PRISONERS BETTING

Evening Star, Issue 19023, 19 August 1925, Page 4

PRISONERS BETTING

AN ELABORATE SYSTEM WOMAN AS INTERMEDIARY WHO WAS “THE MASTER MIND.” [Pkb United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, August 18. An audacious plot to communicate with prisoners in Mount Helen Caul and to carry out betting transactions was revealed in the Police Court today when David Hugh Lloyd, aged thirty-nine, and Edgar H. Scott, aged thirty-nine, warders at the goal, pleaded guilty to causing tobacco and letters to bo unlawfully conveyed to the prison, and F. W. T. Rcdler, aged twenty-six, another warder, admitted causing three letters to bo delivered into prison. The offences wore committed on July 31 and April 30. Mrs Ada May Bleasel admitted causing to bo delivered to Lloyd three letters and a parcel of tobacco to be convoyed into the prison, and denied two charges of publishing a. document containing a totalisator dividend, and of laying totalisator odds. Chief-detective Cummings said that in consequence of complaints made by the deputy-superintendent of the prison ho wont there on August 4, and saw the. three warders accused. He took possession of three letters. Later in the day, Mrs Bleasel called to visit her son-in-law, “Mike” Flynn, who was serving a sentence for burglary. Witness told her that Lloyd had been detected bringing articles to the prison for Flynn and another prisoner, Gerard Oorvissiano, and she admitted she had given him three letters and a packet to be banded to Corvissiano. The letters were opened in her presence. The contents included the day’s cards for the Poverty Bav Race Meeting and for the Christchurch Hunt Club Meeting, and detailed the first and second horses and dividends paid. A settling sheet showed that Corvissiano had on one day alone won £lls 12s. Jn another case, ho had invested about £75 with Mrs Bleasel, and won £BS. At the Gisborne Meeting ho had won £lO9 12s for £152 invested. In most cases from £1 to £l2 was invested, but there was a case in which the sum was £25. All the hotting was at totalisator odds, and Mrs Bleasel said the limit had been £7 10s. Questioned by witness Mrs Bleasel had said she did not hold the money, but acted only as an intermediary, and gave prisoner the results. She was aware she was not doing right in communicating by this means, hut was willing to take the risk. It was not denied that she received every consideration from the prison authorities in the matter of lawful communication with the prisoner, but she claimed that neither her son-in-law nor she herself got British justice. Witness told her ho had been informed by Corvissiano that a £250 double had boon struck, and it had been paid, William Thomas Leggatt, DepulySuperinteodent of Mount Eden Prison, said accused called to see her son-in-law, and when spoken to, admitted she gave the documents to Lloyd to fake t) the prison. .She said she was not a bookmaker, but “ passed it on ” for the prisoner. Witness now knew that one betting transaction resulted in £IOO being received into the prison through an illegal channel. Before calling Mrs Bleasel lo give evidence, her counsel, Mr Tong, said it appeared that a big drama was going on, and she was ono of the pawns in the game, and had been used by someone higher up. She would have to bear the brunt of the blame. Ho submitted she bad not ‘‘ published ’’ within the meaning of the section of the Act. Mrs Bleasel, in the course of her evidence, said she was in business at Newmarket. The documents which she was told to send to the Post Office Box 20, Newmarket, came into her possession, and sho did as instructed. She did not receive any money, and was not concerned in any way with hotting. Cross-examined, witness said she handed the cards produced to Lloyd to be taken into the prison. f?be did not know who wrote “Mr F. Collins, care, of Box 20, Newmarket,” on ono envelope produced, but ono of the letters found bad boon written by her. No reply was given when Chief-de-fective Cummings asked: Who is the “ bookie ” ? The Chief Defective; I put it to you that this lias been going on for two months? Accused ; Two months if you like. The Chief Detective said that on February 23, Box 20 at Newmarket Post Office was taken by Miss Eva M. Collins. It was the custom for warders to collect tho mail from the box, and to deliver it to prisoners. When the plot was discovered all the men I old the truth, and assisted tho police. They would lose their positions, and there was also the question of superannuation. No doubt “tho master mind" was at Newmarket. Remarking that they wore foolish men, tho magistrate imposed a fine of £5 and 7s costs in each case, but refused a request by Scott for tho suppression of thoir names, saying that it was too grave a maiter, especially ns they were in public positions. In regard to tho case against -Mrs Bleasel, it was stated that she had already been fined £SO for receiving stolen property. Mr Tong amended tho plea to one of guilty on the betting charge. The Chief Detective said the woman had declared she would still carry on. Mr Poynton: Oh, a fine to her would be only a fleabite.

On the first charge Mrs Bleasel was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment, and she was fined £2O on each of two other counts.