AT THE RAGES

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10868, 7 April 1921, Page 3

AT THE RAGES

TICKETS OH THE “ TOTE " YOUNG MAN ACCUSED OF FORGERY. AT THE WINDOW, AND AFTER. To answer a charge of forging three £5 totalisator tickets at Trentham on January 24th, 1921, and with uttering the same to William Herbert Evatt, a young man named Robert Fox was summoned to appear before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, yesterday. Detective Black appeared for the police, and Mr A. B. Sievwright for the accused. William Herbert Evatt, agent, said that, on January 24th last, he was was employed as a “pay-out” clerk at the Trentham racecourse. The race tickets produced were for the last race of the last day’s racing, and at about 5.20 p.m. of that day three tickets were presented at his pay-out window. The tickets produced were on the. seventh horse in the last race. On being presented, the tickets did not appear to be quite regular, and witness told the man to “wait a moment.’’ He closed his window, and took the tickets to the officer in charge. The tickets had been declared to ibe forgeries, and on returning witness found that the man had disappeared. The whole thing happened very quickly. The ticketis themselves were genuine race tickets, but the number in the middle had been erased, and the number 7 instituted. He- did not see the man who presented .the tickets, and did not pay out on them. To Mr Sievwright: He could not give any description of the man who presented the tickets. John Herbert Turner, who had also been employed in the totalisator on the day in question, said the winner of the last race was Automoana. The tickets produced in court were genuine tickets for that race. Two and a half days after the meeting five and a half ticket® were still unpaid. Three £5 tickets represented £ls, and there could not have been fifteen tickets unpaid. WHAT A MAN SAW. Evidence was given by Robert O’Brien, a builder and contractor, of Wellington, that, shortly after the last race on the day in question, he was standing in the queue waiting to be paid out after 5 o’clock. There were not a great number of people about. He was attracted by the man in the box scrutinising three tickets. The man immediately in front of him seemed to be rather nervous. He identified the accused as the man in question. ' When told to “wait a moment” by the officer in the box the man in front of him turned and bolted towards the train. Ho got a full view of the man, and positively identified the accused as the-man. He watched the man go out of sight. Witness also saw the accused at the station and again on the train, when the latter happened to ait beside his wife. He gave a description of the man to the police. The next he saw of the accused was at Christchurch on Easter Monday, on the Riccarton racecourse, when he pointed the accused out to the police, who arrested him. He had previously worn the same suit, or a similar suit of clothes to that which he was at present wearing. To Mr Sievwright: He had been aocosted by a police officer immediately on arrival at the station, and that was the reason that ho did not speak to the accused on the On arrival at Lambton, he lost sight" of the man. He was quite positive that the man charged was the man who had been in front of him at the totalisator. He noticed that the man had appeared nervous, and kept his right hand up to his face when^speaking. Before reaching the station, he noticed a train depart, and the accused would have about five minutes start on witness.

ARREST AND EXPLANATION. Chief-Detective J. Mcllveney, of Christchurch, gave evidence of having seen the accused, on January 28th, in the Canterbury Jockey Club’s office, when he informed the accused that he had been identified as a man whom the Wellington police desired to see in connection. with an alleged forgery of totalisator tickets. In a statement to witness, accused said he was a labourer, and had attended the race meeting in January. He. had taken a £1 ticket on Automoana, but could not remember exactly from which box he had purchased the ticket. To Mr Sievwright: He had seen the accused about 1 o’clock at Riccarton. He had then been detained until a wire was received from the Wellington police, on receipt of which the accused was duly charged. “NO SUGGESTION TO MAKE.” Robert George Black, detective, said that, on March 29th, Detective Walsh and he searched the room of accused at Jessie street, with a view to finding any printing apparatus. Nothing was discovered, but a number of papers indicated that the man was a returned soldier. On March 31st witness had shown the accused the three forged tickets, but the latter had refused to speak, and had ns suggestion to make. COMMITTAL FOR TRIAL. At the conclusion of lengthy evidence, the accused entered a plea of not guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Bail wae allowed in the sum of £IOO, with a similar surety, or two of £SO.

The official cost of the British Education Act for the present financial year was Rpt at £53,000,000; it will probably le nearer £100,000,000,