Raid on Betting Houses.

Manawatu Herald, 21 April 1892, Page 2

Raid on Betting Houses.

For some time past the authorities have been aware that the number of betting houses in the city was in • creasing, and that the owners thereof were carrying on the business in a manner distinctly at variance with the provisions of the Gaming and Lotteries Act. At the time of every race meeting throughout New Zealand totalisator odds were laid and paid out, and the proprietors were evidently doing a thriving business. At length the infringement of the law became too palpable, and on a sworn information a search was issued on Monday. Acting upon this the detectives made a raid on Monday evening on the establishments of Messrs Yuille and Nathan, Paterson, and Frederick Martin simultaneously and subsequently on that of Simmonds in Molesworth street. The \ result of the visit was that large sums of money, supposed to have been invested by the betting public, were found on the several premises, together with ledgers and books, pointing to the fact that a large business in the totalisator line was being carried on. The money and books were taken charge of by the police, and the above named will be proceeded against by summons in the ordinary manner. The police raid on the Wellington betting houses was made at 4 p.m., and, as we have already stated, three establishments were raided simultaneously. Detective Herbert and Constable Cameron went to Patersons, Detective Ede and Constable Matheson visited Yuille and Nathan's, while Detective Campbell and Constable Wilson paid a surprise visit to Martin's. By previous arrangement the visits were all timed for 4 p.rn , and it is needless to state that they came as a great surprise, the proprietors of the several establishments having gone on so long without interference from the authorities that they fancied themselves seoure against intrusion. The clerk in oharge of Martin's establishment handed over the money, which we understand he confessed had been received for wagers, although Martin, who came in later on, claimed a portion of it as the proceeds of a horse sale. The total amount found on his premises was £194 17s, two cigar boxes being quite full of notes, &o. People were going in and out at the time obviously for the purpose of laying money on horses, and the books seized show that the business has been carried on in a most systematic manner for some time past. About £150, besides books, &c, was found on Yuille and Nathan's premises. t Subsequently Detective Herbert, accompanied by a constable, proceeded to Simmonds' establishment. Here, as in all the other places, books 1 and papers and telegrams were found showing the existence of a betting business, although no money was | found. Simmonds, we hear, claims that he forwarded all moneys he reI ceived in a legitimate manner to his I agent at Christchurch, but it is a ! suspicious circumstance that on Monday, at any rate, this could not have been done, as the Telegraph Office was closed all day. This fact may also account for the presence of so much money on the premises of Yuille and Nathan and Martin, as the results of races had not come through, and the dividends could not, therefore, be paid. The search warrant under which the detectives acted was made out in accordance with the provisions of the 3rd section of the Gaming and Lotteries Act of 1881, and enabled the detectives, if occasion warranted it, to take into custody any persons found on the premises. , In the case of a gaming house, of course, this course would have been followed, but under the circumstances it was not considered necessary to take such an extreme step. The persons whose names appear in the books seized as having staked their money can also be proceeded against, but the authorities, we believe, do not intend to make use of this power, although they will probably call such of them as they think necessary to give evidence when the case comes on for hearing. When that will be is not at present known. In consequence of the holidays no further steps have beeu as yet taken in the matter. '

Laying 'totalisator odds' is the practice -which has led to the police making the raid. The bookmakers pay depositors of money on any horse at any race meeting the same ' divi ' as is paid by the totalisator at the race meeting, having a limit, however, of £15. Of course they reserve to themselves the usual 10 per cent., and the business is so profitable, and has been carried on so openly that the authorities could no longer shut their eyes to the fact of this open infringement of the law. The bopks now in the possession of the police, it is said, could unfold a tale which would surprise a great many who have no conception of what an immense amount of betting goes on in our midst, and many of the names of investors would, if published, be regular eye-openers. The detectives are to be commended for the manner in which they carried out their duty. The time selected was most opportune, seeing that several important race meetings were being held in the Colony, and also in consequence of its being holiday time, business of an illegal nature was likely to be much more brisk than usual. We understand that similar attempts to put down these establishments are about to be made in other parts of the colony. — 2V. Z. Times.