GAMING HOUSE RAID.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20362, 17 September 1929, Page 12

GAMING HOUSE RAID.

EIGHTEEN MEN FINED.

FEDERAL STREET HOUSE.

WHAT DETECTIVES FOUND. —— 'M As the outcomo of a raid by detoctives on a boarding-house at 94, Federal Street, on Saturday evening 20 men were charged before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday with being found in a common gaming houso without lawful excuse, 18 ot that number being fined £3 euch and costs. Chargod with keeping premises as a common gaming house, Tony Goyak was fined £25. The men charged with being found on the premises were:—George Mihalovich, Thomas Donaldson, Charles Morris, Edmond Cooper, Joseph Chadwick, Reginald Benjamin, James Henry Owens, William James' Edwards, Paul Petak, Bertram James Thomas, William Bond, Tony Gojak, Eric Charles Fleming, Roos Ante, Harvey Thomas, John Dawson, Norman Edward Harris, Louis Urlich, Jack Juricivich and Andrew Botica;

Tho accused were represented by Mr. Smyth, who entered pleas of guilty for all tho men with tho exception of Ante and Botica, who ho stated were boarders. The charges against those two were dismissed.' Chief-Detective Hammond said that tho arrests were made at a Dalmatian boarding houso. To his knowledge there had not been any previous convictions in respect of tho place. Tho men were found playing solo, but a box and dice wero discovered in tho room. Tho dice were found undor the table and appeared to have been thrown thcro when the detectives entered. Billiard Room Adjacent. "Tho case is not so sonous as the dice make it appear," said Mr. Smyth. Two groups wore playing soio afc tho tablo, on which thero was 24s 6d belonging to one man and 8s belonging to another. Tho proprietor knew nothing of what was being done, as he was not on the premises when they were raided, and ho had no deputy. Among the men thero wero some inveterate gamblers, and ho considered that it was ono of these who had had tho dice in his possession. Only two of tho men in tho room were boarders, but there was a public billiard room across the passage, from which a number of tho men'had probably drifted to tho room. Complaints Made to Police. It was in consequence of complaints that inquiries had been made and a raid instituted, said Detective-Sergeant McHugh. The place was fitted up as a gaming house, with special padded tables. When tho detectives entered there were two games in progress and there was money on tho tablo. Hazards were not being played, but complaints had been received by tho polico of their being played in the houso overy night. Neither Ante nor Botica was playing in the solo games. When examined Botica stated that he had been a boarder at tho houso for two months. The room in which tho games were being played was tho sitting-room. He had not played himself and had never seen hazards played in tho house. Anto was also a boarder, ho said. The magistrate said ho would give Ante and Botica the benefit of the doubt and dismissed tho charges against them. The others ho fined as stated, with bail expenses 5s each, in default 14 days' imprisonment. Tho men wero given 24 hours in which to find tho money.