A TASMANIAN SWEEP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18171, 17 August 1922, Page 9

A TASMANIAN SWEEP.

WELLINGTON PROSECUTION. FINE OF £1 IMPOSED. I'BX TELEGRAPH- —PH.ESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. Wednesday. That ignorance of the law is no excuse is a maxim familiar to all—this was the answer of the magistrate to-day to such a .plea made on behalf of Morgan Christopher O'Flaherty, charged with having purchased a ticket in an alleged lottery promoted in Tasmania. It was stated that it was quite a common thing in large warehouses and Government offices for the clerks to regularly subscribe money for this purpose. Even in police stations, it was urged, there were those who received tickets regularly. It appeared that the accused had been arrested for drunkenness, and the police whan searching his cloiiies found three sweep tickets in his name, which he admitted purchasing. The magistrate held that there was no distinction between purchasing a sweep or a pakapoo ticket, and imposed a fine of £1 and costs. O'Flaherty • was also charged that on March 2 he made four counterfeit coins, with intent to make them resemble current silver coins. The police stated that when accused was arrested on another charge two silvered pennies and two silvered halfpennies were found in his pockets. The accused denied having passed any of the coins. He said he was employed by a man who was ag;ent for a material for silvering copper .articles, and used the coins to demonstrate the efficacy of the material. The case was dismissed.