GAMBLING PARTY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22333, 3 February 1936, Page 9

GAMBLING PARTY

CASE AGAINST ORGANISER JUDGMENT FOR DEFENDANT LONDON, Jan. 31 The hearing was concluded to-day in the King's Bench Division of the case in which Keith Hugh Williams, company promoter, sued Jack Trevor, organiser of a charity card party at Sunderland House, in December, 1934, for £IO,OOO damages for alleged breach of warranty, or alternatively for negligence and breach of duty. Continuing his evidence Williams said that Sir Alfred Butt, who was banker, quitted the game with £OOOO or £7OOO after refusing to allow witness to stake £SOOO on a certain card. Witness declared that the croupiers, Abrahams, Saville and Solomons, cheated him. On three occasions, he said, he put £IOOO on the turn of n card and lost two and won one. Ho did not think anyone else was playing so high. He lost £11,200, and his friends lost several thousands. Lord Justice Finlay found that there was no evidence of contract or warranty between plaintiff and defendant. A very serious risk at such a party was the probability of the presence of a small element of card sharpers, but there was no evidence that reasonable stops had not been taken to exclude them. No damage had been disclosed arising out of breach of duty. The Judge withdrew the case from the jury and gave judgment for Trevor with costs. Trevor told a reporter later that he would never again associate himself with gambling parties for f.hflriijy. .