MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27193, 10 November 1953, Page 6

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

(Before Mr Rex C. Abernethy, S.M.) PLAYED GAME OF CHANCE George Thorne, aged 39. a professional musician, for whom Mr R. A. Young appeared, pleaded guilty to charges that he played a game of chance, housiehousie, in the Avon Rowing Club pavilion on September 30 and in the Richmond School hall on October 14. He was fined £3 on the first charge and £6 on the second.

Detective-Sergeant G. C. Urquhart said that, as a result of a complaint that an illegal game of cards was being played, the police visited the rowing club's pavilion on September 30 and found about 100 persons, many of them women, playing housie-housie. Thorne admitted that he was in charge and said’ he had been running these evenings each Wednesday and Saturday for some months. The charge was 3d for cards with a prize of £2 for a full house and a limit of £8 for a jack pot. Thorne said he took £2 a week -and 5 per cent, commis-. n on the profits, the balance being divided between the Avon Rowing Club and the Happy Times Club, said the Detective-Sergeant. Inquiries showed that the rowing club received the rent for the hire of the pavilion. Thorne said he was secretary of the Happy Times Club and said it was formed by a group who were in Burnham Camp together in 1942 and 1943. Later he said he wished he had never mentioned this organisation. It was clear that Thorne had been making a profit of £25 a week. He was told that the game would have to stop but the police learned that he had transferred to the Richmond School hall and on October 14 they found 150 persons playing housie-housie there. The chairman of the school committee said the hall had been rented for a social evening and the committee received just the rent, said Detective-Sergeant Urquhart. It appeared that Thorne received the major portion of the profits. This was different from the usual case of housie-housie where a charitable organisation received the profits.

Mr Young said it was with some reluctance that he had advised Thorne to plead guilty. There was some element of skill in housie-housie and it was a game with a universal appeal. It was true that the proceeds in this case did not go to charity but Thorne had paid the rowing club £94 which it would not otherwise have received.

Mr Young asked the Court to pay little heed to what the police said about Thorne's profits. The figure was well astray. The police must be consistent in their attitude. Sergeant Urquhart had asked the. Court to draw a distinction between this case and others in which the game was played for the benefit of charity. That distinction was of no consequence in law. The game was extensively played and the amount involved was only 3d. Thorne’s understanding of the first visit by the police was that they wanted him to shift because the number of cars parked in a narrow road was causing congestion of traffic. This was the first prosecution in Christchurch, to his knowledge.

for playing this game and the Court might deal leniently with Thorne.

The Magistrate said he did not propose to moralise on the Gaming Act. Housiehousie was a game of chance» It was played in a public place. That was against the law. He was fixing the fine as a reminder that it must cease. That was a nominal penalty today. •

FINED FOR FIGHTING Noel Rees Walters, aged 21, a labourer, and Albert Raymond Avery, aged 20, a labourer, were each fined £3 for fighting m Oxford terrace on November 7. Both pleaded guilty. Sub-Inspector F. J. Brady said that the; police received a complaint about men fighting but. when Constable Graham went’ along, the fighting had stopped though it was obvious there had been “a willing i go.” An argument had developed on the merits of the Army and Navy and fists, were used to enforce it.

The Magistrate said that if they wanted to figjit about that they had better put on gloves and do it decently.

REMANDED Melville Keith Thomas, aged 21 , a plumber (Mr J. G. Leggat), was remanded to November 16 on a charge that he assaulted Olive Mary Thomas on November 8.

A man, whose name was ordered not to be published meantime, was remanded on bail to November 16 on a charge of wilfully doing a grossly indecent act. John Shepherd, aged 36. a trucker, was remanded to November 12 on a charge of stealing articles valued at £l6 15s. He was allowed bail in his own recognisance of £5O and one surety of £lO on condition that he reports daily to the poiicc. Shepherd pleaded guilty to the charge, but Sub-Inspector F. J. Brady asked that he be remanded to Thursday as the police wanted to make further inquiries about him.

REFORMATIVE DETENTION FOR THEFT Keith Allan King, aged 23, a salesman, who appeared for sentence on four charges of theft and two charges of breaking and entering, was ordered to be detained lor reformative purposes for 18 months.

King said that, although he had pleaded guilty, the offences were committed before the one on which he already had been sentenced. He could get a job in Auckland and this would give him a fresh start, as well as giving him a chance to make restitution.

The Magistrate said that the Probation Officers’ reports, here and in Auckland, were unfavourable as was a report iium his employers. He was too old to be sent to Borstal, so he must be detained for reformative purposes. , “You can t get away with smooth practices,” said the Magistrate.