CHARGE OF BOOKMAKIKG

Evening Star, Issue 18032, 28 July 1922, Page 6

CHARGE OF BOOKMAKIKG

A FINE OF £M). Charles G. Wilson, a young man, lam< as a result of war service, was chargee this morning before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., with having carried on the business or occupation of a bookmaker, and with keeping a. shop in .Moray place- as a common gaming-house.. Mr Irwin appeared for the accused, who pleaded guilty to tho first charge, and elected to be dealt with enm.rnarihu Chief-detective Bishop said that in consideration of accused having pleaded guilty lie would ask leave to withdraw the second charge. The chief detective went on to say that tho accused was a voung married man carrying on bimiuess as a tobacconist and hairdresser in Moray place. He had, it appeared, done good business when he started, but it dropped away, so ho took on the bookmakin.g to make ends meet. He had been to the war and was wounded, being rendered a permanent cripple. As proof that accused had been doing fairly good business as a bookmaker, the chief detective stated that on the first day of tho recent Wellington mooting he had .done £230 5s worth of betting. On the

second day, up to tho time of his arrest /2.30 p.ni.) be had done £195 10s worth—a total of £425 15s. The method of betting was principally by telephone. The police had found belting cards, race books, double charts, and other evidence on the premises. The chief detective said That lie felt justified in emphasising the fact that accused had pleaded guilty. It was admittedly a very difficult matter to get a conviction before a jury. Mr Irwin said there wore some exceptional features about lire case. Wilson was a, very decent young man, who had lived all his life in Dunedin. lie had been to the front with the Main' Body and served at Gallipoli and iu France. lie bad been twice wounded, so badly that ha had been crippled for life. He had been recommended for tho D.C.M.and awarded ■the Military -Medal. Returning to New Zealand, ho had to look around for a suitable occupation, and carried on legitimately until quite, recently. He had been quite frank with the detectives. The figures quoted would seem to be. substantial, but when it became generally known that a telephone, could bo need to make tubs it was easy to get business. That sort of thing did not lest long, however, for the authorities always got to know a, 1 .out it. Accused’.-; career had been shortlived (about six months), though it must Ip. admitted that he had been warned about three months ago. Counsel a*nm>d ill.- b-t» h that there, would bo no repetition of the offence. In the- cmunnl'iimes. a small monetary penalty would, he submitted, moot the ease.

His Worship '.mid that 'he v.ou’/l toko into consideration the fact that accused hud pleaded guilty. It was for various reasons difficult to get a jury Do convict. However, it was not a ease '•? making

or two bolo; the business had been carried on for some time. Acciae.d had also boon warned, lie. would 1 lined £3O, with costs (7?:), on lire chance of h»>Umaking. The second charge might be withdrawn.