GAMING HOUSES.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10598, 29 October 1910, Page 6

GAMING HOUSES.

(Pkh Press Association.) Auckland, October 23. The prosecutions following on the raid of two bookmaking firms in Lhe city were proceeded with in the Police Court to-day before Mr Cutten, S.M. Alfred de Gruen was charged that he used certain premises in Queen street as a, common gaming house, and on the I.lth and liith Oetob.;r made lirtswith another person in the premises. He was convicted and lined £o(l on, each charge, with £4 13s costs.

Alfred Adams and Charles Philpott were charged with having_ assisted in conducting a common gaming house. On behalf of all the defendants Mr Cotter entered a plea of ''guilty," explaining, on behalf of lO\en, that he wai merely a clerk, and h-d no shaie in tho profits.- Kcven was fined £2O. In lhe_case o,f'the othei two derendants his Wor3hip / oo«]d discover no mitigating I cucnmsTances, and imposed upon each a fine ol £IOO, with cpsts. , A number ol peisons found ,_-on "the i aided "premises weie 1 fined £2 each. I Wellington, october2B. Appealing oil i'umanfl, r 'a bookmaker named Samuel Isaacs was charged on llnee separate informations at the .Mairis.tiate's Court this "morning,, beifoie Mr W. G. Eiddell, S.M. (1) That •in October 10th he was m Willis stieet ,ioi of betting; (2) that on •October 10th, being a bookmaker, lie Mid make a bet with lhomas Jones; Lnct (3) with betting at tolalisatoi odds IChicf-Detcctirc Biobeig prosecuted, and accused was defended by Mr E. J. Kibzgibbon Isaacs denied all tlnee allegations ■ It was agreed that the thud information should bo heaid first. Evidence was given by Constable Jones that on the afternoon of the Ist inst , while m plain dollies, he saw Isaacs m the eoinei of the bar of the Empne Hotel. He went to him and asked him foi "tote" odds on Dteadle&s, itinning in tho last laee that day at WcUiga.mii. Jsaacs hacl "a book m his hand, and asked witness foi 10s, and \.as tendeied a£l note. "Put the pound on 9 ' suggested Isaacs. "All light," said witness, who gave ~the name of T. Case's, and defendant said he thought he knew witness at Palmeiston North. "Dieadless lan second, and witness was to leceive £l 3s 6d, which it paid on the tote, and though witness saw Isaacs on two oi thiee subsequent occasions, he never ieceived his money. On one occasion, m the Empire Hotel, when asked tor the dividend, defendant said'he had no money. He could hot" give even 3s 6d at that time, nor witness' ownsJEl invested on the race. ' To Mr Fitzgibbon Witness got his instiuctions fiom Defective C'assells that morning ' Sub-inspector Noiwood said he detailed Constable Jones fo investigate, before October Ist.

Mr Fitzgibbon contended tliat the. informations must, bo dismissed. They had been laid under section 52 of the Gaming Act, and there was no evidence whatever as to the facts that the race was run or that any totalisator was used, nor was there evidence of an agreement to pay tote odds, and tote adds, would have to be proved. S Xhp prosecutor submitted that the matter was of no importance 'whether Hie tote was used or the race run. If to-day a wager were to be determined by (,otc odds-between lwq persons, and if m the meantime the totes were all burned down', .the .man making the bet njould still be liable. ,-FJis Worship said that as no evidence for the defence had been adduced the •Tidonee tor the prosecution was unchallenged. The objections raised were not -.■ufficient. Defendant was convicted ami lined £2O, with Court costs 7s, the "statute not fixing an alternative.. Constable Jones, giving evidence on the. first and second informations, said' Isaacs offered to lay -50 to 1, and witness put 10s oil Boanerges, and witness handed over 10s. Later witness made a hot with Isaacs, putting £1 on Califo'ina in the New Zealand Cup. .Counsel for the defence submitted f ,hat there was no evidence of betting in. the street. Isaac ' was in a "fruit ahop in Cuba street at the time —not in the street itself.

(The Magistrate said he was not prepared to convict Isaacs.on the first information. Hii& was dismissed. A conviction, however, he said, must be recorded on the second*charge, and for 'this offence Isaacs was fined £3O, with Court costs 7s. Twenty-four hours was allowed in which to pay. .William Ham was charged with making a bet iu Willis street. The defendant, a bookmaker, \pleaded "Not guilty." The case broke "down because a deaf witness declined to bear out a statement which it was stated he had made to a detective, that he had made a £5 bet with defendant on the Avondale races.