ALLEGED ATTEMPT TO DEFRAUD BOOKMAKER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18889, 12 October 1929, Page 9

ALLEGED ATTEMPT TO DEFRAUD BOOKMAKER.

THREE MEN CHARGED IN GISBORNE COURT. Per Press Association. \ GISBORNE, October 12. In the Magistrate’s Court William M’Kinnon, an indent agent, and Wal* lace Fountain, a telegraphist, were jointly charged with conspiring to defraud Arthur Yeo, a Napier bookmaker, of £99 by means of a forged telegram on August 13, and with similarly conspiring to defraud him of £BO on August 15. M’Kinnon and Charles Thomas Clifford Hands, a telegraphist, were charged with having on August 24 attempted to defraud Yeo of £l5O by means of a forged telegram. Evidence given by George Stanley Symonds, owner of the horse Malahat, that as a result of a conversation with M’Kinnon he wrote to Yeo and asked for a “No reply ” code, this being granted with a limit' of £2O, and also on condition that the telegram had to be lodged before the advertised starting time of the race. M’Kinnon asked that the code be left at his office, and twice asked if he could use the code, witness agreeing on condition that hq let him know when he was doing so. On no occasion was he notified by M’Kinnon that he was going to use it. Witness denied that telegrams produced were written by him, or by his authority. He also denied sending several other telegrams produced making bets on various horses or receiving money, either from Yeo or M’Kinnon. Cross-examined, the witness admitted tl.at he had endeavoured to communicate v/uli Yeo at M’Kinnon’s request. He had addressed envelopes to Yeo and left them with M’Kinnon, and had used M'Kinnon’s box for receiving racing letters. M’Kinnon was continually telling him about the betting after it was done. Elsie Kathleen Morrel, a telephone operator, deposed to connections between M'Kinnon’s telephone number am the telegraph counter where Fountain worked, but said that she was too busy to hear any conversation. The hearing was adjourned till Monday.