COINS CHANGE HANDS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1010, 28 June 1930, Page 5

COINS CHANGE HANDS

BETTING ON ELLERSLIE “HILL” PUNTER WHO TOOK RISKS Seen making a collection of silver coins from a number of men on the Hill at Ellerslie on June 7, Frederick Basham was accosted. He appeared at the Police Court yesterday and was fined £. 1 and costs for a breach of the Gaming Act. Mr. Hart appeared for accused and entered a plea of guilty, urging that the offence was purely technical. Chief-Detective Hammond said Basham had been caught at Ellerslie oil tlie Hill. He was silver betting J but there was nothing previous against j him. He had been laying tote odds. I Mr. Hart said defendant had been i with friends and they were cutting up the price of the tickets between them. In the last three races they had been backing the favourites which were paying only small dividends. Basham had taken the chance of keeping the money instead of buying the tickets. He would of course have paid up if the horse that was to have been backed had won. “My own scant knowledge of racing leads me to believe that it is difficult for anyone who goes to the races to contravening some of the clauses of the Gaming Act,” counsel added. “The only honest t- Tigs on the course appear to be the horses, and the ones I back are not even that.” Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M.: Well, don’t go. A fin© of £ 1 was imposed and Mr. Hart asked for time to pay. The Magistrate: Time to pay a £1 fine? No. He was laying tote odds. “I thought you said £5. I withdraw my remarks,” said Mr. Hart. The Magistrate: I took it into account that defendant would have to pay you, and that makes a total of £2. ______