GAMING CHARGES

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27274, 15 February 1954, Page 6

GAMING CHARGES

25 MEN APPEAR IN NAPIER COURT POLICE RAID FREEZING WORKS (New Zealand Press Association) NAPIER, February 13. Men dived from the windows and rushed for the exits when a party of 17 police from Napier and Hastings made a raid on the recreation room at the Whakatu freezing works at 9.15 on Thursday night and arrested 25 men. Mr W. A. Harlow, S.M., was told this in the Magistrate’s Court when the 25 men were charged with gaming offences. Detective-Sergeant A. P. Jesson said the police found two illegal games— Crown and Anchor and Two-up—in progress when they entered the room through the two doorways. Four men who pleaded guilty to charges of using the recreation room as a common gaming house were each fined £lO. A fifth man, who pleaded not guilty, was remanded until Monday. Seventeen men appeared on charges of being found on the premises. Fifteen pleaded guilty, and were each fined £3. Two men pleaded not guilty. The charge against one was dismissed, and the other man was fined £1 10s. Later in the sitting of the Court, one man was fined £3 for using the room as a common gaming house. Two men were each fined £1 10s for being found on the premises. The Magistrate told them that their fines were probably much less than what thev would have lost if they had remained in the recreation room. The Magistrate said that there were probably professional gamblers among the men. The men should know the odds were against them, and they could not win.