PAID £680 TO KEEP VOTE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19126, 22 September 1936, Page 14

PAID £6BO TO KEEP VOTE

U.S. WAGER SEQUEL

NEW YORK, July 30.

Mr. James Gerard, former United States Ambassador to Germany, has paid £6BO in order not to be deprived of the right to vote for Mr. Roosevelt in the Presidential election in November. This follows a remark he made as he left for Europe 10 days ago. “I am willing to bet £4OOO to £2OOO. lie declared, “that Mr. Roosevelt will he re-elected.” Republican newspapers seized upon this chance remark, and within a few hours supporters of Mr. Lnndon. the Bemibliean candidate, bad offered to take Mr. Gerard at bis word. Later Mr. Gerard, who is a lawyer, was reminded in a ship-to-shore telephone conversation with his partner, of an old and long-foigotten statute of New York State which deprives any citizen who lays a wager on tre outcome of an election of the right to vote. Mr. Gerard decided to withdraw, and paid £340 each to two betting agents for any loss they might have suffered through failure to arrange the bet.