FINES TOTAL £340

Taranaki Daily News, 18 July 1929, Page 13

FINES TOTAL £340

SIX MEN ADMIT BETTING FOUND WITH DOUBLE CHARTS TOTALISATOR ODDS TAKEN EACH OFFENCE TO COST £2O Fines totalling £340 were inflicted yesterday on the six men arrested in New Plymouth on Saturday for offences connected with betting on horse racing. Having pleaded guilty to 17 charges they were fined £2O on each. Even standing room wag at a premium when the court was opened. From a casual survey of the spectators it was evident that public interest had spread far beyond those more particularly interested in racing. “I was much struck by- a remark of Mr. Quilliam that this business has its .serious disadvantages; it has,” said Mr. R. W. Tate, S.M., when the charges had all been heard. He said that for some of the offences to which they had pleaded guilty the defendants could be imprisoned or fined, while for the major offences, on which no evidence had been tendered, they were liable to much heavier- penalties. He was not sure whether this calling could be dignified by the name of business —burglary might be similarly described —but, if they continued to follow it, sooner or later they would go to gaol. The smallness of the operations did not alter the enormity of the offence, continued the magistrate. It seemed that they thought the offence lay in being caught, not in breaking the law.

CHARGES AND TOTAL FINES. The charges for which penalties were Imposed were; — John Allen —On June 3 entered a het on the result of the Great Northern Steeplechase, in the event of a win agreeing to pay totalizator odds; on July 10 entered a bet on the Trentham Hurdles for totalisator oddsy on July 11 entered a bet on the Second Hack Steeplechase for totalisator odds; on July 13 entered a bet on the July Steeplechase for totalisator odds £BO John Shore —On June 1, entered a bet 1 on the Huia Handicap at Otaki for totalisator odds; on June 3, entered a bet on the Taipira Handicap at Otaki for totalisator odds; published a double chart on the Great Northern Steeplechase and King George Handicap, run at Auckland on June 3; on June 13, entered a bet' on the July Steeplechase for totalisator odds .... £BO Robert Mascall — Published a double chart on the Great Northern Hurdles and Great Northern Steeplechase run at Auckland on June 1 and 3 respectively; on June 1, entered a bet on the Great Northern Steeplechase for totalisator odds; on July 13, entered a bet on the July Steeplechase for totalisator odds £6O Herbert Thomas Allen —On May 30, published a double chart on the Great Northern Hurdles and Great Northern Steeplechase; on June 1, entered a bet on the Great Northeim Hurdles at totalizator odds £4O Oscar Royce Ulander —On July 7, entered a bet on the Winter Hurdles at totalisator odds; entered a bet on the Winter Oats for totalisator odds £4O George McGlashan —Published a double chart on the York Handicap and Winter Steeplechase • at Auckland on June 3; published a double chart on the Memorial Handicap and Taipu Handicap at Otaki on June 3 £4O Detective Meiklejohn announced that he had no evidence to offer on charges of carrying on business as bookmakers and these informations were withdrawn against all the men. A similar procedure was adopted in connection with charges of betting on the July Steeplechase against McGlashan; of publishing a double chart on the York Handicap and Winter Steeplechase against John Allen; of publishing a double chart on the York Handicap and Winter Steeplechase against Shore. None of these allegations was admitted. PLAIN-CLOTH" ' MAN MAKES BET. McGlashan was visited by a plainclothes constable on June 2, having been introduced through another man, said Detective Meiklejohn. He was given a double chart for the Auckland race meeting and he took a bet. When he had paid the money McGlashan drew his attention to the fact that there was another double on the Otaki meeting on the back of the card. No bet was made on this, however, though it was quite evident the chart was presented with that object. McGlashan has been warned twice ‘'to give the game up,” and had been carrying on for from nine to twelve months. When arrested on Saturday he was in possession of £5O 10s and some betting paraphernalia. Mr. R. H. Quilliam said McGlashan had one card, but evidently there was a double chart on each side.. He had drifted into the business somehow or other, but otherwise had borne an excellent character. He was married and was held in high esteem in his own circle —not a racing circle. He came to the court as a first offender. He had no regular place of business and there was no question of his keeping a gam-ing-house,

He had received ft sharp shock, continued counsel, and the tact of being treated as an ordinary criminal had had its effect. Hitherto he had held a food position. In asking for the exension of leniency, Mr. Quilliam said this was in no sense parallel to the others dealt with by th e magistrate •within the last day or so. There was very little likelihood of him giving further trouble. FATHER AND SON ARRESTED. John Allen and his father, Herbert fhomas Allen, were the next called to answer charges.

John Allen, said the detective, had made the bets mentioned in the charges and on at least one occasion he had paid out a second dividend. He had been in the business for about 18 months. At first he had started, in a small way, and had been scratching about town, till lately he had been operating in a fairly large way. When arrested ne had on him a sura of £25 8s 9d, and some bettin® paraphernalia. He had been warned on two occasions, but had said that if he were caught he would be prepared to pay the penalty. Concerning the father, the detectives said for many years he had been bookmaking. About two years ago he went out, but for the last six months he had been at it again in a hotel in the town —his old haunt. He had made no comment when warned a few months ago. He was acquitted by the Supreme Court in 1925, and that should' have been a sufficient warning for him. When arrested he had £5 5s in cash and some betting paraphernalia. „ “These two cases really go together, said Mr. Quilliam. “The father may be described as a ‘silver bettor’ in a veiy small way. He is a sick .man who, a few years ago, got into serious financial difficulties resulting in bankruptcy. He then gave up the game entirely and obtained work in a butcher’s shop for 18 months. Recently, on account of Ins health, he had to leave this employment, and as the occupations he is able to follow are limited and he was m a desperate situation, he took up the old business in a very small way.” The fact that he had only £5 5s with him when he was arrested was the best evidence that he operated in a very small way, said counsel. The only betting material found on him was a race card, and anyone might have that. He had no previous convictions, but, having become involved in the business, it was evidently difficult to break away Unfortunately the son had come i ß to the business through his father. He had lost his position as a clerk, and while looking for work he had started the business in a small way. Ref ;r--rina to what had been said to the detective, counsel said one could amagine that a youth would feel a spirit cf bravado and would be influenced oy a certain glamour at being associated with the tur? in this way. Now, however, after having been in a police cell, he realised the seriousness of his position. The father realised the position he had placed his son in, and that but for that there would not nave been this spectacle of father and son standing together on these charges. They would now break away from the business entirely. On the one side there was a sick man driven to the business by force of circumstances, and on the other a mere boy who had drifted into it from the love of the excitement, and he had carried on till caught. He could say quite confidently that this Iweak with the business on the part of both these men would be permanent. OPERATING FOR FIVE YEARS. Mascall had had £39 16s on him when arrested, said the detective. He had been operating in New Plymouth at least five years and had been fined for an offence relating to betting in February, 1926. Mr. J. M. Hine said Mascall had been playing a lone hand and employed no agents, as well-established firms did. Counsel asked for the clemency of the court. . Shore had made 10s bets and m two instances had paid out bets on Consent, which ran on the second day at Otaki, said the detective. When arrested he was in possession of £l5 16s sd. He did betting business in hotels and was not one of the class of men who took premises with a telephone. He was one of those who did their work around the bars. He had been booking from nine to twelve months and was a real betting man who had been at it for years in various forms. He seemed to have a craving for it. He had some defect in his right arm and was getting on in years, so he could not do hard work. He had a boarding-house in St. Aubyn Street, however, so he could make a living there. Mr. Hine said Shore had been a waterside worker till some years ago, when owing to varicose veins he had to give up the occupation. He was the “smallest” man charged that day, and counsel expressed a hope that because he had pleaded guilty tb four charges the penalty would not be made heavier in his case than in the others. His keenness to earn had caused him to fall into the traps laid by the police. He thought it would meet the case of this man if he were fined on only one of the charges. His financial position was poor. Ten years ago he had l ien in trouble in connection with this class of offence. He then dropped the game, and' had kept out of it till about nine or ten months ago. Detective Meiklejohn: We do not admit he is as small a man as suggested, but we do not press the charge of publishing a double chart on June 4, as jio bet was made. Ulander had just over £53 with him when arrested, said the detective. He had been fined before for betting on totalisator odds. He operated in a fairly large way. Mr. Hine said Ulander was a young married man with a serious physical disability. Apart from this class of offence he had an unblemished record.