BOOKMAKERS FINED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19217, 5 January 1926, Page 10

BOOKMAKERS FINED.

PENALTIES AMOUNT TO £350. THREE MEN PLEAD GUILTY. BETS MADE WITH CONSTABLE. Fines totalling £350 were imposed on three bookmakers in the Police Court yesterday by "Mr. J. W. Poynton, S.M William Beresford (Mr. Mason), Thomas William Leece and Henry James Abraham (Mr. : Singer), ■ ware, "each charged with carrying on" the business of a bookmaker on' January lj 1926. They pleaded guilty. In each case evidence was given that bets had been made with a constable. Chief-Detective Cummings said that Beresford made bets in a hotel in the city and Leece had been carrying on the business of a bookmaker in a billiardsaloon. According to books and papers found they had a satisfactory business. Abraham had stated he was betting for I someone else. j Mr, Singer said that Abraham was 26 I years of age, married, and had two children. There was no record against him. He had been discharged from his employment recently by a man who wanted to put a brother in his place. Since then ho ,had had difficulty in finding work. He did not make large bets, the largest being 10s. The chief detective said that since December 26 Abraham had been openly betting with a constable. He had £l5O in the bank. Mr. Mason said that Beresford had lost an arm in the war. He received a pension of £1 10s a week. He had a wife and one child who was ill. He was only a small silver bettor, making bets of 2s 6d ana ss. He was unable to do hard work and was employed as a caretaker. The chief detective said it was true that Beresford had a good war record, but hehad been openly betting for some time. Leece stated 110 had nothing to say. The magistrate remarked- that there was no difference between hiring an assassin and hiring a man to make bets. Leece was fined £2OO, Abraham £IOO, and Beresford £SO. Mr. Mason asked that Beresford's name should' be suppressed as he was in a good position and might lose it. The Magistrate: No, certainly not. A man whp can .be a successful bookmaker must have committed hundreds of offences against "the law. This is • one of those cases where I cannot suppress the name.