BOOKMAKERS IN COURT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15056, 27 July 1912, Page 5

BOOKMAKERS IN COURT.

ALLEGED DOUBLE CHART.

[BY telegraph.—press association.] Wellington, Friday. A good deal of time was occupied in the Magistrate's Court to-day in dealing with an alleged breach of the Gaming Act. William Scott and Henry Martindale were charged with having published a document which contained a notification on behalf of certain persons, as to betting on horse races to bo run at Trentham. ChiefDetective Broberg prosecuted, and Sir John Findlay, K.C., conducted the. defence.

Detective Ward, of Dunedin, deposed to receiving an envelope through the post which contained papers commonly known as double charts. The envelope bore the post-mark of Wellington and from its appearance it had been sent to some person who had readdressed it on to witness.

Cross-examined by Sir John Findlay, witness said that apparently the letter had not been opened by the person to whom it had been originally addressed. It was sent to witness obviously because he. was a police officer.

Detective Hammond knew defendants, who were bookmakers. Bookmakers throughout New Zealand adopted alphabetical signs for their betting charts, and the sign. "A.8.C." on the charts produced was adopted by defendants some years ago. To Sir John Findlay : Defendants were reputable bookmakers. Personally, he knew of no other bookmakers who adopted the sign "A.8.C." Sir John Findlay submitted that the information should be dismissed. The vital elements in a case of the present description were, firstly, there must be notification as to betting; secondly, notification! must be on behalf of some person; and thirdly, there must be publication. Defendants did not publish phe chart, and it was not likely that publication was going to be made to a police officer. Decision was reserved by the magistrate, Mr. W. G. Riddell.