CARD-PLAYERS ON FERRY

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 689, 14 June 1929, Page 1

CARD-PLAYERS ON FERRY

Four Men Before Magistrate COON-CAN NOT POKER HAD a copy of “Hoyle” been available at the Police Court this morning, it is not unlikely that magistrate, counsel and chief-detective would have found it of as much value as those ponderous leather volumes that are usually on view. The innocent game of coon-can, played by passengers on the ferry steamer Peregrine, was the subject of a searching inquiry following the apprehension of four men on an early morning trip from Northcote.

Robert Beswick, Charles Gardner, Nathan S. Cassrels, and Gifford Haora were charged under section 8 of the Gaming Act, 1908, with playing cards for money in a public place. Mr. Allan Moody appeared for them, and entered a plea of not guilty. Detective McHugh, who had been prompted by numerous complaints from the Ferry Company to investigate the alleged poker schools that were being conducted on the early boats, said that he had gone over to Northcote on an early boat on the morning of May 20. On the way back

he had watched the four accused playing cards for some time before accosting them. There was then ninepence on the floor. “Beswick told me that they were playing penny poker,” continued the detective. “He said they usually played coon-can. The men were sitting on the deck near the engine room. Beswick tried to snatch up the money, but I cautioned him.” Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M.: Were there any matches, or anything? Witness: No. The Magistrate: That does not sound much like poker, from what I know of it. Cross-examined by counsel, the detective admitted that he had heard no betting, and that the men had been particularly quiet. Witness could not say that he understood either poker or coon-can. There were about 12 cards face down in the midle of the ring. Mr. Moody said that seven cards each had been dealt to the men, as was usual for a game of coon-can. The Magistrate: I cannot understand them playing poker with only ninepence in the pool. It is not according to what I understand of poker. Counsel said that his clients were willing to swear that the game they were playing was coon-can. There was an explanation why the money was on the deck, and it was a sound one. “It even satisfied me,” added counsel, amid laughter. “I know your Worship has yet to be satisfied.” Mr. Moody said that the money had been borrowed by Gardner from Cassrels to buy a packet of cigarettes. None of the men had previously appeared before the court. Beswick, a civil servant, urged that coon-can was the game that was being played. “What I said to Mr. McHugh was that poker was sometimes played on the boats, but that he had got the wrong crowd,” he said. Witness and the chief-detective then delved into the intricacies of coon-can and compared notes, eventually arriving at the conclusion that they could not agree as to how the game should be played. “Who owns the pack, anyway?” queried Mr. Hammond. Beswick: I do. The Chief-Detective: Then you are the boss of the school. Beswick: No. The Chief-Detective: Weil, it’s your pack. Witness admitted reaching for the money. He did it because he was under the impression that he and his companions were being treated as gamblers. Cassrels, an agent, said that the ninepence on the deck had been given by him to Gardner to bu:z cigarettes. , He had also been playing coon-can. I The Magistrate: Old maid is safer, : you know-. The chief-detective suggested that'it ! was slow playing coon-can without stakes, but witness could not agree. “I have played poker with nothing on it, too,” he said. Gardner and Haora, Sugar Company employees, corroborated the evidence of their companions. The last witness said that he had never played poker coming across on the boat, though it was quite usual for him to play coonj can. He had no money with him. | Mr. Moody: You would not be much j good to a poker school. | “These are all respectable men and they tell me that they were playing j coon-can,” commented the magistrate. “The case is dismissed.’