RAID ON GAMBLING DEN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19106, 29 August 1936, Page 14

RAID ON GAMBLING DEN

FIFTY MEN IN COURT MEN ON SUSTENANCE CIVIC SOCIAL CLUB (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, last night. Three hours after a raid by detectives this afternoon, 48 men were charged in the Police Court with being found in a common gaming house at 24 Customs street, east, and two others ere charged as occupiers. Standing five deep in the Police Court, all the men, with one exception, pleaded guilty to charges of being found in a common gaming house. Mr. Stuart appeared for the two men charged with using the premises as a common gaining house, Gyles Edmund Fan-brother, a butcher, and James Morton McGill, 33, a labourer.

After describing the raid, Senior Detective Hall said that when the police entered, McGill rushed into the room used as an office and said to DetectiveSergeant McHugh: “It is all right; wc are well caught.’’ Later he said the police could have caught about 20 men more if they had arrived a little earlier. As one man had won £2O, lie had gone out to an hotel with 20 other players. Producing dice, cards, and other gear, Detective Hall said the place was- known as the Civic Social Club, but there was no doubt it was a straight-out gambling den. it had no billiard tables.' Mr. Stuart submitted that it was only a 6d and Is “school.” The two men were on sustenance, as were most of men who frequented the “school.” The premises were used as a social club and the men went in for their lunch. • , “What do they have for their lunch?” asked the magistrate. “Do they cat chairs, couches or gaining tables?” Counsel said llie place was fitted with electric kettles.

“These men are said (o he on sustenance, and most of their clients also are on sustenance,” said llie magistrate. They looked able-bodied men, who could do country work. Although there were columns of advertisements in the newspapers notifying positions in the country, these men preferred to hang round and “take each oilier down.”

The two principals were each fined £2O in default one month’s imprisonment. The men found on the premises were each fined £1 with costs 4s 2d with the exception of three, who had previous convictions under the Gaming Act, who were fined £2 and costs all on the lesser charge. They were allowed 24 hours in which to pay.