PLUCKING A PIGEON

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIX, Issue 29, 4 February 1915, Page 2

PLUCKING A PIGEON

A COUNTRY MAN AT THE

RACES

The story of how a young man. from the King Country lost £120' at the races in, Auckland at New Year time was told before Mr EL C. Cutten, S.M., when John Joseph Lowry (32), was charged with that between December 26 and January 2, he conspired with one Robinson, to defraud Alfred Caterer of £120. Caterer, who had made money bush-contracting near Te Kuiti, stated that he came to Auckland in December for a holiday, and on December 29 he was at the races at Ellerslie. He was on the ' lawn watching a race when a man spoke to him, asking him what he had backed. He replied, "Jollie Fille." After the race the man said he had backed the winner, Goldsize, which paid. £20, remarking that he had got the tip from a friend, who had given him three winning tips already. He asked witness if he would like ,to- meet this friend, and. on witness saying he would, he took him to the back of the stand and introduced him to a man. he called "NicholLs." This "Nioholls" wns the man now before the Court as Lowry, and he said he would give witness a tip if he would promise not to tell anyone, as he had before done business Avith ;the other man whom he called "Sid." The tip was Wishful for the next race, and "Sid", gave Lowry £15 to put on it, and. wanted witness to make £30, btit witness would not risk more than £15, which sLowry took away to pu|t oil Wishful did not win, and.' 'Sid" said he would not back any more that day, so they returned to town, after arranging to see "Nieholls (Lowry) again at the races another day,. On New Year's Day they met again, at Ellerslie, when Belasco was tipped by Lowry as the good thing, he remarking that he was putting money on for the owner of the horse and the rider. Witness gave him £10 to put on if; and Belasco ran third, which Lowry described as the hardest of luck, as the horse got a bad start. He tipped i Hereford for (the Hurdles, and showed some "money he said he was putting on the horse, with the result that after persuasion witness gave him £5. When Hereford ran second and paid 15s, Lowry explained that the money had been put on with the bookmakers. Later he gave Lowry £2 to put on a certain horse when he \ should get the information from the ! stables, and he was not able to see Lowry again till after the race, when he said he had ' put it on i Balboa, a horse that did not win. ' They arranged to meet in town, and on the morning of the last race day at Ellerslie they met at the post ofnee, Lowry intimating that he had a scheme to make a haul. When they met he tolH them to wail while he interviewed the owner of a certain horse, and he went away. Presently he returned and, stated that it was - all right. The horse was Bedford for the first race, and he had money to put on for the owner and jockey. His idea was that they should back ; the horse with one bookmaker for £100 at 10 to 1 to win, and then back it with another bookmaker for £100 at the same "odds to lose. By this means, he explained to witness, it was impossible for them to lose. If the horse won They got £600, and if it lost they got £400. "Sid" was enthusiastic, and produced notes for £75 aaid a cheque for £25, which he handed to Lowry to get on, and witness was persuaded to put on £50 he had drawn from the savings bank, and a cheque for £50 on a Te Kuiti bank. They arranged to meet the following evening in. Pitt Street, but on Tuesday he got a note sigined "Sid," which stated that the writer had been called away by his mother's illness, aaid adding that he was also' sorry to say that the horse they had intended backing had "gone sore." By this time witness, whose losses had amounted to about half his savings, j also lelt o bit sore, and he wired to j Te Kuiti to stop his £50 cheque,' but a reply came that it had been cashed; ' consequently he wont to the police. ! Lowry did not turn up thiaifc night. ■ He did not see him till after his ■ arrest. He had not seen "Sid" at j all since the Monday night. Lowry j was committed for trial. , ' j