BETTING IN GAOL

Taranaki Daily News, 19 August 1925, Page 6

BETTING IN GAOL

PLOT AT MT. EDEN PRISON. THREE WARDERS PLEAD GUILTY. UNLAWFUL COMMUNICATIONS. WOMAN GIVEN MONTH’S GAOL By Telegraph.— Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. An audacious plot to communicate with prisoners in Mount Eden gaol and to carry out betting transactions was revealed in the Police Court to-day. David Hugh Lloyd, aged 39, and Edgar H. Scott, aged 39, warders at the gaol, pleaded guilty to causing tobacco and letters to be unlawfully conveyed co the prison, and F. W. T. Redler, aged 26, soother warder, admitted causing three letters to be delivered into the prison. The offences were committed on July 31 and April 39. Mrs. Ada May Bleasel admitted causing to be delivered to Lloyd three letters and a parcel of tobacco to be conveyed into the prison, and denied two charges of publishing a document containing a totalisator dividend and of laying totalisator odds. Chief Detective Cummings said that in consequence of complaints made by the deputy superintendent of the prison, he went there on August 4 and saw the thre’ warders accused. He took possession of three letters. Later in the day Mrs. Bleasel called to visit her son-in-law, Mike Flynn, who was serving a sentence for burglary. Witness told her that Lloyd had been detected bringing articles to prison for Flynn and another prisoner, Gerrard Corvissiano, and she admitted that she had given him three letters and a packet to be handed to Corvissiano. A PRISONER’S SPECULATIONS. The letters were opened in her pre. sence. The contents included a day card for the Poverty Bay race meeting and for the Christchurch Hunt Club meeting, and detailed the first and second horses and the divedends paid. A settling sheet showed that Corvissiano had on one day alone invested £l9O and won £ll5 12s. In another cate he had invested about £75 with Mrs. Bleasel and won £8 sd. At the Gisborne nieeting he won £lO9 12s for £152 invested. In most cases from £1 to £l2 was invested, but there was a case in which the sum was £25. All tAe betting was at totalisator odds, and Mrs. Bleasel said the limit had been £7 10s.

Questioned by witness, Mrs. Bleasel had taid she did not hold the money but acted only as an intermediary, and gave th» prisoner the results. She was aware that she was not doing right in communicat* ing by this means, but she was willing to take the risk. It was not denied that she received every consideration from the prison authorities in the matter of lawful communication with the prisoner, but she claimed that neither her son-in-law nor she herself got British justice. Witness told her that he had been informed by Corvissiano that a £250 "double” was struck, and it had been paid.

William Thos. Leggatt, deputy superintendent of Mount Eden prison, said the accused called to see her son-in-law, anf when spoken to admitted that she gave documents to Lloyd to take to the prison. Bhe said she was not a bookmaker but passed it on for the prisoner. Witness now knew that one betting transaction resulted in £lOO being received into prison through an illegal channel. "A PAWN IN THE GAME." Before calling Mrs. Bleasel to giv# evidence her counsel, Mr. Tong, said it appeared that a big drama was going on and she was one of the pawns in the game, and had been used bv some one higher up. She would have to bear the brunt of the blame. He submitted that she had not published within thS meaning of the section of the Act. Mrs. Bleasel, in evidence, said she was in business at Newmarket. The. documents, which she was told to send to post office box 20, Newmarket, came into her possession, and she did as instructed. She did not receive any money and was uot concerned in any way with betting. Cross-examined, the witness said she handed the cards produced to Lloyd to be taken into the prison. She did not know who wrote “Mr. F. Collins, care Box 20. Newmarket” on one envelope produced, hut one of the letters had been written by her. No reply was given when Chief . Detective Cummings asked: "Who is the bookie I” Detective Cummings: "1 put it to you that this has been going on for two months ?” Accused: “Two months if you like." Detective Cummings said that on February 23, Box 20 at Newmarket post office was taken by Miss Eva M. Collins. It was the custom for the warders to collect the mail from the box and to deliver it to the prisoners. W’hen the plot was discovered all the men told the truth and assisted the police. They would lose their positions and there was also the question of superannuation. No doubt the master mind was at Newmarket. WARDERS FINED; WOMAN GAOLED. Remarking that they Were foolish men, the magistrate (Mr. J. W. Poynton) imposed a fine of £5 and 7s costa In each case, but refused a request by Scott for the suppression of the names, saying it was too grave a matter, especially as they were in public positions In regard to the case against Mrs, Bleasel, it was stated that she had already been fined £5O for receiving stolen property. Mr. Tong amended the plea to one of guilty on the betting charge. The chief detective said the woman had declared that she would still carry on. Mr. Poynton: "Oh, a fine to her would be only a flea-bite.” On the first charge Mrs. Bleasel was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment, and she was fined £ f 2o on each of the two other counts.