PINES TOTAL £200

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23191, 10 November 1938, Page 16

PINES TOTAL £2OO

BOOKMAKERS IN COURT THREE MEN FROM AUSTRALIA // - . NEW SYSTEM OF BETTING OPERATIONS IN THE CITY tines amounting to £2OO were imposed on three Australians who appeared before Mr. C. H. Or.r Walker, S.M., in, the Police Court yesterday, charged with carrying on the business of bookmakers. Detective-Sergeant Nalder prosecuted and Mr. Aekins appeared for the three accused, who pleaded guilty. The accused were Thomas Kirby, bootmaker, aged 27, John Arthur Carlson, salesman, aged 28. and Francis Campbell, salesman, aged 28. During the past few weeks complaints had been received by tho police regarding the operations of three men flooding Auckland with place-betting cards,, said Mr. Nalder. Inquiries were conducted by Detective-Sergeant Aplin and :it was found the accused were canvassing hotels and various business houses and dropping cards for distribution. Odds Forty to One "Bettors were invited to invest from Is to £l, the odds being 40 to one," said Mr.'Nalder. The cards contained the names of horses running in four races at a particular race meeting. The investor had to select one horse in each race. If the horses ran into a place the investor would receive, or should receive, 4tf to one odds. "Correspondence 'found in the possession of these men showed they were operating on a largo scale," continued Mr. Nalder. " When interviewed they admitted they were carrying on the business of bookmakers. Kirby said ha was the principal and the two others were working on a commission basis. Place betting cards covering practically every race meeting in New Zealand since June were found; also double charts and home-made double charts and sealed doubles offering odds at £3 to sixpence. These were something new to New Zealand." "These men are Australians and arrived here about March," added Mr. Nalder./ "One of. them bought a car, and the three accused toured New Zealand in i't. They arrived in Auckland about a month ago." Plea by Counsel

All three were going under assumed names, added Mr. Nalder. Kirby and Campbell had previous convictions. "These men are of the type that are here to-dav and gone to-morrow," he added. " their lists suggest they are of the spieler type." Mr. Aekins: 1 do not think Mr. Nalder has any right to say they are epielers. Kirby has not been in trouble for five years and the convictions against Campbell are only for motoring offences. Counsel said the three accused had teen operating in Auckland for about a month. They were quite frank when interviewed by the police and _ apparently gave the police every assistance. The transactions were mostly small ones of Is or 2s. "Apparently the police do not want them here," said Mr. Aekins. "If they ■were conyicted and ordered to come lip for sentence if called on they could leave by the Wanganella on Friday. They are young men and it appealed to them as an easy way of making money. Apparently it has not been a successful venture."

Penalties Imposed The Magistrate: Apparently the police will not object to their leaving New Zealand. Mr. Nalder: We do not want them to take too much money with them. They have apparently made a little while h ere - The accused would have an opportunity of leaving by being fined, said the magistrate.,. Kirby seemed to be the principal and the others agents. "We cannot have people coming from the other side and setting up bookmaking on a wholesale scale,' added the magistrate. Kirby was fined £IOO or three months' imprisonment, and the two other accused were fined £SO or two months' imprisonment. Court costs were 10s in each case.

BARMAN IN COURT f WELLINGTON PROSECUTION [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON. Wednesday A barman, Patrick Slattery, was to-day fined £3O, in default one month in gaol, for carrying on the business of a bookmaker.