PLAYING WITH DICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19739, 12 September 1927, Page 12

PLAYING WITH DICE.

ASSAULT* CHARGE FOLLOWS. TERM OF IMPRISONMENT. , The story, of an episode in which dice and liquor featured was told in the Police Court On Saturday, when Cornelius McDeVitt, aged 37 (Mr. Bryce Hart), was charged with assaulting Ronald Lewis Hart. A plea of not was entered Halt gave eyidence to the effect that he had met accused with a friend in liobson Street. Accused had suggested they should go to a room m a Street building and throw dice. They did not go into any room, but played in a passage way. After the first throw accused took £1 belonging to witness and then assaulted him by kicking him in the face, causing a fracture of the jaw. Witness had gone for the police while the other man atrug gled with accused. Leslie Phelan, the other member of the party, gave corroborative evidence. Constable Ross said that he had found McDevitt trying to hide himself. Giving his version of the affair McDovitt said the party had been playing dice for some time before tho trouble occurred. After losing at the beginning, ho started to 'win. but Hart, said ho had no more money. However, a £1 note dropped out of Hart's pocket, so witness claimed it as payment for the last throw, which he' had won Ho was then set on by the other two. He had not tried to hide when the constable came. The whole thing was a drunken brawl, and all par ties were equally to blame. Replying to the magistrate, Mr. F. K Hunt, accused said ho had not been work ing • foi; threo weeks. "Ah, just as T thought," said the magistrate, as Senior-Sergeant Edwards handed him a list- of accused's previous convictions "I am not going to have men kicked in the jaw bv gambling ruffians.".he added, in'sentencing accused to 14 days' imprisonment