BETTING IN SOUTH WALES

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume IX, Issue 427, 15 July 1913, Page 7

BETTING IN SOUTH WALES

A WOMAN'S PITEOUS APPEAL TO THE

POLICE.

The Rhondda Stipendiary Magistrate read the following piteous letter' from a woman m court at Porth, Wales, on May 8, m connection with a case m which a man named Richard Thomas, of River Terrace, Britannia, Porth, was charged with conducting a bet-ting-house, his wife with aiding and abetting him, and 13 others with resorting and aiding and abetting: — "To the inspector, — I am desperate. „ For God's sake, m an > if you are a Christian, and have any respect for human being, do your duty. Come down to Britannia, and stop this horrid gambling den. Me and my children are starving. My husband is drinking and gambling, pawning everything he can lay his hands on this last 18 months. If it is not stopped I shall be bound to kill my children and myself. The Almighty God above knows my misery." This, it was stated, was only one of several letters received by the inspector.

Mr Bruce, who prosecuted, stated that the police kept Thomas's house under observation m April, and a large number of persons were seen to enter and leave, many of them women and girls. When the police raided the premises 2,546 betting slips were found. IJp to 18 months ago Thomas had worked as a collier or laborer, but since then he had been a bookmaker, and had bought the house m which "he lived.

A sergeant stated that there was a terrible rush when the police got inside. He telephoned for a special tramcar, m which ell the defendants were taken io the police station.

Mr Harold Lloyd, who defended, said that he could do nothing else but plead guilty. Thomas would undertake not to offend again. The Stipendiary Magistrate said that the case threw a remarkable light on the life of the district. He fined Thomas £70, or four months' imprisonment, and bound his wife over. The other defendants, with the exception of two, were fined £1 and costs.