COURT NEWS

Grey River Argus, 11 May 1935, Page 8

COURT NEWS

STOLEN BANK NOTES. RECEIVING CHARGE FAILS. (Per Press Association). PALAIERSTON NORTH. May 9. Because banknotes that figured in the case were not proved to be the actual banknotes stolen, Thomas John Lucinsky, charged with receiving £240, knowing the same to have been dishonestly obtained, was acquitted by the jury, on Air Justice Smith’s direction.

His Honor stated it was plain that certain notes had been stolen, the allegation being that accused received some of those notes. It was necessary however, to prove that accused received identical articles to those stolen. If a man stole a double bedstead and changed it at a dealer’s for two single beds, and then gave one of them to another person, it seemed plain that the receiver of that bedstead would not be charged. The same applied to banknotes.

His Honor added that the position seemed to have been met in England by a special Act, but there was not simi'ar provision in New Zealand. The Crown Prosecutor asked for the right to appeal, which, was granted. If the appeal is upheld, accused can be re-tried. POLICE EXPLOIT. TWO-UP SCHOOL SCATTERED. AUCKLAND. May 10. Three carloads of police and detectives suddenly arrived about noon today at a. piece of reclaimed ground on’ the waterfront, and the occupants, leaping out. sprinted towards a group of about thirty or forty men. The men were seated on poles, arranged in the form of a rectangle. A scout gave the alarm, and the men immediately scattered. The police had to run hard and tackle low, but about fifteen men were detained and names and addresses taken. Others escaped through neighbouring premises. Workers in adjacent buildings cheered the chase. It is understood that some of tinmen detained admitted they had been playing two-up and that in the “ring’’ the police found a leathei dice box and a number of dice, the latter being marked with spots and squares o indicate heads and tails. HOTEL BETTING. LICENSEE FINED HEAVILY. CHRISTCHURCH, Alay 10. A fine of £5O. (with costs, was imposed On Thomas Ebenozer Robinson, licensee of Tattersail’s Hotel, by the Magistrate (Air Afosley) on a charge of knowingly and wilfully ’permitting the private bar of the hotel to be used as a common gaming house by another person, Helen Gunn, on various dates. Security for appeal was fixed at £l2 12s, plus the amount of the fine. The Magistrate said that accused appeared to have assisted Tfunn in every possible way. “It is one thing.’’ he said, “for an hotelkeeper to discuss races and racehorses in the bar with customers, but it is quite another thing for him to knowingly permit actual gambling such as the investment of money and

x he payment of dividends in the bar, with and by one of the servants. I am satisfied Ihat he knew of the betting and allowed -t ’ >