AIDING BOOKMAKERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25856, 29 May 1945, Page 4

AIDING BOOKMAKERS

INFORMATION CENTRE ELABORATE ORGANISATION (P.A.) AUCKLAND, May 28. “ Bookmakers to carry out their occupation must receive immediate information regarding scratchings, results, and dividends, and this can be done only with the aid of an organisation such as this,” said Detective Sergeant Aplin in the Police Court today, when three men appeared before Mr J. H. Luxford, S.M., on a joint charge of aiding and abetting Stanley Douglas Thompson and persons unknown in the offence of assisting in the conducting of a common gaming house on April 2. The defendants were Jack Kelly and Frank Burt, who were represented by Mr Terry, and Alfred Matthews, who was represented by Mr Trimmer. All pleaded not guilty. Detective Sergeant Aplin said that Matthews rented a room in a house in Vincent street, city, paying 12s 6d a week. He had two telephones, both of which were unlisted in the directory, and also had a telephone in his room. The room was used as an office on race days. Burt and Kelly were employed on race days at 25s a day to relay to bookmakers scratchings, results, and dividends in races throughout New Zealand. “At noon on April 2, when the ponce paid a visit, the Auckland Racing Club was holding a meeting at Ellershe, and there were six other meetings throughout New Zealand,” continued Detective Sergeant Aplin. “ Burt and Kelly were found supplying bookmakers with information. They were seated at a table on which there were telephones, and a radio was tuned in to IYA. On a table were papers giving the starting times, the methods under which the totalisator was working, and cyclostyled copies of race meetings and starting times.” Results and Dividends

When the .police were there the telephones were ringing and men were inquiring when results and dividends would come through, said Detective Sergeant Aplin. Kelly said no bets had been accepted, but that they had merely sent results and dividends through to the association. When asked what association. _he replied. “The Bookmakers’ Association. On the table was a list of telephone numbers which Kelly said were the names of some of the bookmakers. They rang one of the numbers. It was that of a man named Thompson, whose premises were raided on the following Friday and who was subsequently convicted of bookmaking. ...... Detective Sergeant Aplin said that the bookmakers had a well-organised system for getting immediate information. Evidence was then called for the prosecution. Mr Terry contended that there was no proof that Thompson and persons unknown were engaged in carrying on the business of a common gaming house on the day in question, April l. Before Burt and Kelly could be convicted there would have to be evidence of some overt act on their part of assisting in the running of a common gaming house. Similar submissions were made on behalf of Matthews by Mr Trimmer. Magistrate’s Comment

“All the material seized by the police shows that very careful information was being kept and that this would be of assistance to bookmakers,” said Mr Luxford. “The telephone numbers found are in almost every case those of reputed or convicted bookmakers. In my opinion, it is not necessary to show that the information was disseminated to bookmakers on that particular day. Kelly and Burt are, therefore, guilty. Matthews has been able to adopt a passive role, but when you see a business arrangement such as this carried on in this way in premises rented by a third party, and there are three telephones, the inference is irresistible that he is the real master of the premises and is actively engaged in the business.” Mr Luxford fined Matthews £75 and Burt and Kelly £25 each.