THE BETTING CASE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 45, 16 November 1917, Page 6

THE BETTING CASE

FRASER SENTENCED

TWO YEARS' REFORMATIVE DETENTION

Tho Chief Juslico (Sir Pobcrt Stout) vesterdav morning passed sentence upon Frederick Campbell Fraser, who, at the conclusion of the betting case on the previous day, had been found guilty of having conspired with persons unknown to defraud certain bookmakers, and of having attempted by means of false pretences to obtain money from bookmak.

Mr. Macassey appeared for the Crown, and Mr. P. W. Jackson for the prisoner. Mr. Jackson said that the prisoner was a young man, in the prime ot his lite, and up to the present time ho, had lived a clean and sober life except in the ons respect-that he had a weakness for ambling. Ho had been a dutiful son to his parents, and for years past ho had been tho sole support o Ins mother. Without his help she would bo entirely destitute, and thrown on the mercy of the world. No doubt Fraser s weakness for gambling had been his downfall. His craze for betting and gambling genera - lv seemed to have warped his mind. Like manv others following racecourso betting he was imbued with the idea that he could becomo rich quickly, i am going to ask Your Honour, said counlel, "to treat the prisoner with the greatest possible leniency, and it is witli the greatest diffidence, and at the same time the utmost respect, that I would ask Your Honour' if y.ou could possibly see your way to grant the prisoner probation If Your Honour could not do so, then whatever sentence or whatever punishment Your Honour may inflict on the prisoner will weigh heavily, very heavily, upon him and upon his parent. Since 'these proceedings have been instituted against the prisoner, he has suffered agony of mind, so he assured me, that is absolutely indescribable; and no matter what punishment you inflict upon him, the lesson ho has learnt by this will last him to the end of his days. His Honour said to Eraser: I deeply regret your position, an,d I also regret that I cannot, with duo regard to tho administration of justice, grant you probation. On many oocasions I have pointed out to people who como before mo for sentence that if they chooso to go into the witness-box and swear what is untrue, it is somo evidence that they have false morality, and oven what might bo termed a criminal instinct. You have chosen to act in that way. His Honour proceeded to say that he could understand how it came about that Fraser gave the evidence lie did, as no was probably actuated by a sense of loyalty to his confederates m the conspiracy, whoevor they were. Fraser had howover, chosen to stato what was untrue, and His Honour could not, therefore, treat him as a man of good character. If Fraser had not wanted to give evidence against his friends, he could havo held his peace, and said nothing. His Honour was very sorry to hco Fraser there, sorry because he was a young man of ability, who, according to tho report before His Honour by Mr. ji'Viily, performed his duties well, had been ot good character in the office, and had had prospects. By this foolishness ot his Fraser had dashed those prospects to the ground, and' had destroyed his fu-ture-tor what? It was not sport with Fraßer, as ho did not go to the races, but simply gambling. In fifty-three years of lifo in this country, His Honour had known only ono man who made monoy in gambling, and he died early. Fraser had also been carrying on what ho must have known was wrong, because his betting was utterly illegal, and myle him liable to fine or imprisonment, His Honour could not, therefore, treat him as a first offender.

"I am not going to pass a severe sentence," concluded His Honour, "becauso of your youth. Also I recognise that you have done your duty to your mother, and her declining years should not bo made more sad than is necessary. Xou have ruined your life, and I shall not even sentence you to any definite term, but will send you to the Prisons Board possibly after a short time. In the meantime I sentence you to two years' reformative detention, and I shall recommend that you be sent to Kaingaroa, as you are suffering from neuritis, and are not nt to go to Invercnrgill. I am very eorry for you, but I can do no more. Eraser: I thank you, Your Honour.