GAMING CHARGES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22241, 16 October 1935, Page 18

GAMING CHARGES

PREMISES IN CITY « STRAIGHT-OUT GAMBLING " TWO MEN FINED £SO EACH "It was apparently straight-out gambling," said Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday, when Percy Gallagher (Mr. Terry) was charged with knowingly And wilfully permitting premises he occupied at 23 Swansott Street to he used as a common gaming house. A charge of assisting to conduct the business of a common gaming house was preferred against Boss Facoory (Mr. Schramm). Both men, who appeared on summons, pleaded guilty. The story of a constable's visits to tho premises was told by Senior-Detec-tive Hall, who prosecuted. Mr. Hall said the constable made the acquaintance of a man who took him to tho premises one night, about the middle of July. After waiting in an alleyway for some time, the constable and a few other men Were admitted, and went up two flights of stairs, finally gaining admittance to a room in which were two billiard tables. There was a notice: "Auckland National Club—for members only." Three Locked Dodra In the room were about 30 men, and on one table * gambling game was in progress,,th6 defendant Facoory acting as croupier, said Mr. Hall. Facoory had a tobacco tin containing died in a pocket of the billiard table. Bets of £l, and frequently of 10s, were laid, and m6n were coming and going all the time. "A fruit machine, one of the type ■which have been declared illegal, was produced," said Mr. Hall, "and the constable and several other men operated it. The windows were heavily draped with black and white material, and on the green baize of a table was a pattern of lines and squares, for gambling. When the constable went out he had to pass through three door* which were kept locked " Gallagher appeared to have been the manager, Mr. Hall continued, and charged persona in the room Is every half-hour, fie relieved Facoory as croupier. The premises were visited on four decisions by the constable, who ■aw games of hazards, faro and "twoup" in progress. A man was seen with over £3O in notes and £5 in silver stacked in front cf him. "STo Club About It" Three bells were installed on the premises. One was inside the street door, a second on the stairway, and * third in a small lounge. The first and second communicated with the room used for gaming, And the third rang in a room fitted up as & bar. Mr. Hall said both defendants had been convicted before for breaches of th 4 Gaming Act. Mr. Terry said the premises ware not aft ordinary gambling rendezvous, but were used aa a club, for which members were properly nominated!, and rules framed. The fee was not an annual one. It had been considered better to charge Is for half an hour in view of the casual type of patronage. It was submitted by Mr. Schramm that no complaints regarding the club, which was well conducted, had been received from people in the locality. "There is no club about it, as far as I can 66e,'.' remarked the magistrate, in fining each defendant £SO, in default three months' imprisonment.

COMMON GAMING HOUBI WHAXfIA&EI MAN ITNdED [it TELEORAP«~-OWN CORRESPONDENT] WBANGAREI, tfmsday At the Polled Court to-day Charles Thomas Arthur Clark was charged before the relieving magistrate, Mr. J. G. L. Hewitt, that ©a October 14 he used premises at 107 Kamo Road as a common gaming house, Mr. R. K. Trimmer, who appeared for accused, entered a plea of guilty. Detective Nalder said he and Constable Harrington executed a search warrant yesterday and found that Clark had a room fi*ed up as an office in his house. Two telephones were installed and both rang during their visit. A request was made by bettors for sums of 25s and/5s to be placed on horses running at Ellerslie. Accused had been fined £25 in 1932 and £25 in 10321 for similar offences. A fine of £35 was imposed, one month being allowed in which to pay.