“TURF ADVISER” IN COURT

Southland Times, Issue 23888, 5 August 1939, Page 8

“TURF ADVISER” IN COURT

INFORMATION ABOUT BETTING “TAKING DOWN FOOLISH PERSONS” (United Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 4. John Dailey, an Australian, pleaded guilty before the Magistrate, Mr J. L. Stout, to a charge of making it appear that if application were made to Godfrey’s Turf Service, the address being a Post Office box at Wellington, information and advice would be given about betting on a certain horse race. It was alleged that through this means he obtained more than £lOO from people throughout New Zealand. He was fined £5O, to be paid forthwith. The police said that Dailey arrived on April 11 last, started Godfrey’s Turf Service and had 7000 circulars printed in its name. More than 2000 were sent out and the accused frankly admitted that he received more than £lOO in fees. His instructions to his girl typist were that when she went to the Post Office to collect the mail she was to take a taxi to another part of the city, dismiss it, then take another to an hotel where she would give the mail to the accused. This was to avoid suspicion or detection by the police. Following complaints, the accused disappeared from Wellington and was alleged to have gone to Auckland. He subsequently came back after obtaining legal advice and paid a visit to the detective office yesterday with counsel and surrendered himself. “FOOLISH PERSONS” “It is not very often we have a man of this class appearing before Court, a man who comes over here for the purpose of taking down foolish persons— I cannot describe them as anything else,” said Detective Sergeant Doyle. “They say there is one born every minute, and it is quite apparent that we have more than our complement in the Dominion, considering the number that has been in communication with the accused and has paid to receive information which is absolutely valueless.”

Counsel for the defence said Dailey was merely a clerk in the office and was not the prime mover in the affair. That, he indicated, was another man who came to New Zealand with £2OO and made nothing out of it, and when the trouble came disappeared and left the accused to carry on. Mr Stout said that future offenders would have to face imprisonment.