THE "TIP-SLINGER" SLIPPED

NZ Truth, Issue 1274, 1 May 1930, Page 2

THE "TIP-SLINGER" SLIPPED

Told Attractive Tale of Racing Certainties To Aged Punter

DETECTIVE LISTENED -IN ALSO (From. "N.Z. Truth's" South Auckland Representative.) Although some decades have rolled by since the sage wrote that "a fool is bowi every minute," the truth oiMiis assertion still appears to hold good even m these enlightened times. In Australia there is a. gentleman familiarly known to racegoers as the "Tip Slinger — "a man % usually of suave demeanor, who makes himself pleasant, without the formality of an introduction, to persons pondering and hesitant m front of the tote.

THE "tip slinger" is more commonly known m New Zealand as "the guesser." Two recent arrivals from Australia who were present at the Hamilton races at Te Rapa recently, got a shock to find how\ quickly their game had been spotted — spotted by three sleuths of the law, Detective-sergeant 'J. Thompson, Detective A. J. White, and Racecourse- detective Cullen. Vincent Pobar is really a Dunedinite, but "has been operating unlawfully

for. many years between Australia and Ne^v Zealand, and has a hefty record of over twenty convictions piled up against him. With James Pat-, rick. Heath, who,, also is not unfamiliar; .with the Australian courts, he was working the Hamilton races. But the sleuths, unbeknown to them, had both men under obser-

vation. They saw Pobar approach a number of men, and when, finally, he sidled up to an old man of 71, and commenced to "put over his stuff," Detec-tive-sergeant Thompson drifted quietly up to him, and listened-in to his modus operandi. , After the usual preliminaries, Pobar asked the old man, whose name was James Shirley, what he was going to back. . The fourth race was soon to start, and the old man was contemplating the figures on the machine. "Oh, I think I'll go on the Prince of Orange,, *' he replied to Pobar's polite query. . "Don't go on that, man. Put your money on number seven," advised Pobar. , "Why, what do- you know?" asked the old man. . "Oh, I'm the owner of Mithra, the seventh," he whispered to him confidentially, "and she is a sure thing." ' The old man was grateful for the tip from one so much m the know, -and he forthwith hurried away to the window and procured a couple of; pound tickets.

"How many did you get?" inquired Pobar, on his return. "Just a couple,'' was the reply. 1 "Go and put a tenner on her, man. Go on, hurry up,'' he urged. "You were never on anything better." The old fellow, with this additional spur, again bustled to the tote and purchased a further three tickets. When he came back, Pobar said: "What about a couple of tickets for 'the boy'; he will deserve something for 'putting the race over'?"

And the old man parted with a couple, after which Pob a r arranged to see him near the loose boxes after the race. He was just about to depart when a hand descended .heavily on his shoulder, and the voice of Detective - sergeant Thompson whispered: "I will take charge of* those tickets, if you don't mind, and

•you also," and Pobar's bluff was effectively called. ' When arrested Pobar gave his name as George Wallace. It was also discovered that he travelled under a number of other aliases, and that although he had not been m trouble up this way before, he is really . a wellknown criminal. Pobar, who pleaded guilty, was sent to gaol for three months for false pretences, and was fined £5 with the alternative of a month for being illegally on the course. His mate, James Patrick Heath,, pleaded guilty to being an idle and disorderly person, to being illegally on the course, and to being unlawfully on the premises of the Hamilton Hotel after closing hours. . V Detective Thompson .said Heath was operating m conjunction with Pobar. For vagrancy he was sent to gaol for two months. For trespassing on the racecourse he was fined £5, with the alternative of-' a- month, and for being unlawfully on licensed premises he was fined 20/- and costs. -'■..:'