WERE THE PARSONS PUNTERS ?

NZ Truth, Issue 1208, 24 January 1929, Page 4

WERE THE PARSONS PUNTERS ?

Envelopes Found On Alleged Bookmakers ' Premises At Christchurefi Bore Names of Prom^ Citizens, Including Clergynien

PROSECUTION OF TWO MEN SEQUEL TO POLICE MID

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Christchurch .Representative)

Some interesting facts were laid before the Police Court at Christchurch when a prosecution was brought by the police against Patrick Walsh and Robert Michael Cox, two well-known Christchurch men, on a charge of having carried on the business of bookmakers. Walsh was also charged with being the occupier of a common gaming house, while Cox was charged with assisting to run the gaming house and with wilfully interfering . with the working, of a telephone.

THE police alleged that the two de- • f endants were carrying- on : the business of bookmakers at the \ residence of Walsh, at 66 Hills Road, Richmond, and during the course "of the evidence it was" alleged that their elaborate system of working ' involved horsetraiiiers, clergymen, prof essiohpl men and many women, while the Christchurch "Sun," which- featured .an inaccurate story; of the police raid, was not beyond ringing up the establishment for information about the latest results of meetings held, m various parts of New Zealand. Over fifty exhibits, comprising mainly; printed matter, which the police alleged was used m connectidn with a bookmaking business, were produced as evidence, while a number of letters; two of which were written allegedly by a horse trainer concerning the prospects of two well-known horses, were included m the exhibits. Very \ interesting exhibits ; were two boxes of addressed envelopes . bearing the .names of some of the best- known residents of Christchurch, including two clergymen. Both Walsh and Cox were represented by Lawyer Humphrey O'Leary, the Wellington legal heavyweight, with Lawyer Jack Moloney, of Christchurch, as stand-off half. They elected trial by jury on' the indictable charges, and pleaded not guilty to the charges of keeping a gaming house on the part of Walsh/and assisting on the part of Cox. .-Lawyer O'Leary set the ball rolling by suggesting to Magistrate Mosley that* judgment on the gaming house charges should be deferred until the bookmaking charges were' disposed ot m the higher court, as any ,decision;.by the magisti'ate might be^.prejudiciar to the accused. The magistrate mado ho promises m this matter/ /; ; 'Phonies Disconnected The story; of the i-aid ..was^told py Detective- sergeant J. B. Young, who related how he had'^yiTsited the premises at 66 Hills /Road on December 31, 1 1928, accompanied 'by- two detectives and a constable. The witness gainedt, entry through a window and .found V iri a.' room Ayhich, bore the appearance- of an office, 'the defendant Cox, arid a man named Albert Khdu'r.fr ■ Cox immediately went out of the room, and witness followed him to the door and saw him reaching for something above 1 the front door. Subsequently,, a telephone fault- . man fo.und that the wires leading to two telephbnesJn the house had been disconnected above the' door. , Young said he could hear Walsh loudly protesting against the entry of one of the detectives at the back door, and was_ calling' out excitedly, "You can't come m here without a warrant. Where is your Avarrant?" , Cox asked what information had been placed before the magistrate to secure the warrant, and witness replied that the magistrate had been satisfied on the information placed before him. Young stated that he , endeavored to use both the telephones m the house, and could raise no response from either. A faultman was obtained from the Post and Telegraph Department and once connection was re-established, Detective. Young answered the followtng calls on the 'phones: — 2.27 p.m.: A lady spoke and asked for Golden Morn at Reef ton, and requested ,10/- on Elzear and Young Blake. 2.28: Someone asked for £2 Trampfast, 10/- Derby Lynn and 10/- Cardinal Logan. 2.29: The exchange rang with a "toll call from Wellington and a man spoke Addressed Envelopes asking if there was anything doing. Walsh was allowed to answer this caller. 2.30: A man asked for .the winners of the first and second races. 2.31: A man asked if anything was doing. 2.31 : A man, describing himself as Harry Smith, asked on the. second •phone' "Is that Bob Cox? 'Have you seen that chap?" i 2.35: A man, calling himself McDonald, asked, "Is that you, Bob? I want a double Logan Chief— Sahib, arid will take 66 to 2, and give me &3 on -Derby Lynn. 2.40: A man calling himself Jock Craig asked for £ 3 on Cardinal Logan. 2.45 : A Mrs. Gunn asked for the winner of the big race. 2145: The Christchurch "Sun" rang and asked for the winner of the, last race. Young said ho found a book with three and three -quarter pages of betting, representing about £300. The bettfng was not all entered m the same handwriting. -The witness handed m. a heap of exhibits, including day cards, with starting times, scratching and dividends of races run endorsed and two boxes, of envelopes addressed to various people; including two clergymen. Lawyer O'Leary: Any lawyers? Detective Young: I don't think there were. Lawyer Moloney: I think they were all away at the time. Two, interesting documents m the form of letter -par ds posted at Palmerstori North were road b. y the witness as follows: — ( Monday, Dear Pat. — Landed here all right and the mokes are doing great. The colt ran a good gallop yesterday and Jumbo also went satisfactorily. Have decided not- to run Jumbo the first day, but will run the second day and Roy Reed will be riding both. Stan. Bagby is staying here and he tells .me he is riding Gascony if he starts m the Flying, and First Sight m the Cup, and he has went for them

both, so perhaps it would be as well to have some of that. The only thing, there is a . bit of a doubt whether j Gascony will start but ho says he probably will. ' If you: don't hear from me second day you belter be on both of mine. It. may be a bit awkward. wiring and they will not start unless all right, but you will 'most likely get a wire. Compliments of the season.— Stanley. The second letter-card, m the same handwriting, and dated Friday, was read, as follows: — ' Dear Pat,— The <mbkes were a bit unlucky yesterday and with a little bit of luck would have both won, Nightmarch m particular. . 1 don't know yet what I am starting Nightmarch iri as I have accepted m both, till I see Roy Reed .torinorrow. He said he thinks he is a good thing m the Flying, but they are. not a good lot m the big vace. and-. I may start him m that. Jumbo looks to have a great chance m his race. Now it looks very much like rain and I don't know how Nightmarch will go m it if it. is soft, and. I know Jumbo is no good. in it so Avill have to leave it till to-morroAV. — Alec. . . . Both these letters Avere found m the house,, and were addressed to Mr. Dalley, Box 824. Christchurch.

Another letter to Walsh from M. Murray, written m December, 1927, dealt with the prospects of ' opening a bookmaking business m Taranaki, stating that the only bookmakers doing business there at' that time knew- nothing about, the business. V

Further interesting exhibits comprised a bundle of code cards giving the key names for horses and amounts and samples of betting telegrams.

One sample quoted directed the investor Avishirig to back Harvest Child hi., the' third nice to telegraph, "Book Passage Nixon' in May." '"■.•'■

Other exhibits were made .up of commission confirmation cards, account books, arid a heap of printed paraphernalia which the police alleged Avas used m connection Avitfi a bookmaking business. '.''■•

■\yhen searched at the time of the raid, £25 10s, m his possession and slips of paper with bets recorded on them, while Cox had £12 Is., five cheques, a crossed postal note, six Acceptance cards, two double charts and sundry papers bearing names and. addresses. . '

Concerning the disconnection of the telephones Young stated that a piece

of wire attached, to the lightning arrpsters had been pulled asunder. • Under further examination by Chiefdetective Carroll, .who conducted' the prosecution, Young declared that both Walsh and Cox were bookmakers. Lawyer O'Leary forcibly objected to that portion of Young's evidence, stating that the detective was constituting himself the jury. The objection was noted. The proceedings threatened to be interrupted when Lawyer O'Leary opened his cross-examination by' requesting the detective to produce the warrant on svhlch he searched Walsh's house, ; Young: The chief-detective has it. i Counsel: Well, as .counsel for the two accused, I am entitled to see that you based your evidence on a legally correct document. I ask your worship to direct •'. the police to produce the warrant." . ' ' i S.M.:<I cannot do it, Mr. O'Leary. It is a confidential ' document and has. been endorsed as executed and finished with.. . J ' Counsel: I submit, sir, that it is not finished with, as all this evidence is based on it; Chief-detective Carroll declined to produce the warrant, as it had been read and explained to Cox and Walsh Avhen' the search was conducted, arid they were shown the magistrate's signature. ' • ■ • .Counsel: Was. there any need for" you to enter by the. window? Witness: Yes, it is essential m all gaming house raids to^get into the premises as quickly as possible. You did not test the question as to whether you !could have gained entry by either the back- or front doorT-i-No. You know that Cox and Walsh are. brothers-in-law ?— Yes. And it is^apparenfthat much of this data you exhibit is very old?— The rules and codes are old, but they are

Newspaper Story

not printed frequently. , The bettingmaterial is all new. ; Lawyer O'Leary directed his attention to a clipping from the "Dominion," which : was a reprint of a story of the raid published originally m the Christchurch "Sun." : "Did you have, a reporter with you?" he asked the witness, who replied, no. Well, many of the details m this story, which was published m the ' North Island, correspond with what you have told us to-day.— l get most of my information from people, connected with bookmakers. They talk, and if I can find out I guess that Press reporters can find out also. Lawyer O'Leary submitted that the publication of such details prior to a trial was likely to be prejudicial to his clients, and he registered his disapproval. : '.-'.' With this the magistrate agreed, stating that it was detrimental to all parties that somewhat garbled accounts should be published. ■ Counsel: I contend that these details could only have been supplied by someone .who participated m the raid. Detective Young: It is against regulations for us to give it to the Press, and I deny absolutely giving out anything about it. . Evidence, was also given by Detective Findlay, who deposed that while he was waiting to be admitted at the front door he could see the figure of. a man through the fanlight reaching for something above the front door. William Joseph Brown, a telegraph faultman, Ethel Belle Anthony, acting supervisor of the Christchurch telephone exchange, and Albert Spicer, telegraph mechanician, were called to testify that one of the telephones at Walsh's house went out of commission

Committed For Trial

at 1;54 p.m. on the day of the raid, and that connection was re-established shortly after 2 p.m. Leonard Cecil Best Loveridge, supervisor m the . telephone section of the Telegraph Engineer's Branch, produced the record cards Bhowlng that telephones 2187 and. 4155, both connected with Walsh's house, were registered m the names of Charles .'Culvert and Henry Aston respectively. Calvert was not listed, and Aston's occupation appeared >, as "sample rooms." Under cross-examination, the witness said that it was quit© permissible to have a telephone which was not listed. There were approximately one hundred unlisted 'phones m Christchurch. This concluded the case for the prosecution, and on the indictable charges both accused reserved their defence and were committed for trial. Lawyer O'Leary submitted that so far a.a Cox was concerned, m neither of the charges against him was there sufficient evidence to send him for trial. No sinister inference could be drawn, counsel contended, from the, fact that Cox was m the house ; of his brother-in-law. .When searched he had nothing more on him than punter's paraphernalia. In the telephone charge, counsel declared that the police were using a sledge hammer to crack a nut, and predicted that the charge would be laughed out of court if it were sent to a higher •tribunal. . The magistrate said he did not wish to comment on the case against Cox, but held that a prima facie case had been established by the police. On the summary charges the S.M. decided to adjourn his decision until the Supreme Court charges were dealt with, but intimated that he would not hold himself bound by the decision of the jury m the indictable charges. I A charge against Albert Kh'ouri of being found without lawful excuso on the premises, was adjourned, pending the settlement of tue cases against Cox and "Walsh.