BOOKMAKER’S PLEA FAILS

Taranaki Daily News, 24 September 1930, Page 7

BOOKMAKER’S PLEA FAILS

“RECEIVED NO COMMISSION.” WELLINGTON MAN FINED £lOO. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The story by Frank London, aged 29, a hairdresser, that he had merely obliged his customers by accepting bets from them and “’resetting” the money with bookmakers without receiving any commission was rejected by Mr. E. Page, 5. in the Police Court to-day, London being fined £lOO for keeping a common gamin™ house at 58 Hobart Street, Miramar. William Janies, aged 20, hairdresser, was fined £5 for assisting in the conduct of the house. Police Constables Trask and Phillips wave evidence of hearing betting talk while having shaves. Subsequently various bets were laid. Detective Baylis.? said he visited the shop with De-tective-Sergeant Holmes on September 6, when London admitted taking bets which he said he passed on to a bookmaker. An anonymous complaint had been made that the shop was being used as a common gaming house. A marked pound note was among London’s cash. Double charts and race cards also were found.

For the defence Mr. Perry submitted that the shop could not be defined as a common gaming house as betting was not the regular Business and the money had been accepted only to oblige customers and passed on to a bookmaker.

The magistrate said it had ben abundantly proved that London had carried on a "betting business. The submission that London had acted as agent for his customers relied for support on London’s uncorroborated evidence. He had declined to disclose the name of the bookmaker and had produced no books of any sort. A reasonable and proper interpretation of the whole facts was that London was bookmaking either on his own account or in collaboration with other bookmakers, as was done in many cases.

Accused were each given fourteen days in which to pay the fines. Default was fixed at imprisonment for three months in the case of London and for one month in the case of James.