COUNTRY BOOKIES ARE CAUGHT AT ELLESMERE TROTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17837, 4 May 1926, Page 7

COUNTRY BOOKIES ARE CAUGHT AT ELLESMERE TROTS.

£2O EACH, SAYS THE MAGISTRATE.

The Ellesmere Trotting Club is not the holder of a totalisator permit, but that small detail did not prevent the local sports from having a punt at the last meeting, on April 17.' Two village residents were kind enough to take their bets. However, they came under the ej'e of Racecourse Detective Torrence and Detective Studholme. The two men, David M’lntyre and William Melville Beynon, appeared before Mr H. Y- Widdowson, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court to-day to answer a charge of bookmaking. They pleaded guilty. Detective Sergeant Young conducted the case, and Mr Thomas represented the accused. Detective-Sergeant Young said that at the non-totalisator meetin gat Leeston both M’lntyre and Beynon were seen to be accepting a considerable number of bets. Both were residents of Leeston. Mr Thomas submitted that the case was not on all fours with bookmaking in the centres of population. Leeston trots were considered to be more or less a picnic outing, and during recent years there had been a great deal of laxity in carrying out the meeting. One of the men was a compositor, and the other a butcher’s assistant. Beynon had taken about £lO and the other man had taken a slightly greater sum. They were not in the big ring, and were local men doing a bit of punting as a pastime.

The Magistrate: A pastime in the hope of making a bit of money. Each was fined £2O and costs, a month being allowed in which to pay the fine.