CAME OF CHANCE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11950, 22 May 1933, Page 4

CAME OF CHANCE

ARREST at WINTER SHOW.

YOUTH FIN ED - £25

; •'‘Xhbso men arc 'parasites -battening bn tho mugs of the community,” stated' Detectivo McLeod, in the Police Court ..before -Mr.. J. O. L. Hewitt, ! S.AL, on Saturday, when James Berry, 19, ptoaded guilty to playing a game of chance known a s the “pin ajid ball, ’ at the Winter gßowi A fine of £25 with costs was imposed. Detective AlcLecd explained that accused wa 6 employed by another jjideshowman at the show' and the gam 0 in -respect of which the charge w'as laid consisted of three billiard balls placed round a pin on a small table, with the player asked- to knock away’ those balls and upset -the pin with a fourth ball. It mainly depended on th e placing of the three balls whether it was possible to knockover the pifi, while another practice adopted by - some showmen swa s to place a sticky substance in a hollow at the bottom of the pin. On the previous afternoon a country tod aged 10 -was induced to play and eventuul]v lost all the money he had, a sum of £-i.

Mr. S. V. Beaufoy, for the accused, pointed out that lie wag only 19 years of age and had not previously been before the court. Counsel suggested that consideration be given to tho fact that he had caused no trouble to the police and. had pleaded guilty. -‘What else could he do in the circumstances?” inquired the magistrate Air. Beaufoy remarked that it had never been tested whether the game was actually a game of chance. Rather than put the court to the trouble, however, accused hud pleaded- guilty. Accused, moreover, was assisting his mother who lived at AAuihi. “In such cases as this I always to know how much assistance ready i s given.” commented Air. Hewitt. “Usually it boils down to something like £1 a year at Christmas.” Air. Beaufoy stated that accused had informed him that, 'until lately when business was poor, he had been sending his mother £2 a mouth. He was unable to pay a heavy fine. Detective AlcLecd mentioned that, when arrested, accused was asked where he belonged to and where his parents * lived. The reply was that he had no fixed place of abode and no parents. Accused’s employer had other sideshows, but- thi s wa s the profitable one for ' 'taking dovu mugs.” “Accused was dealing in comparatively big money,, so he cannot- object to a comparatively big fine." stated the magistrate, in imposing a fine of £25 with costs. When an application was made for timo to pay, Detective AlcLecd objected, pointing out that accused had said h 0 was in Australia last month. The magistrate stated that time to pay would not- be allowed unless accused could satisfy the police in some way. Default- was fixed at two months’ imprisonment aud an order wa s made for confiscation of tho gamiug material.