BETTING "TOTE" ODDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14925, 24 February 1912, Page 5

BETTING "TOTE" ODDS.

A MARKED FLORIN. TWO MEN CONVICTED. FINES OF £20 EACH. Two cases of alleged racecourse- betting on " tote " odds, were heard in the Police Court yesterday, by Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M. William George Taylor, a young man, was charged that on February 14, at Alexandra Park, during the progress of tho Otahuhu trots, he entered into a bet on the result of a horse race, whereby he agreed to pay the other party to the bet an amount dependant upon the working cf (ho totalisator. Taylor was represented by Mr. Singer, and pleaded not guilty.

Robert Henry Gibson, a labourer, said he was present at the Otahuhu trots, and prior to the sixth race he saw Taylor accept money from two young fellows. Then witness received a marked florin from Detective Cummings, and crossing over to Taylor, asked him to lay two shillings on No. 4, Stranger. Taylor said he would do so.

To Mr. Singer: Witness went to the races for the same purpose as many others— make money. Instead of doing that he lost. He had paid his own losses. This was the first time he had received two shillings from a detective. Cummings had given no instructions as to how he was to put it on, and witness did not know what he was or his occupation. Witness went out with 10s and lost it on the first two races, sharing "tote" tickets with another man whose name,he did not know.

The defence was that there was never any bet made, nor any bet intended to be made. Taylor was making up a ticket for the totalisator on Stranger, said Mr. Singer, when the man Gibson came along. Taylor was putting on 3s, another man ss, and Gibson's ,2s was to make up the 10s ticket. There was no sign of a card or anything to show that this man was a bookmaker. The ticket on Stranger had been procured by tho man who was putting in ss.

The magistrate fined defendant £20, remarking that he preferred to accept Gibson's story to Taylor's.

Another man, who was also charged with making bets on totalisator odds at Alexandra Park, pleaded guilty, and was fined £20.