FINE OF £100.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 77, 28 February 1938, Page 10

FINE OF £IOO.

BOOKMAKING CHARGE. ACCUSED PLEADS GUILTY. Pleading guilty to a charge that on February 26, being the occupier of premises at 25 Rangitane Street, he did keep those premises as a common gaming house, Hughie James Trask, a labourer aged 31, was fined £IOO by Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court to-day. Mr T. F. Relling appeared' for accused and Detec-tive-Sergeant A. B. Meiklejohn for the police. At 2.25 p.m. on Saturday, said De-tective-Sergeant Meiklejohn, with a constable and Detective Power he had gone to .the residence at 25 Rangitane Street. He and Detective Power went to a back door, the constable staying at the front door. The back door was locked and they saw a woman took through some curtains of a window. They then went to „ the side of the house and found a man named Thompson getting out of a window. Witness told him to get back,.- and inside the room accused was “grabbing a lot of stuff off a table.” The receivers of two telephones were lying on the table and there was a considerable quantity of betting material lying about. There were three persons in the room, the third saying he had come to see the man Thompson (who is a greengrocer) about some potatoes. “While we were there’l answered eight rings on the telephone in relation to betting and Detective Power answered about ten or twelve,” said Detective-Sergeant Meiklejohn. “Bets were recorded and numerous inquiries were made about betting. There were five meetings that day—at Te Arolm, Wanganui, Waiapu, Wairarapa, and Gore. Apparently they were doing things -in great style,” said the detective in producing several large books, while he also pointed to a pile of writing pads on the Court table. “This bag was found on the fender,” he added, holding up a bank cash-bag. “Unfortunately it was empty. In the fireplace we found various documents including a number of addressed and opened envelopes. This man before Christmas had been betting about the streets. I warned Trask on several days but ho would always be back the next day. At the beginning of this year he disappeared and about that time he joined up with Thompson. Trask has a very bad list.” Mr Helling raised an objection to the detective itemising the entries on the list of previous convictions which he was perusing. The Magistrate: Accused is pretty well-known in this Court in any case. In addressing the Magistrate, Mr Relling commented that there was nothing much to he said for accused; who had pleaded guilty. As far as this charge was concerned it was his first offence.

The Magistrate: Do you not think that we should stop him? Mr Belling: Yes. The Magistrate: On the last two occasions 1 have had an application for a remission of the fine. The application was not granted but still it was made. It seems to me that if there is to be an application for remission then the only thing to do is to take the advice of the Chief Justice.

Mr Reeling: It would be pretty hard for this man to suffer.-

The Magistrate: I do not think it would, considering the list lie 'has. Mr Relling: He has done what a good many others have done. He has “given the thing a go.” He was an absolute tyro at the game and I suggest that being a first offender on this charge he should receive a fine equal to that which is usual to first offences. There is nothing in his previous offences connected with gambling. The Magistrate: Except two-up. Mr Relling: I would suggest that it be made reasonable. The Magistrate: I would think that £IOO is a reasonable fine. He can consider himself lucky that he is not in prison. When Mr Relling asked that accused be given „time in which to pay the Magistrate said that he wished to see accused’s banking account, and he would give his decision' on that point later. REMAND GRANTED. . Stanley Ernest Thompson, a greengrocer, aged 34, was charged with using premises at 25 liangitane Street as a common gaming house on February 26. Mr A. M. Ongley asked that a remand be granted, and the request was acceded to, bail being fixed at £SO, and the hearing set down for Marcli 7.