THE GAMING ACT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20710, 7 May 1929, Page 14

THE GAMING ACT.

BOOKMAKER BEFORE COURT. FINE OF £25 IMPOSED. At the City Police Court yesterday, before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M., Harry Robinson, who was represented by Mr C. J. L. White, pleaded guilty to having allowed, his dwelling at 18 Richardson street, St. Kilda, to bo used as a common gaming house. Chief Detective Cameron said that on Saturday last Detective Sergeant Nuttall, in company with Detective Lean, and the police matron, went to the defendant’s house, aod after considerable, delay, were admitted. The defendant’s , wife was keeping a lookout, and apparently, had given warning on. the approach of the detectives, as, whilst they were waiting, they heard considerable commotion, and it was evident that betting material was being concealed. When the party entered the house they found, after a careful search, .a number of betting slips dealing with the day’s race meetings at Marton and Oamarn, and a room fitted with a telephone over which the defendant did his betting. The papers found revealed transactions to the extent of about £SO. The defendant had quite an established business, which, he had started about six years ago, and despite having been warned about two years previously, he was still carrying it on. Mr White said that.the defendant had, as stated by the chief, detective, been warned by the police about his bookmaking operations, and, considering the business too risky, he had gone back to-his trade as a grocer, and had worked at it until Christmas, when, on account of slackness of work, he lost hit position. He could get nothing to do, so he began betting in, a small way again, as a sideline, to get sufficient money to keep his wife and children, ■ The defendant was not a robust man, and had four young children. Ho bad never been before the court before,' and as he had saved the country expense by pleading guilty, counsel suggested that a small fine would meet the case. As evidence that ho was not doing much business it should be stated that. during the time the police were in the defendant’s house- (nearly an hour and a-half) only one wager had been taken by them over the telephone. Chief Detective Cameron pointed out that during that period several people had rung up, but recognising a strange voice they had immediately rung off again. Messages had, however, been received from the. secretary of the. Bookmakers’ Union giving the results of races and the dividends. _ , Mr White said that this was nonsense. Even if such an association existed it was obvious that messages from it would be given in code. The fact that they were not proved conclusively that the defendant was not a professional.' bookmaker. The magistrate remarked that from evidence he had'heard in other cases he was convinced there was;-such an association in existence in Dubedin, The chief detective stated that in De-tective-sergeant Nuttall's presence the defendant. had rung ihe secretary of the association and taken him to task for giving the information. His Worship said that there was nothing in the evidence to show that the defendant had been betting in a big way, and if he had been doing' so for any length of time he would naturally-have been in conflict with the police long ago. Moreover, he was a i.rst offender, and he thought be would be-justified in inflicting wbat was,, under the circumstances, a small fine. The defendant would bo fined £25 and costs (15s). Chief Detective Cameron intimated that. £l6 had been seised by the police when the accused ’was arrested, and the magistrate agreed that this amount should go towards the- payment of the fine, one month being.allowed to find the-balance.

WATERSIDE WORKER CHARGED. A GAMBLER BY NATURE. Auckland/May 6. ; George Wilson (aged 42), a waterside ; worker, was - arrested by Detective ' Sergeant M‘Hugh on Saturday. He apt peared at the Police Court to-day, charged with carrying on the business of a bookmaker. Chief Detective Hammond said that Wilson operated down at the wharves. He was a ■ silver better, and had laid “doubles” on the Cambridge trots on Saturday at £4 to'ls. Wilson also did a lot of straight-out betting. He had never been In trouble before. . : “-Will you give this illegal business up, if I make it- a light fine? ” asked the magistrate: (Mr F. K. Hunt). ■ JVilson replied that- he was afraid he could not give such, an undertaking. “I’m a gambler by nature, and if a man gave, me 5s on a horse*l’d have to take it,” he said. . The magistrate fined Wilson £lO, or one month's imprisonment, and .allowed him seven days in which to pay.