BOOKMAKERS FINED

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 3, 5 January 1926, Page 10

BOOKMAKERS FINED

THREE AUCKLAND OFFENDERS,

(it TiLioura.—pmss uaoeuTiouj AUCKLAND, 4th January,

Three bookmakers, who were arrested in Auckland at midday on Saturday by Chief-Detective Cummings and SeniorDetective Ward, pleaded guilty in the Magistrate's Court this morning. Thomas Leece was fined £200, Henry James Abraham was fined £100, William Beresford was fined £50.

Beresford did his bettini? in a city hotel, according to Chief-Detective Cummings. Leece carried on business as a bookmaker in a billiard saloon, and his books and papers showed that he had a satisfactory business. Abraham told the police that he was making bets for someone else. In each case the bookmakers had made bets with a constable during the latter part of December. Mr. R. A. Singer said that Abraham was 26 years of age, married, with two children. There was no record against him. Some time ago he was discharged from his employment because the employer wanted to put his brother in Abraham's place. Since then Abraham had found it difficult to get a job. The largest bet made by Abraham was 10s. Mr. Singer denied that Abraham was working for a principal. Chief-Detective dimming*: "Since 28th December he has been openly betting with a constable. He has £150 in the bank.

For Beresford, Mr. Mason submitted that the logs of an arm at the war had made it difficult for him to earn a living. He was in receipt of a pension of 30s a week: that was not sufficient to keep himself, his wife, and their sick child. He made small silver bets only. As a rule he dealt in half-crown and

five-shilling bets, working for a principal. He was unable to do hard work, and had taken a position as night-watchman. Chief-Detective Cummings said that it was quite true that Beresford had a good war record, and that he was employed at night as a caretaker, but he had been making bets freely since late last year.*. Chief-Detective Cummings said that Leece had been in charge of a billiard saloon.

Leece interjected to say that he had given it up about eighteen months ago. When the fines were imposed, Mr. Mason asked that Beresford's name be suppressed. He was in a Government job, and if the facts became public it might go hard with him. Mr. Poynton: "Certainly not. A man who can be a successful bookmaker, or a partially successful bookmaker, must have committed hundreds of offences against the law. This is one of those cases where I will not order suppression of the name."