TELEGRAPHED BETS

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 90, 12 October 1929, Page 11

TELEGRAPHED BETS

CONSPIRACY CHARGES

(By Telegraph.—Press Association.)

' GISBOBNE, This Day. In the Magistrate's Court, William M'Kinnon, indent agent, and Wallaco Fountain, telegraphist, were jointly charged with conspiring to* defraud Arthur Yeo, a Napier bookmaker, of £99 by means of a forged telegram on 13th August, and with similarly conspiring to defraud him of £80 on loth August. M'Kinnon and Charles Thomas Clifford Hands, telegraphist, were charged with having on 24th August attempted to defraud Yeo of £150 by means of a forged telegram.

Evidence was given by George Stanley /Symons, owner of the horse Malahat, that as the result of a conversation with M'Kinnon he wrote to Yeo and asked for a "no reply" code. This was granted with a limit of £20, and also with the condition that a telegram had to be lodged before the advertised starting time of the race. M'Kinnon asked that the code should be left at his office. He- twice asked if he could uso the code. Witness agreed on condition that M'Kinnon let him know when he was doing so. On no occasion was he-notified by M'Kinnon that he was going to use it. Witness denied that the telegrams produced were written by him or- by his authority, and also denied sending several other telegrams produced, making bets on various horses, or receiving money either from Yep or from M'Kinnon. Cross-examined, witness admitted that he had endeavoured to communicate with Yeo at M'Kinnon's request. He had addressed envelopes to him and left them with M'Kinnon, and had used M'Kinnon's box for. receiving racing letters. M'Kinnon was continually telling him about" the betting after it was done. ..:■■■■

Elsie Kathleen Morrel, telephone operator, gave evidence as to connections between M'Kinnon's- telephone number and the telegraph counter where Fountain was working, but said she was too busy to hear any conversation. ' The hearing was adjourned till' Monday. ■ ■:-.•. :.■ "...■- .