BOOKMAKING IN WORKHOUSE

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 December 1934, Page 9

BOOKMAKING IN WORKHOUSE

MURDER OF INMATE ALLEGED. LONDON, November 7. George Frank Harvey, 37, described as a chef ,of no fixed abode, appeared on remand at Westminster Police-court yesterday, charged with the murder of George Hamblin by striking him with a hammer in a storeroom in Westminster Institution, Fulham-road, Chelsea. He was granted legal aid. Outlining the case, Mr. Vincent Evans said that Hamblin was an inmate of the institution for several years. There was evidence that he acted as a bookmaker at the institution, taking bets ranging from 2d upwards, and received sums of £4 to £5. Harvey was acting as batman to the Labour Superintendent, named Pocock. He and Hamblin were on friendly terms. On October 25 Harvey asked permission to go out after five o’clock. The application was refused, but he was given permission to leave after 1 p.m. the next day. Mr. Evans said that during the night it was found that Harvey and Hamblin were not in their beds, and in the morning a search was made for Hamblin. Between seven and eight o’clock the labour master, Mr. Thomas, on opening the locked storeroom, found Hamblin lying dead,'with severe injuries to his head. On a table was a hammer, wrapper in a yeast bag and tied with tape. It was blood-stained, and the handle had been broken recently. The pockets of the dead man had been turned inside out, and no money was found except a penny on the floor. Scattered about the floor were a number of betting slips, 136 representing bets from 2d to 3s, totalling about £4 17s. It was reasonable to suppose that this money was on the dead man. A post-mortem examination was made by Sir Bernard Spilsbury, and the result had not yet been received.

A 25-CENTIME PIECE. Mr. Evans said that Harvey remained with a. woman whom he visited that night, and she would say that every time she awoke he was awake and smoking, and complained of his nerves. Harvey took from his pocket a black wallet and tipped the contents on to the bed. The money it contained was all in shillings and sixpences. The woman counted it, and it came to £3 ss. Among the money there was a 25 centime piece, and it was known that the dead man had had such a coin. On October 27 he left the woman in tho morning, and met her again in the evening. Afterwards he told her: “I am not a bookmaker at all. lam the man they want for that workhouse murder.” The woman fainted, and when she came round Harvey said: “I suppose you are going to the ‘cops.’ ” She replied, “No.” She was very frightened, and asked him if he committed the murder. He said, “No.” She suggested he should go to the police, but he refused. They went together to Hyde Park, but the woman left him as soon as possible. At 2.10 a.m. on October 28 Harvey went into Paddington police-station. When formally charged, he said: “I don’t know anything about it.” William Richardson, an inmate of the institution, said that Hamblin had acted as a bookmaker for some time. The Magistrate: Why do they allowthis sort of thing in a workhouse? Mr. Vincent Evans: It was done in small sums without the knowledge of the authorites. The hearing was adjourned .