ILLICIT GAMBLING

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 44, 20 February 1918, Page 8

ILLICIT GAMBLING

BOOKMAKERS BEFORE THE

COURT

FINES INFLICTED,

The interest which the public takes in anything pertaining to horse-racing was clearly evidenced by the number of men who gathered in the body of the Magistrate's Court this morning, when, the charges against a batch of bookmakers and others, arrested last Wednesday, were heard by Mr. S. 'E. M'Carthy, S.M.

Henry James Wales, represented by Mr. T. H. Gill, pleaded guilty to four charges of betting on licensed premises, to wit, the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel, on'l9th, 28th, 31st January, and 2nd February. Mr. Gill said Wales some time ago enlisted, but was rejected, and subsequently went to Victoria, where he was seriously ill. On returning to New Zealand he was drawn in the second ballot, but was classed C 2. He decided to give up betting, but had since carried it on in a very small way without the help of '"touts" or agents. Wales now intended to give up betting altogether, Chief-Detective Boddam said that unfortunately for Wales he had . been brought before the Court on 13th September, 1912, when he was fined £20.

The Magistrate said that he . would take into consideration the fact that Wales had endeavoured to serve his country, but that did not give him the right to break the law. On one information a fine of £40 was imposed, and on the other counts Wales was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. James Henry Rogers pleaded guilty to betting on the premises .of the Empire Hotel, and also' to laying totalisator odds on the result of the Middle Park Plate and the Post Handicap. Two charges of publishing "double" charts were later withdrawn. i

Herbert James Le Sueur, police constable stationed at Christchurch, but recently on. special duty in Wellington, said that he first met the defendant in the Working Men's Club on Ist February, when a bet at "totalisator" odds was made on the result of the Middle Park Plate and Post Handicap, to be run at Christchurch on the following day. Witness gave evidence as to taking "doubles" on 2nd and 4th February and also with having made a bet with Rogers on sth February in the Empire Hotel. •

Mr. F. W. Marsh, manager of the Working Men's Club/, said that Le Sueur was introduced to him as Edward Parsons (under which name he carrie 3 out his investigations). Witness had known Rogers for some time as a carrier, and had not heard that he carried on the profession of a bookmaker.

Detective-Sergeant Cox, who arrested the defendant as he was driving through the city, said that when he searched Rogers a sum of '£28 < 18s odd was found in his possession, of which £19 10s was in gold, and he had also «ne betting card. Several note-books were found, but none 1 of them contained betting entries.

In answer to Mr. H. F. O'Leary, witness said that he did not remember if Rogers had told bin that he had.£l9 10s in gold to hand io a friend who,was leaving for the front. Witness admitted that it was not likely that so much gold would be received frommen making bets. Mi\ H. F. O'Leary pointed out that Rogers was a first offender, and, moreover, had a regular occupation. Mr. M'Carthy : If a man becomes a bookmaker he does so to make money. On the charge of betting on licensed premises Rogers was fined £20, and on that of laying totalisator odds £10. ANOTHER CASE. John Laidlaw Walling, charged with keeping a common gaminghouse in Wil-lis-street, and also with issuing.. a. "double" chart, and /his »on, Arthur Walling, charged with' assisting in conducting the above premises, pleaded guilty through their counsel, Mr. B. K. Kirkcaldie.' The latter said that the father, was now a bookmaker, m a small way only.,'Up to a short time ago his calling had been lawful, but it had been taken away from him by law at a time when it was very difficult to make a start in a new profession. Mr. Kirkcaldie said that it was well known that Walling was at one time independent, but had lost practically the whole of his money through backing Arnst, the sculler, and taking him to England. When he returned to New Zealand he naturally turned to his son, who had a shop registered in his own name in Willis-street, for help, and entered the business as a salesman, and subsisted on his earnings in that capacity. It was a •difficult matter for a man who had followed the calling of bookmaking for. many years to divorce himself entirely from it. It would be admitted by the police, counsel said, that any bookmaking by Walling, senior, was now carried -on in a small, "tin-pot" way. Chief-Detective Boddam said that during the two weeks previous ,to the raid two plain-clothes constables had made several bets. with both defendants, in the shop, and when the warrant was I executed several slips of paper and cards relating to betting were found on the premises, as was also a known ten shilling note, tendered by one of the constables when a bet was made. The son had not previously been before the Court, but Walling, sen., was some time ago fined £30 on each of two charges at Napier, and £10 on a similar charge at Dannevirke.

"These places,'' said the Chief-Detec-tive, "are a menace to young people, and there appears to be an open sesame, for anyone can make a bet."

The Magistrate remarked that the law was made to be obeyed and not to be flouted. On the first charge John Laidlaw Walling was fined £50, and costs, in default three months'. imprisonment. On the second charge he was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon. ' Arthur Walling was fined £25, the alternative being fixed at a month's hard labour; In each case one month was allowed in which to pay the fine. A PLEA OF GUILTY. Percy Winters, barman at the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel, pleaded guilty to two charges of betting'in the hotel. A charge of laying- a " double " bet, and a third charge of betting on licensed premises were withdrawn, on the application of the Chief Detective, who said that Winters had not beeii before the Court before, but had entered into bets with two constables on 18th and 26th January. There was something to show that Winters was not a principal, but was merely acting as an agent for someone else. Mr. H. F. O'Leary, in asking for lenient treatment, pointed out that Winters was a first offender, and he was not in any way a regular bookmaker. This would certainly be his last offence, as he was not in a position to pa.v even the minimum fine, £20, without difficulty and embarrassment. _ Winters was fined £20, with the option of ' a month's hard labour. One month was allowed in which to pay the fine, and 7s costs. WITHDRAWN OR. DISMISSED. In the cases of seven men who were found in Waiting's premises on Wednesday last, the charges of being found without lawful excuse in a gaming house preferred against four of the men were

withdrawn. The remaining three pleaded not guilty and succeeded in proving that they were engaged in legitimate business when arrested. The three men were George William Lees, hairdresser m VVallmg's saloon; Frank Greaney, who had gone into the shop for a shave; and Albert Edwards, who was endeavouring to cash a cheque.

Bernard O'Connell, assistant engineer' for the Western Electric Company made a. statement on oath to the effect that he had gone into Laidlaw's shop for the purpose of having an umbrella- repaired and had nothing whatever, to do with betting. The police agreed to the withdrawal of the charge, as they were satisfied that O'Connell'went into the shop on legitimate business, and no betting cards or papers were found on him.

The charges against Clarence Adolphus Le.Sueur, publishing " double" betting charts and laying totalisator odds, and Henry Martindale; betting en licensed premises, will be considered on 6th March, when the defendants will be represented by Mr. M. Myers. <-. . :