"FIVE TOTE TICKETS,"

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11947, 5 March 1917, Page 5

"FIVE TOTE TICKETS,"

« «t» —— STOLEN BY WARNER'S xNIGHT PORTER. TWO MEN CONVICTED. At the Magistrate's Court to-day, before Mr Wyvera Wilson, S-M., Alfred Walter Yates (Mr Hunter) pleaded guilty to the theft of five totalisator tickets, valued at iTi 17s 6d, tho property of Horace Boys. -Mr Hunter said that the offence had occurred on the night of a race meeting when there wore a great many people a.t Warner's Hotel, where Yates was night porter. He found the tickets in a wasto-paper basket, and thought they had been lost. He had givo*i two tickets to a friend named Alexander, who intended to plead not guilty to receiving, telling him that he had found them. He had then written to the secretary of the Trotting Club asking him to send the money for the other three to Wain's Hotel, Dunedin, and ho had wrongly used the name of Frank Foster, which was admittedly wrong. "One naturally asks," said the Magistrate, "why he did not use his own name? 5 ' Mr Hunter said the accused did not know he was committing a criminal offence, and when the police interviewed him he was perfectly frank with them. The money had been restored. He had been night porter at Warner's Hotel for seven years and had a good record.

Chief-Detective Herbert, said that Mr Boys, who was a traveller, had purchased five tickets on General Wilkes, which had paid a dividend of £3 9s 6d. Ho lodged them at Warner's Hotel, asking the cashier in the office to put them in the safe- She had laid them instead on a shelf with sciine valueless tickets. He asked the Magistrate not to believe that the good tickets were thrown out by mistake and the valueless ones left. The accused had written to the secretary of the club asking him to forward the naonev to Frank Foster at Wain's Hotel, Dunedin, probably intending_ to have the money readdressed to Christchurch. Evidence of character was given by B. H. Price, manager of Warner's, who staged, in reply to the Cltief-D etec t ive, taht hs was prepared to, take Yates back. The accused gave evidence, stating that he had found the tickets in a waste-paper basket. He could not explain why he had used the nam© of Foster, and had not told the manager of his find when asked about it. The Magistrate said there was no doubt of criminal intent. William Alexander (Mr Hunter) was then charged that he had received from Yates two tickets valued at £6 19s, knowing them to have been dishonestly obtained. Horace Boys gave evidence that he hnd five tickets on General "Wilkes, which ho did not collect, but handed them to Miss Price at Warner's, particularly asking her to put them safe. Arthur Morley, who had worked on the totalisator, identified the tickets. He knew Boys, who had bought tickets on several occasions.

Marian Isabel! Price, daugher of the I licensee, said that Mr Boys had given ! her some totalisator tickets, which she { put on the desk with two old tickets. They were missing in the morning. W. H. Macdougall, in charge of the totalisator, said that the five tickets were included in twenty-two outstanding after the race. Alexander cashed two of them at his office on the Monday or Tuesday, receiving a cheque. Payment of the others wa« stopped because of a complaint by Mr Boys.

Detective Ward said that he interviewed Aiexander : who at first stated that ho had bought tho tickets at the racecourse, but had afterwards admitted that Yfites had given him the two tickets, promising him tho amount.of one ticket if ho would cash them. He had refunded £3 9s 6d. Tho accused gave evidence that ho did not suspect the tickets to he i stolen. He was not surprised wheu j Yates offered him half the proceeds, because Yates was a " terrible generous" man. Ho had lied to the police because he did not want to get Yates into (rouble.

The Magistrate Paid that tho circumstances led him to believe that the accused know that Yates had come dishonestly by the tickets. He had lied to the police to save Yates from 'trouble, knowing that they were dishonestly obtained. The chief detective said that tho witnesses' expenses came to £S 13s, Reviewing both cases the Magistrate said that Yates had fallen to a sudden temptation, and had drawn his friend in by the promise of half the proceeds. Yates was the greater offender, hut the case did not call for imprisonment. He would be fined £lO and be ordered to pay half the. expenses. A Wander would be convicted and ordered to \ come up for sentence when called on, and won Id also be ordered to pay half the expenses. i . , . 1