JAY PAY JUBTSOE.

NZ Truth, Issue 352, 23 March 1912, Page 6

JAY PAY JUBTSOE.

A Weird W&y at Wafmate. Trusting to His Honor. Not Guilty, But Don't Do It Again. \A prominent Waimate (South Island) resident ' named William Burridge fell into the soup over a racing transaction recently when ' he was .-charged with "prigging" a tote tickc.v, valued at £l,*thc property of Jeremiah .O'Brien. Probably owing to its reverence for property, and its spinal curvature before t.he .owners thereof, the local "Advertiser" ' doesn't mention Burridge's name m reporting the case, but refers to him as "the accused," and describes him as the proprietor of a well-known local boarding house. THERE WERE CONFLICTING ACCOUNTS of the transaction, but it seems certain that, as is usual before the last. ra'ce,!.',a good many investors couldn't get into the "race" leading to the ticket box. It appears from statements made m court that O'Brien, who belongs ro Timaru, handed a friend named Henry Forward two sovereigns to put on No. G (Thrax). either grabbed at and collared one of ,these tickets, or bought .two of the tickets- and handed over a sovereign only; at any rate he had £1 that didn't, belong to him. O^Brien mentioned the- matter to him m an urgent manner' after the race, m which Thrax was second,, paying 21s, but; Burridge .'reckoned he had paid for the ticket. O'-Brieh sought the td-" vice of the police, v^hen offered to return the ticket, but the matter had gone too far.. . Burridge ' swore that he had . handed over two sovereigns to O'Brien, and as he had to reach over the crowd, por- ' tioh of the money might have dropped m the .-•' ' y SWELL AND; SURGE 'of the human sea. He said that as a matter of fact he had £ 6 on Thrax and wan ted' 1 more., Charles Connell said he didn't actually see .Burridge hand the money over, but he. saw' the two sovereigns m his otitstretched hand. J's.P. A-twill and Black acknowledged themselves best and unable' to convict on the conflicting evidence. ' • Sergeant Morgan asked who was to get the tote ticket ...on Thrax. The Bench said they would leave it to the honor. of Burridge. In fact, it was understood from the remarks of the sapient .justices ■ that, if BurHdge was an honorable man _he would hand the ticket over to O'Brien. V . Burridge accordingly ■■'' thrust "thy ■piece of pasteboard into O'Brien's paw. BURRIDGE BEING ACQUITTED of the charge, the ticket was indubitably his, and;;the. amateur, magistrates did a superfluous thing when t\\ey made a suggestion that stultified and jumped with bothy feet • Upon their own decision. Another cji&e '■ 'of "Not guilty —but don't do.it again." '.'"''' j -'"'• ' l