LOST AT “TWO-UP.”

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 936, 5 December 1933, Page 4

LOST AT “TWO-UP.”

Astonishing Story Told to Official Assignee. j £4OO IN THREE NIGHTS. Per Press Association. GISBORNE, December 4. I Some rather astonishing figures re- | garding the prevalence of gambling ! were revealed in the course of a bankruptcy meeting to-day, when the bank- | rupt stated that he had lost about £4OO i in three nights’ play at a “two-up j school.” Bankrupt was Thomas Good- | all, freezing works employee,-and there was only one debt, £lll 11s 6d. The proceedings constituted a further sequel to the recent litigation over the Poverty Bay Freezers’ Union, when action was taken in the Supreme Court by William Neenan and others to have the union declared virtually defunct. Goodall and a number of others were joined as defendants in the action. An order in the terms sought was granted and judgment was entered against defendants for the sum of £lO3, later increased to £lll 11s 6d by costs accumulating. No payment was made in respect of the judgment, and last Wednesday Goodall was adjudicated bankrupt on the petition of Neenan and others. Drew Money From Bank. In his filed statement bankrupt said he had not worked for just on two years. lie had money in the bank two years ago and had been drawing it ever since. He could not get relief work because he had money. "I kept drawing on the money in the Post Office savings bank,” he said. “I was gambling with it, and finally I was either going to get rich quick or lose, so I drew the balance of the money from the savings bank soon after the last race meeting, the amount being somewhat over £420 I did most of it in except what I paid back. I had already borrowed a few pounds.” He had no property whatever. With the exception of the judgment debt in respect of which he had been declared bankrupt he owed no debts. In reply to the Assignee bankrupt said he was not aware of the date when he withdrew the balance of the money in the bank. He received £420 by cheque, which he cashed. The Assignee: What did you do with the money, Witness: I did in some of it in gambling. I paid back £24 T borrowed The Assignee: Why was the money paid to this man? I owed it to him. Gambled It Away. What did you do with the balance. £400?—I gambled that away. In what way?—l lost some in racing and some in two-up. How long did it take you to dissipate the. £4OO at two-up?—Two or three nights, I’m not sure now. Had you been in the habit of playing two-up before.—Yes. 1 have won £3OO in a night, and I have lost that sum before to-day. If there were' only two or three nights, what did you lose the first night?—l can’t say. What amount of money did you take to the “school”?—I had the lot on me. What did you come away with?—A fair bit. I can’t tell you now. How many were there the first night?—There might be forty or fifty. I’ve got a bad idea of number. After a lengthy cross-examination, in the course of which bankrupt said his memory was poor and he couldn’t remember the houses where two-up was played, the owners, big winners, etc., the Official Assignee said the information was very desirable and adjourned the meeting until December 13.