SHOWMAN FINED

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 149, 19 March 1936, Page 10

SHOWMAN FINED

Farmer Parts With £lOO Cheque AIDING IN UNLAWFUL GAME Dominion Special Service. Wanganui, March 18. Arrested at the Waverley Show -yesterday by Detective C. L. Packman, and charged with aiding and abetting in the commission of an offence of playing an unlawful game, Robert Watson, aged 30,. was convicted aud fined £5, costs 10/-, by -Messrs. P. Lewis and G. Pearce, J.l’.’s, in the Wanganui Magistrate's Court this morning. On arrival at the showgrounds yesterday, Detective Packman said he received a complaint that some farmers had been taken down, and that one wellknown farmer of Waitotara had passed over a cheque for £lOO, but becoming suspicious he had stopped payment of it at the bank. He also received other complaints from men who had lost sums of money ranging from £2 to £5. and in one case where accused was concerned, a man had lost £l5. Accused’s part, in the game, continued Detective Packman, was to stand at the gates and select likely-looking farmers and engage them in conversation. Later, a confederate'would appear, and also join in the conversation. A third man would then come up and give the farmer a pen. and the party would then walk to the part of the grounds where a game known as "golf hole” was in progress. The method of play was to roll a hail into a bole. If successful, the player received a prize, but if it went beyond the. hole, he, of course, lost. The temptation of the player was to double up in order to try and get his.money back. Detective- Packman did not suggest that ficcused was the leader of the gang. There were others in it, and they beat a hasty retreat. When arrested, accused had £lO4 in his possession. Mr. V. B. Willis, who represented accused, said Watson liad been a salesman, and had been at the present game for three weeks. He had been induced to try his hand at this sort of thing. The Bench: He is a sort of confidence man? Mr. Willis: What might be termed a confederate or decoy. . .