BREACHES OF THE GAMING ACT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3031, 17 April 1912, Page 34

BREACHES OF THE GAMING ACT.

AUCKLAND, April 12. A case in which a young man named Thomas Dwyer was charged on three counts with having betted in a public place—to wit, a billiard room—was heard by Mr F. V. Frazer. S.M.. at the Police Court to-day. The dates of the alleged offences were March 23, March 26, and April 3. Sub-inspector Hendry stated that in defendant's possession the police found a book which showed that he had been following betting. No 'doubt his post reputation was good. Unfortunately for himself he had launched out into this, illegal form of obtaining a livelihood. He had made these bete with a full knowledge that every time he did so he was rendering himself liable to a penalty of £IOO, but he had taken the risk. The Magistrate said : —" This does not appear to be a case in which a man has been carrying on a systematic business for a long time. Anyway, I think it is a case in which I would not do wrong in inflicting the minimum penalty on one of the three charges. You are fined £2O and costs, and on the others you are convicted and dismissed." His Worship pointed out to the defendant that it was unlawful to make as well as to kike a bet. The recent arrests of 80 persons in the police raid had been mostly for making bets. The terms on which he convicted and discharged defendant on two of the charges were that he kept clear of betting altogether. Mr Denniston, counsel for defendant, said defendant was prepared to give this undertaking. He added that tho defendant was very anxious to get out of town, and he would like the further charge against him of being in a common gaming house to be heard at once. The case had arisen out of the recent raid in which the alleged offenders had been remanded until the 18th inst. His Worship granted the application, and a plea of " Guilty " was entered. The sub-inspector said that the defendant had been found in one of the billiard rooms recently raided, and when the case came on there would be no difficulty in proving that the saloon in which he was found was a common gaming house. He had a betting book on him when placed under arrest. He thought a small fine would meet the case. Mr Denniston submitted that as a fine had already been inflicted the magistrate might convict and discharge in the present instance. His Worship replied that it would hardly be fair to the other persons who had been found on the different premises raided (and who, he presumed, would bo fined) to let defendant off in that manner on a charge that was similar, though the date of the present information was not the same as any of those in which the other three charges had been preferred. A fine of £1 and costs was inflicted. John Ryan, Daniel Twohill, Leonard Andrews, John Weston, Loftie Richards, Fred. Williams, Chas. Darcy. Robert Poller, and Chas. Taylor, who were among the persons taken into custody during the police raid, were again formally charged with breaches of the Gaming Act, and were remanded on the same bail as previously to appear on the 18th inst. SEQUEL TO THE RECENT RAID. AUCKLAND, April 14. Two further charges arising from the recent betting raids were heard in the court yesterday, when two men were charged with having on April 9 been found in a common gaming-house. Neither of them was a bookmaker, and they did not make a living by betting. A fine of £1 was inflicted in each case.