THE BOOKS BIFFED.

NZ Truth, Issue 12, 16 November 1907, Page 2

THE BOOKS BIFFED.

CONSTERNATION IN CHRISTCHURCH.

A Lot Lagged to Lyttelton.

Not to Mix With Criminals.

A' clean sweep was made of the bookmaking fraternity at Christohurch on Wednesday, when thirtyeight pertciller.s had seventy-four charges of trespassing on Ricoarton racecourse preferred a-gainst them. The Court-house was packed with spielers and riff-raff a_nd a large number couldn't obtain admission. It was . a sort of rogues' holiday, but it ended disastrously because not one of the crowd escaped. They all went to quod bar three, who were fined heavily, getting off that way owing to exceptional circumstances. Magistrate Day dealt out gaol wholesale, and the crowd of prisoners m a single batch will rather amaze the squire of the Lyttelton hell hole. In the vast majority of cases two charges were preferred, and the verdict was two months' quod, each accused having to pay the cost of the prosecution or fourteen days' m addition on the first charge. A conviction was entered upon the second charge with a similar order as to costs, or another fourteen days m addition, SENTENCES TO BE CUMULATIVE. The bookies thus dealt with were | G-eorge Bates,, Thomas Butler, Georgo i Campbell, J. Coburn, P. Courtenav. |I<. Duval, Isaacs, S. Jones, F. Lovej lock ('laranal-i), W. Lubin, W. NorI man, James Ryan. W. Shackel. E.

Hickey, J. W. Varcoe. Those who got only two months' chokey under similar conditions were :— N. T. Robinson ( "Murrumibidgee, " no less), J. James and Saunders. The jokers who were fined tenners and much costs were "Stepper" J. Ross (Wellington), E, Collins, A, McKinley, Thomas Orr, A. Paton, J. Ratcliffe, and C. Whisker. * In order that they may not herd with criminals, the S.M. orderod that they be kept apart from other gaol truck and that they shouldn't do hard labor. Lawyer Wright, who appeared for the Club, reaped a harvest m fees, as a guinea was allowed m each of the two charges preferred against each man. The remainder of the cases will be heard m a few days.