TWO YOUNG MEN'S COMPLAINT. "There is little to be said fur men who deliberately try to take down the public/' said tlio Magistral (Mr K. D. Mosley, S.M.), in sentencing Joliu Ruport Lawrence, a showman (Air M. J. Burns), to n month's imprisonment with hard labour, on a charge of being a rogUe and a vagabond in that he had conducted a game of chance at t!»o Wihter Show. Accused pleaded not guilty to the charge. Chief-Detective Carroll said that 011 Monday afternoon 'accused had played a game of chance in Li.-j stall at l.lie Winter Show. A young man named Elliott had been taken down for £2, and had complained to the police. Accused had been spoken to and wh<sn a second complaint had been received, had been arrested. Hiintlv Gordon Elliott said that 011 the morning of August Utii, he had gone to the Winter Show and had been approached by a stranger, who had tried to talk to him about racing. While they had been talking together accused had walked up to them and to get rid of the first man witness had turned his attention to him. Accused had -produced two wooden pins and a ball, had assured witness that he didn't want any money, but had promised that if witness coind knock down both pins with the ball, he would give him a watch. £2 "for Advertisement." Witness told the Court that he had several practice shots .\t the pins, and then had been persuaded to play for 5s against £l. He lost his first 5s and then accused, repeating that he didn'twaut any money, had asked him if he had £2 about him. Witness only had 35s so accused returned him the 5s he had lost, thus making up the sum of £2. "'I only want it for an advertisement to get the people round,' he told me," said accused. Witness had agreed to help him and had put the money down on the board while he had a shot at the pins. When he had thrown and missed ho found that the £2 was missing from where lie had put it. Accused had said: "Ob. that's all right. You bet me £2 you'd knock 'em down and you lost." Witness a little later went to the detective office and returned with a detective to the Show. He assured Mr Burns that there was no doubt that accused was the man who had taken the money from him. Loss of 10s. Eliott Gates Cutten, a student at Canterbury College, who iiad been at the Show on the afternoon of August 11th, described another attempt at advertise ment, by accused, who had offered hi r: 1 £5, and had got from witness £1 in return. After some argument accused had offered witness 10s if lie could knock the pins over. Witness won the 10s, but went away 10a to the bad, and later complained to the police. Detective Thomas and Detective-Ser-geant Young gave evidence of having interviewed accused. "The gamo was all right," said Detective-Sergeant Young, "so long as it was played fairly, but with individuals like the accused it is merely used as a decoy." Accused, in giving evidenco, demonstrated the game on the clerk's table. He denied that Elliott had been treated unfairly. Elliott had staked his money and had lost it bit by bit, until ho suddenly said he had lost 35s and had demanded it back. Cutten had given witness £l, had had four half-crown shots and had received 10s in change. "The evidenco given on behalf of tho police must be believed," said the Magistrate in convicting accused, who had three previous convictions against him for similar offences.