HEAVY ODDS

NZ Truth, Issue 1103, 20 January 1927, Page 7

HEAVY ODDS

Books Are Brought To Book

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Rep.) "What do you know?" This phrase is familiar enough among the racing fraternity. UENRY CLIFTON SALLERT, president of the Bookmakers' Association (sometimes called the Sporting Association), m Auckland, and Henry Saunders, a prominent member, are men who might reasonably be expected to know quite a lot about the racing game. I They did, but they also knew enough j about the law game to plead guilty j when asked m the Auckland (tylagistrate's Court, what . they knew about ] the charges of keeping "common gaming houses" preferred against them. The president's premises, where He offered tote odds -^o the punters; of the town, were m Gladstone Buildings, and Saunders . masked his betting activities behind a tailor's shop m Customs Street. Ther_, according to Chief Detective Cummings, he kept quite a staff of clerks to run the racing department of his business. Lawrence Chapman also made his bow to the Bench, and owned up to assisting Sallery. Three other betting brethren, Alfred Martin Matthews, George Pratt, . and Harry Young (who, by the way, is the Bookies' Association secretary), happened to be about the place when Detective Sergeant Hammond made his round up, but failed 'to answer when the clerk of the court called the roll. "I'll take into account the fact that they, have pleaded guilty," * said S.M. Hunt, referring to Sallery and Saunders. "They've saved themselves £25." The two proprietors of the betting establishments were then directed to contribute £75 each to the coffers of the State, Chapman £25, Matthews and Young, a fiver each, and Pratt, whose main crime lay m tha inability to resist a five bob bet, was let off with just a forty shilling fine. !