FORBIDDEN SWEEPS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21578, 25 February 1932, Page 10

FORBIDDEN SWEEPS

PROSECUTIONS IN BRITAIN “ The British Home Office has ordered that so far as possible lotteries shall be stopped,” said a police officer at Wokingham, Berkshire, recently. He was prosecuting Irene Rands, aged 18, daughter of a Wokingham licensee, for selling a ticket in a lottery called “ The Newport County Association Football Development Club.” It was on the Cambridgeshire Handicap, and prize money amounting to £ISOO was distributed. Defending counsel said that the law concerning lotteries was rather chaotic. Tickets had been sent to Miss Rand’s father, who was going to burn them, but she decided .to sell them to members of the family. The summons against Miss Rands was dismissed on payment of 6s Gd costs, and a summons for a similar offence against Mr Rands was withdrawn.

A similar summons against Albert Edward Hall was dismissed on payment of costs. It was stated that Hall had won a prize of 20s, and had received another prize of 10s for having sold a winning ticket.

James Elwyn Thomas, an accountant, was summoned at Swansea for unlawfully keeping an office for a lottery called the Glamorgan County Cricket Development Club i’rize Drawing. It was stated that when the police wont to the premises they found that Thomas had a stall of 18. Thomas said he had 114,000 books of tickets printed, and 107,000 were circulated. He was unable to produce documentary evidence that the lottery was being run with the consent of Glamorgan Cricket Club, but said he had seen members of the committee and had told them that he would guarantee them £IOOO. No suggestion was made that the lottery was a bogus one, only that it was illegal. Thomas also stated that it would cost £2OOO to run, and there would be £IOOO prize money. Thomas was fined £25 and costs. A second summons was adjourned so that the court could be informed whether the scheme was proceeded with.