£100 FINE IMPOSED.

New Zealand Herald, 29 June 1914, Page 8

£100 FINE IMPOSED.

STREET BETTING CASE,

MEN WHO ARE " VULTURES."

COMMENTS BY MAGISTRATE

The maximum penalty—a fine of £100— was imposed in a case which came before j Mr. F. V. Frazer, 8.M., at the Police Court on Saturday morning, when a young man named Leonard Andrews was charged that on Juno 25 he was in Fort {street {or the purposo of betting, Mr. Mowlew appeared for the accused and pleaded guilty. Chief-Detective McMalion said that tho accused liiul been frequenting Fort Streetfor a considerable time, for tho purpose of making bets, and complaints had been received about him as far bock as January last. When he was. arrested, records were found in his possession which furnished a considerable amount of evidence. Amongst tho accused's clients, the chief dotective continued, was a young man. 18 years old, employed in a fairly good position, who liad ( lost £25, awl had consequently been on the verge of a criminal prosecution. The accused had been in trouble before, and in Aju'il, 1912, had been convicted under another section of the Gaming Act, and fined £25 for assisting in tho management of a common gaming house.

Mr. Mowlem contended that his client was not solely dependant on bctokmaking, for his living, as ho had several shares in a local picture theatre.

Mr. Frazer: Perhaps that shows that ho has done sufficiently we\l out of bookmaking to 'be able to buy shares.

In convicting the accused, His Worship remarked that under the section of the Gaming Act under which ho was charged, the accuscd must be considered & first offender. That section provided for a minimum fine of £20 and a maximum of £100. There were cases where hardworking men went to tho races, and endeavoured to make a littlo money by " making 9 book." Such cases, he thought, might be met by the minimum fine. In the case of the accused, however, tiie circumstances were difforent. Andrews was (evidently a healthy, able-bodied young man, who was able to work, but who prelerred to mako an easy living by bookmaking. Such men were nothing more nor less than vultures, preying on men with more money than sense. The record books of tho accuscd allowed that ho had been doing a, very extensive business. There were 110 merits whatever about tho case, oven though it was tho accused's first offence, and ho would be fined tho maximum fino of £100 and costs,

In asking for time to pay, Mr. Mowlern mentioned that at present there was no market for the shares held by tho accused, and if ho were unable to dispose of them, it would take him five or six months to

pay. His Worship said that in tho meantime he would allow the accused one month in which to pay the money, and if at the end of that period he was satisfied that accused waa making a roasonablo effort to pay, ho would be willing to listen to an application for an extension of time.