ON THE TOSS OF A COIN.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 12881, 1 May 1913, Page 3

ON THE TOSS OF A COIN.

WOMEN AT RACES

A TIP FROM TAIHAPE.

WHAT IT PRODUCED

MAGISTRATE'S DILEMMA

WELLINGTON, April 30

A racecourse betting transaction, in which two women were concerned wac (reviewed iiu the. Magistr.ate'is Oouri yesterday. Flora Watson, the wife of a striker in.the railway workshops at Petotve, sued Mary Emony. wife of Charles T. Enxnny. for £2 i9s, as lh« bfllance- of moneys repcivect by Mrs Emenv for Mrs Watson.

Mr"T. M. .Wilford appeared for the plaintilf, and. Mr J. j. M'Grath for the. defendant.

Mr W-i-lford, in .opening tho case fot Mrs .Watson, said "that, although the claim .'might appear to be somewhat within tho provisions of the Gaming ■Act, ho would be able to show that sik. was riot thecaeo. . Mr M'Grath : Wo have no intention of- pleading the Gaming Act. If my friend can prove h:s case, we aro prepared to pay. Mr Wilford then related the circumstances of tho ca?o from his client's point of view. Mrs Watson, h-e snul, went to the recent Wellington races, and took with her a post-rard which plie had received from h?v brother in Taihape. This card said: "T like Heatherbrao or Cheddar for the Thompson Handicap, and Patronale for the six furlongs."7' "Th;G man," Mr Wilfsord -observed, "is 'evidently a good nicker.,tor Cheddar won _ tho^Xliqmuso.n ■Handicap,'and Patronale won the sixfurlong race." "]M vs .W-^iELl 1 • her counsel said, "knows .'no{King about racing, met Mrs Einony (who is an export) at the- course.'•' Mrs Emeny: I don't know very much .about it.

Mr Wilford went on to say that MoscTames Watson and Emeny agreed to have 5s each on Heathorbrae, but late decided to put the-"money on. Cheddar. Mrs Emeny* took the mnnoj to the 10s ioitalfeatorj .and bought a ticket, on Cheddar. The hor.oa won, and paid £12 16s-6d, which moant £0 8s 3d for a ■10s ticket. Therefore, each woman should have got £3 4s. After getting. the dividend Mrs 'Em-stiy had refused to give' he,lf of it. to Mrs Watson, asserting that Mrs Watson's interest was in Heathcrbrae, and that Mrs Watson fell knew that the ticket which. Mrs Emeriy had c-n Cheddar was entirely her own.- That night Mr and Mrs Watson went to.the houso of the Emeny'a, nnd iagain asked for lv.Jf the: dividend "W'.a "sjvv," co:rcluded Mjr AVillPord, "that she received this money for Mr*> Watson, and that she stuck to it. and Avon't hand it over."

Mrs Watson then gave evidence. She deposed that Mrs Eiiicny .had taken 5s of hers, and piit if on Cheddar. When Mrs Emeny "asserted that witness.had not backed- Cheddar, witness had exclaim cd:. "You are the last woman T will ever trust on a racecourse with my ■money, and I shall always, think you owe me half that dividend on died dar." '

IMt M'Grath- W'h.en Mrs Emeny ro fused to hand you the money you ask-ed-for. didn't you cry? .. Mrs-Wii'tsdn: I never cried. . . I spoke to Mrs Emeny like a lady. 1 didn't bay what srvmo would have done. I raid .nothing—absolutely. .Mr M'Grath : It is extremely regrettable to bring into this Court a woman who has bean.a respectable resident? of Wellington for .years. . . Tho case i. an outrageous one : and should .never have been brought. It" is an improper and ian.,'immoral claim. Mrs Emeny then gave evidence. *Sho denied that Mrs Watson had had a share in the Cheddar ticket. Mr Wilford : Why did you give her her five'■shillings back after the race. 'Mrs. Emeny:''Wasn't, it foolish? Mr Wilford: Why did you give io had:? (Mrs Emcuv: 1 should have given her tW-hi.: ■Mr Wilford . Yea. you .should. Mrs Emeny: Yes, I should —to have saved this troublo. Mr ,Wilford: Will you swear that Tom Quinlivan (Cheddar's » trainer1) went to you on tl:o- course, and told you to hack Cheddar? Mrs Emeny: No, but a very great i friend of his did. . j His 'Worship : Thcso parties are both, T bake it, snorting individuals, and, if they \vill tako a suggestion, I will ,sug-g-est that they should toss a coin to see wh/Q.thcii-i ;tljo'rn!nfrt'inVgeU"> h-.ilf tho diivjdend >qr' tho t!.-j-f?.vi^-'xnt .p;3ts the No matter which' way' tho de, eisidn goes, ono of the two is bound to bo disappointed. I am not iircMvired to state just at present which of the two is right.