A GREAT HAUL.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 83, 5 October 1905, Page 5

A GREAT HAUL.

POLICE RAID A GAMBLING DEN. FORTY-SIX ARRESTS MADE. ACCUSED BEFORE THE (TOURTi MAJORITY PLEAD GUK.TY. For many months past the police havo suspected that a hazard school, where "two-up" was run as a side-line, wan * conducted at a building in Farish-streot, opposite the Public Library. The suspected place was on the top story of a, big brick building, where there was said to be arranged an elaborate system oil alarms, and watchers in attendance, thafi seemed likely to successfully defy all attempts to rush the premises or breafc: into them. Watch kept upon the premises by the. police" established the fact that men in 1 large numbers and of practically every class frequented the place, but the sight, of the guardians of the peace in closo touch, with the premises acted as a deterrent on tho more reputable of the tt%qnenters, and for a whilo there was a falling-off in the attendance that seemed likely, to make the "school" cease its sit'^ tings through lack of sufficient support. Gradually, however, the fever resumed sway, and in late months, according to the police, there have been large mustero nightly, ranging from forty to seventy people, while on special occasions such asrace nights as many as one hundred and fifty men have been seen in the rooms. The urgent necessity for pruning thai |. Social cancer has long been recognised by the police; and tlu's week it <vas re> solved to match cunning with cunning. Arrangements of a complete nature were made, by Inspector Ellison, and between eleven o'clock last night and early moming a considerable- number of police were in waiting at convenient spots around thd building. At about 11.30 p.m. there \*eve about) fifty occupants of the place, and when the detectives went up the windingi staircase .md demanded admittance there was • «,' scurrying and a flurrying amongst tho denizens. A dice-box was tossed through, the window, dico were thrown' on tho floor, aftd perturbation was displayed by a great" many of the less hardened gamblers. One got out on the roof, and at peril of his life descended in the darkness by means ofl water pipes and fireescapes. He reached the ground ia safety, and there he was taken into saf« custody by a constable just as he thought liberty was assured. The doors of the establishment were opened after a little demur. -. The majority of the gamblar* took their trouble philosophically, and made no physical objection to arrest. In nil there were forty-six arrests made, inclusive of two men who are reputed to be proprietors of the establishment. Tho process of transport to the lock-up at Lambton-quay was slow, but between 2| and 3 a.m. the men arrested had all been put through the necessary preliminaries and admitted to bail, except in the cases of nine .whose luck had been so bad that; they did not possess enough means to meet the bail bond. These nine remained in custody until the Court met this morning at 10 o'clock. 1 fho men arrested range ]n_joars from youth to middle age, and'm avocatiomt from coal-lumpers to clerks and what may be termed, for fear of the law of libel, "no avocation." It is an old saying that "black, blue, white', and brindlc" are generally to be found in a gambling house, and this occasion was no exception to the rule. One man 08 colour answered to his name with a "HeTe, Sir," that gave the impression that he was rather pleased to be present, but n middle-aged whrfe man when called answered m a subdued voice and forthwith sank into a convenient chair. The Court orderly explained to him that his place was the dock, but he seemed slow of comprehension. An individual tof striking facial expression, well-known in Willis-street, paraded with the others. His familiarity with thesp matters has made him cool to a degree. His first experience dates back to a raid in Wilfis-street some thirteen to fifteen years ago. Some of the youths did not look more than eighteen or nineteen years of age, and they apparently belonged to the tradesmen class. Tall men, short men, fat men, and thin, robust, and physically weak, were all represented j bub there was not an aged man in the fortysix. This may indicate that the fever for such gambling as hazards either burns itself out after middle age or destroys the constitution of its victims to such an extent that they fail to achieve advanced years. THE COURT PROCEEDINGS. The men were charged before Dr. M Arthur, S.M., 1 at the Magistrate's Court this morning, with having on tho 4th day of October, 1905, been f6nnd without lawful excuse in a room (to wit, in premises at the comer of Farish 1 and Old Customhouse streets) kept as a common gaming-house. The list of per* sons charged was as follows :— • Elijah- Maslin, Ernest M'Ewen, Chris-i lopher Hunter, William Hawthorne, Jas. Woodward, George M'lvor, Edward Hutcomb, -John Williamson, Benjamin Morse, William Millar, Henry Peacock, , Herbert Edwin Buck, George Dyhiber* Thomas Dean, Thomas Robinson, Joh°n Williams, Hugh Cathera-11, Cornelius M'luness, George Brodorick, James avans, 'William Anderson, Leslie Patterson, 'John Sullivan, Alfred North, Robert Haynes, Augustus, Adams, Thomas Cole, Hftrrv Thomas, Richard O'Driscoll, Henry' Graham, Joseph Leo Morris, Rob- °# w""! 8 Nesbit, Michael Bruton, Edward -John Taylor, Richard Meckkle, James Gaffney, Edward Hiscocks, Wil'JiW.Stnples, Horace -W. Hamilton, 'Wilham Hutchison, Philip Brewster, Frederick Wciske, Frank Reeves, Fred Brunette, William John Ran'*all. John' Fuller and Richard Eager, alias Richard, Oxenham, were charged with havihgr'kept as a common gaming house the premises referred to above.' Robert Haynes failed to appear to answer to his bail. '7M.?:.7 M .?:.' J .? m S 06 J coun sel for tho twoprinftrtals, .and for Harry Thomas, who pleaded, Not GuiltyJ asked that the case against the others be not heard until that against the principals was disposed iMr. Gmham, who appeared for James Evans, said his client admitted his guilt, i*^L*#ed to have the case dealt with. Chief Detective M'Grath said he had -beea.gwen to understand that all tho 'lecußqd.sftvo Thomas and tho two principals „ desired .to plead guilty. Hn would ask that they oe formally 'charger and given the chance to plead. This was done, whereupon pleas o» guilty were entered, and tne MlristraU inflicted fines of £3 in each case, beW £* per case in excess of tho fines levied i»v the previous cases of a like nature that' Hearing of tho three cases in whicb fixed for Monday afternoon next, at 2 30 fend°a C nt. ™" aU ° WCd lo "* *>•