A GAME OF CHANCE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 10194, 5 January 1926, Page 3

A GAME OF CHANCE

A XMAS EVE INCIDENT,

SIDE-SHOWMAN FINED £5 AND COSTS,

The gambling spirit doubtless prompted many people-to gather at a little “show,” in ’Grey on Xmas Eve, where a dart game was in progress and, the odds being good, they plumped their hard-earned cash. Play was booming when the police intervened, and in the Police Court yesterday, before Mr. E. C. Levvey, S.M., the proprietor of the little “show,” John Rupert Lawrence was called upon to explain why he conducted this game of chance. The charge against Lawrence, which, he admitted, was that he did play by way of gaming within public view, in Grev -Street, with a table, a painted cloth and a dart, used at n game of chance. The utensils of the game, consisting of a cloth, with hundreds of small squares, another piece of cloth with corresponding colors, with the odds against each, and a small chart, were produced for the inspection of the Court.

Sergt. Dempsey explained that the defendant was a sideshowman and he, with other showmen, had occupied a stand in Grey Street on Christmas Eve. His stock-in-trade consisted of a table with a painted cloth at either end one comprising a number of squares, the other cloth having correspondingly colored squares, showing the odds against the thrower of the d'Tt- The players deposited their money on the different colors, and any one man threw the dart, endeavoring to hit the color which he had backed. -So far as the dart thrower was concerned there was a certain amount of skill required to fire into the color he had backed, but the other players exercised no skill at all rr.a were really betting that the thrower would not hit his color, but some other; If, for instance, a dart lodged in the green, players who hacked »tlint color, receive ! bnc c twice their stakes, but backers of the other colors forfeited their mercy. When the game was stopped, as* manv as. ten, peoole wore playing and the 1e A « varied from 6 1 to 2s 61. The defendant was a yon*’" married man of good chn aoter end had been ber'ectly flank and oyer, about the matter.

The Magistrate said that it was pev'ectlv clear that there was no skill so‘far r.s the players other than the dart thrower was concerned. and there was no question of law involVt»fj. The defendant, explained that the proper method of playing the game Was for each player to throw the dait in turn but. owing to the rush on Christ rins Eve. he bad altered the game to meet the wishes of the playThe M~gLDl'Dry~in -imposing |rtfi u £ ordering tho confiscation of the articles, said he was not imposjn'o- fi. heavy penalty this time, be--'causer.of the defendant’s honesty and frankness, and the fait that it was (7v o first prosecution, but be would ' like to 'warn future offenders that a penalty pf..£?9,, wrs - .provided: ...-