POKER ON THE TRAIN.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 3574, 25 February 1914, Page 6

POKER ON THE TRAIN.

HOW THE POLICE GOT ON

TWO AUCKLAND PROSECUTIONS

£PSE33 ASSOCIATION TJSUCGBAII.] AUCKLAND. Feb. 24. Two travellers by the Main Trunk express to Auckland yesterday afternoon were whiling the time away by a quiet game of poker when two strangers stepped into the train at Newmarket and evinced a sociable interest in the game. One of tile players vouchsafed that they were “doing no harm” as he had already won six shillings. On receiving this information the changers revealed themselves as Sergt. Dale and Constable Wales, on plain clothes duty, and informed the two young men that they would be brought before the Magistrate for a breach of the Police Offences Act. The men appeared in Court to-day c harged with playing a game of chance by way of gaining with instruments of gaming. Inspector McGrath asked leave to amend the information and substitute a charge under section 25 of the Railway Regulations. As the charge was first laid, it was intended to deal with rogues and vagabonds, whereas the present defendants were perfectly decent young fellows. The charge was amended to one of gambling on a train in breach of the railway regulations, and Mr Singer (for the defendants) entered a plea of gui'ty. They were having, counsel said, as many did daily, a game of cards ‘on a railway train coming to Auckland. Inspector McGrath: For money. His Worship remarked that in his travels he frequently saw people’ playing rards On the train, hut he very rarely saw money passing. Mr Singer: They can’t play poker without a “chip,” and Your Worship may have noticed that the players used matches. The present defendants bought the cards on one of the station platforms. His Worship remarked that the seller or the" cards coidd not presume that the purchasers were going* to gamble with them. There was a serious objection to playing for money ’in a railway carriage and the railway regulation against it was a good one as persons sometimes come across some smart gentlemen who induced men from the country to .join in a game for the purpose of taking the latter down. In this ease defendants were friends who were playing each other and evidently not of the fraternity of tricky gentlemen referred to. The matter was, of course, not serious, and defendants would be fined 10s and 5s 6d each.