SUGGESTION OF FRAUD

Taranaki Daily News, 13 April 1935, Page 9

SUGGESTION OF FRAUD

LOTTERY AT AUCKLAND THE MYSTERIOUS MR. J. S. BURKE. SUNSHINE LEAGUE COMPLAINTS. CHARGE AGAINST TICKET-SELLER. By Telegraph--Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. For selling tickets in an illegal lottery, which the police described as “undoubtedly a fraud,” a young woman, Ada Ball; was fined £2 and costs by Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., in the Police Court on a summons charge of selling tickets at Napier on February 8 in a lottery which was prohibited by the Gaming Act» Mr. Noble appeared for Ball, who pleaded guilty. Senior-Detective Hall said that on January 16 last Miss Ball answered an advertisement in an Auckland paper and as a result she was engaged as sales organiser by a man who engaged her under the name of “J. S. Burke.” “Burke” ' made arrangements for the printing and numbering of tickets in an illegal lottery and on January 31 Miss Ball left Auckland in a motor-car with four- others and commenced a tour of Thames, Tauranga, Te Puke, Opotiki and the North Island, selling tickets at Napier. At Napier the party came under the notice of the police, who obtained over 400 books, each containing 40 tickets at 6d each. Detective Hall said 500 books of tickets were actually printed. The proceeds from the sales by the Other four sellers were paid to Miss Ball and the total amount of sales before they were stopped by the police was about £26. Miss Ball said this amount was expended in the payment of wages to herself and commission of 33 1-3 per cent, to the ticket-sellers, said the senior-detective. The tickets purported to be in aid of a fund to help poor and needy children, which was the phrase used by the Community Sunshine League at Auckland. The lottery tickets showed that the winner of the lottery would get a bungalow valued at £5OO and that as a result £5OO would Igo towards funds for the maintenance of children’s health cainps. As the Sunshine League at Auckland was the only bona fide organisation expending money in the maintenance of children’s health camps the Sunshine League had received numerous inquiries asking when jts art union was being drawn. As a result the police had received a complaint from the Sunshine League about this alleged fraud. Mr. Noble produced a reply from “J. S. Burke” asking Miss Ball to call and see him about the position. She did so and received full instructions. She assumed that everything was quite all right and took on the job of sales organiser. Miss Ball had to remit the money to “Burke” at his private box and did actually remit £2 9s to him. The rest of the proceeds went in expenses on the motor tour. Miss Ball received a salary of £3 per week and expenses. “It might be a low down fraud, but my client had nothing whatever to do with the introduction of this lottery,” said Mr. Noble. “She was trusting and confiding and this man ‘Burke’ must have been a plausible person.” Mi’. Hunt: She should have gone to the police or some other reliable place and found out about the lottery and also whether it was honest. She will have to be more careful in future. . Miss Ball was fined £2 and costs. “I would like to have a word or two with this ‘Mr. Burke,”’ said the magis- * “So would we all,” replied Mr. Noble.