RAID ON CLUB

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20957, 11 September 1933, Page 8

RAID ON CLUB

TWENTY-TWO MEN FINED FOR GAMBLING PENALTY OF £75 ON OCCUPIER A raid by the police on premises at 129 Manchester street at 1.30 a.m. on Saturday resulted in 22 men being brought before Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M., later in the morning to answer charges of breaches of the laws relating to gambling. Jules Menzoni, the occupier of the premises, was fined £75 for using them as a common gaming house, 18 of the others were fined £3 and costs, and three of them £4 and costs for being found on the premises. In addition to Menzoni, the accused were:—Hugh Charles Graham. Raymond Marchbank, Ernest Hancock, Raymond Blackler, Christopher Rhodes, John Madden, John Murphy, Arthur Stokes, Richard Andrew McEwm, Thomas Owens, James Clark, Thomas O'Loughlin, Sidney Trusier, Jonn Prisk, Alexander George Bennett, Edward Rapley, Alfred Sedman, Alfred Cooper, Giles Edmond Fairbrother, Alfred Bates, and Karl Larsen. All the accused, for whom Mr M. W. Simes appeared, pleaded guilty. Early Morning surprise. Chief-Detective W. H. Dunlop said that for the last 15 or 18 months Menzoni had conducted a club at 129 Manchester street, known as the Manchester Club. The place had been under observation by the police for some time, and large numbers of men had been seen visiting it, leaving as late as 5 a.m. Full precautions had been taken to see that unauthorised persons did not gain admission. On the main entrance floor was an electric bell, with another on the seconu floor, where also an attendant was stationed up to a late hour. On the third floor, where the club room was situated, further precautions were taken in the form of holes in the door, through which any callers could be scrutinised before being admitted. At 1.40 a.m. three detectives raided the establishment, and found the door locked. They broke this open, and found a game actually in operation, with 37s on the table. There had been an attempt to remove the dice, but this had been unsuccessful. The gameknown as "hazards"—was a poor or rich man's game, according to the circumstances. , „ In 1930 Menzoni. had been fined £SO in Wellington for a similar offence. He was liable to a fine of £IOO, wluki the others were liable to fines of £5. Nature of the Club. Mr Simes said the club had been i conducted on very strict lines, and were it not for the illegal game, might rival some of the gentlemen's clubs. No drinking had been permitted there. The police had been very fair in their statement. No active resistance had been offered by the men, in respect of this particular raid, in any case. > He understood that the place was mainly a social club. The stakes were low —so that it was what was known as a "silver school." "It looks as if he has transferred his favours," said the magistrate, commenting on Menzoni's previous conviction. What the men had been doing might have been no more immoral than—or just as immoral as—gambling on the racecourse, but his duty. was to administer the law. Menzoni had not learned the lesson of his previ °Me C Z V ni ti t: then fined costs, Owens, Frisk and Bates were flneci £4 and costs each, and he others £3 and costs each. Sevui days were allowed all accused in which to pay.