COMMON GAMING HOUSE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20431, 11 June 1928, Page 13

COMMON GAMING HOUSE.

JAMES PEARSON CHARGED. FINE OF £IOO IMPOSED. I Charged with using premises at 116 George street as a common gaming, house, James David Pearson pleaded guilty and was fined £IOO before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M., at the City Police Court on Saturday morning. Mr C. J. L. White appeared for the defendant. “ For some months past the defendant has occupied a room in George street, where he has carried on the business of a bookmaker, taking bets over the telephone,” said Chief Detective Cameron. He was in a fairly large way of business, added the chief detective, and hit books showed that a fair amount was due to him in outstanding accounts. When the chief detective and Constable Taylor visited the room they found the defendant trying to destroy some documents by burning them, but others were saved. The defendant’s bank book showed him to be in a good financial position. He had been convicted of hookmakinp in 1022 and fined £2O, and in March of last year he had been fined £SO for street betting. In June last he had exercised his right of trial by jury, and had been acquitted on a charge of hookmaking. He did all his betting by telephone under an assumed name, and he used the telephone at his house at Maori Hill in a similar way. Detectives visited his house, but found that air his betting documents had been burned, only the ashes in the fireplace remaining.

The Magistrate: Does he use the room for any other purpose? The Chief Detective replied that it was used exclusively for betting. Mr White stated that the day on which the defendant was arrested, June 6, was the last day of the Wingatui meeting, and had he been in a large way of business one would have expected that more evidence would have been found. As a matter of fact, all that the police found was a sporting guide, a few bets, and the book of outstanding accounts. The defendant was a man of substantial means, and the items in the bank book referred to his private investments. Pearson also used the room as bis office. Ho was d highly respected married man with three children. Judging by the facts outlined by the chief detective, said the Magistrate, it was evident that the defendant carried on his bookmaking business in a very considerable -way. He had had two previous convictions, and for very obvious reasons the police had made the charge of keeping a common gaming house, which, however, did not provide for such a heavy penalty as a charge of bookmaking. The case called for a substantial penalty. The defendant, therefore, would be fined £IOO, with-, court costs (10s).